Preview: Plymouth Argyle vs. Coventry City - prediction, team news, lineups

With the second-tier trapdoor preparing to open up beneath them, Plymouth Argyle will host top-six chasing Coventry City at Home Park in the Championship on Easter Monday.

The Pilgrims were controversially denied a point at Middlesbrough late on last time out, whilst the Sky Blues secured a standout success over a Midlands rival on home soil.

Match preview

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Since the beginning of April, Plymouth Argyle have alternated between victory and defeat across a quartet of Championship contests, with the most recent of those matches ending in a gut-wrenching loss at the Teesside base of Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough on Good Friday.

The Green Army appeared to be heading towards a valuable point in the North-East after Mustapha Bundu equalised following Finn Azaz's opener in the first half, but a controversial penalty decision allowed Boro striker Tommy Conway to win the contest from 12 yards in the 93rd minute.

Following further heartbreak on the road last time out, strugglers Plymouth are sitting at the very bottom of the Championship standings with just three matches left to salvage their season, three points behind John Eustace's Derby County in the relative safety of 21st spot.

Whilst second-tier trips have been nothing short of a nightmare for the Pilgrims this term, Miron Muslic's men have enjoyed success at their Devonshire base, with Monday afternoon's hosts winning back-to-back matches at Home Park recently over Norwich City and Sheffield United.

Netting three of his side's four goals across those pair of victories, Scotsman Ryan Hardie leads Plymouth's Golden Boot race at this stage with nine Championship goals, with the 28-year-old doing his utmost to fill the shoes of last season's talisman Morgan Whittaker, who departed to Middlesbrough in January.

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Backed by over 31,000 fans at the Coventry Building Society Arena - the largest-ever turnout for a league match at the venue - Coventry City put on an impressive show during a hotly-contested Midlands derby, beating fellow playoff hopefuls West Bromwich Albion 2-0 on Good Friday.

After showing glimpses of excellence during a second-tier stint at Huddersfield Town, Jack Rudoni has burst into the limelight in the East Midlands, netting the opener for the Sky Blues last time out, before winter signing Matt Grimes opened his account for the club, pouncing on a mistake from Albion's John Swift.

Victory over a direct rival for a top-six finish allowed Coventry to stretch their unbeaten run in the second tier to three matches as the regular campaign draws to a dramatic conclusion, with Frank Lampard's troops occupying sixth spot, three points ahead of Middlesbrough in seventh.

Whilst the all-round attacking contributions of 23-year-old Rudoni have stolen the headlines in recent times, American marksman Haji Wright remains at the top of the Sky Blues' goalscoring charts with 11 Championship strikes, including a hat-trick versus Sunderland last month.

Winning just six of their 21 second-tier outings this term, Lampard's men are hardly a potent force on the road in the Championship, but Monday afternoon's visitors to Home Park have enjoyed success in recent times away from the CBS Arena, beating Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford United earlier in the calendar year.

Team News

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After seeing red for an alleged push on Conway during the final moments of the Middlesbrough defeat, Plymouth captain Joe Edwards will be unable to feature on Monday afternoon.

The Pilgrims' options in full-back positions are further reduced by the absence of Brendan Galloway (hip), who is sidelined for the remainder of the campaign.

Plymouth's hopes of avoiding relegation to League One were dealt a major blow recently, with winter signings Maksym Talovierov (knee) and Nikola Katic (hamstring) both suffering injuries.

With Oliver Dovin commencing his recovery from a serious knee injury, Bradley Collins will hold down the fort in net for Coventry once again.

The Sky Blues have a pair of attackers who will be hoping to feature in the play-offs, with Ephron Mason-Clark (foot) and Victor Torp (ankle) unavailable at the moment.

Plymouth Argyle possible starting lineup: Hazard; Ogbeta, Szucs, Palsson, Pleguezuelo, Mumba; Gyabi, Randell, Houghton; Hardie, Bundu

Coventry City possible starting lineup: Collins; Van Ewijk, Latibeaudiere, Kitching, Dasilva; Grimes, Sheaf; Sakamoto, Rudoni, Wright; Simms

We say: Plymouth Argyle 2-2 Coventry City

Despite their dangerous predicament in the Championship standings, Plymouth are a force to be reckoned with at Home Park and should give Coventry a real game on Easter Monday.

It feels as if the Sky Blues have hit flow state as they hone in on a playoff spot, but we feel that Lampard's men will have to settle for a point in Devon.

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