Plymouth start life after Rooney with dramatic Championship draw

Plymouth Argyle’s first game since Wayne Rooney stepped down as manager ended in a 2-2 draw with west country rivals Bristol City on Wednesday thanks to Julio Pleguezuelo’s stoppage-time equaliser.

The Spanish defender struck in acrobatic fashion for the Championship strugglers after Adam Randell’s free-kick dropped off Zak Vyner into the six-yard box.

City twice led, through Anis Mehmeti and Jason Knight, before Rami Al Hajj, with his first goal for the Greens, and then Pleguezuelo ensured a point for the hosts.

First-team coach Kevin Nancekivell replaced Rooney -- who left the club by mutual consent on New Year’s Eve -- on the touchline as a managerless Argyle kicked off 2025 at a rainswept Home Park.

Despite the draw, Plymouth remained rooted to the bottom of English football’s second-tier but are now three points from safety ahead of the bulk of the New Year’s Day fixtures in the Championship.

Manchester United great Rooney spent just seven months in charge of Plymouth, with the club winning a mere four matches and losing 13 of their 23 league games following the former England captain’s appointment in May.

In another early kick-off match, Queens Park Rangers continued to climb up the table with a 3-1 win at home to Watford.

Former Schalke and Fenerbahce forward Michael Frey, returning from a calf injury that had kept him out since mid-October, opened the scoring for QPR just five minutes into the action at Loftus Road.

The west London side doubled their lead before half-time through a header from Jimmy Dunne before Kwado Baah pulled a goal back for the visitors.

But QPR, who have now lost just one of their last 10 games to pull well clear of the relegation places, restored their two-goal lead against play-off contenders Watford less than 60 seconds later when Sam Field nodded in Paul Smyth’s cross.

Alex Neil’s first game in charge of Millwall ended in defeat as Ruben Rodrigues earned Oxford their third league win in a row with a 1-0 triumph at The Den.

Earlier, Stoke have appointed Mark Robins as their new manager, the English Championship side announced Wednesday.

Agencies