Tensions boil over as Plymouth and Barnsley players clash just before half time in what was a dramatic League One opener.
Plymouth’s Caleb Watts had a goal disallowed in the 6th minute due to a foul. Barnsley then took a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute when a free-kick from Luca Connell led to an own goal by Plymouth’s Brendan Wiredu.
Barnsley extended their lead to 2-0 in the 30th minute with a volley from Adam Phillips. Plymouth’s Tom Cleverley received a yellow card in first-half stoppage time after protesting a non-called foul.
A scuffle between Wiredu and Barnsley’s Jack Shepherd resulted in yellow cards for both, plus Plymouth’s Bradley Ibrahim, as can be seen below…
The gloves are off at Home Park 😳 pic.twitter.com/wQXUwbuUfc
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) August 2, 2025
Plymouth pulled one back in the 50th minute through Watts, making it 2-1. Shepherd was later sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a handball outside Barnsley’s penalty area.
And just when Argyle had been putting on the pressure, they concede a poor goal, this time in the 86th minute. Bali Mumba and Kornel Szucs got in each other’s way following a long clearance from Barnsley goalkeeper Murphy Cooper. Davis Keillor-Dunn pounced and slotted the ball into the net to make it 3-1.
As per BBC Sport: “A brilliant start to the season for 10-man Barnsley. Tom Cleverley’s first game as Plymouth Argyle boss ends in disappointment in a match where they had plenty of the ball and plenty of chances but gifted the South Yorkshire side their three goals and, with them, the three points.”
As per Plymouth Herald: “Argyle are punished for some very poor defending as they are beaten on the opening day of the season. The Home Park attendance of 16,483 included 888 Barnsley fans.”
Barnsley boss Conor Hourihane said post-match: “It had everything. It shows the group and the culture we have created over pre-season,” he said.
“I thought you saw moments and glimpses of what we can do
“My big, big message to the players after the game was ‘we probably would have folded here last year’. With the group and culture that was here last year we probably would have gone under but this year there’s a different mentality and a different grit.
“It’s one game so let’s not get carried away but it shows the work we have done over the summer.”
Here’s how fans reacted after tensions boil over as Plymouth and Barnsley players clash in the dramatic League One opener…
@tics_ben: God I’ve missed the football
@Georgeturnerutb: Hate it when people say this should be kept away from football, we need more of this. Simple as that, end of discussion 👍🏼
@ltreidy67: Scenes that nobody wants to see klaxon.
@lewis_gurr95: Footballs back
@WhitesHearts: football season started has it 🤣
@mfcharry2: What are they doing!! It’s a full on fist fight on the floor and everything #pafc #boro
@TheVillaHome: The season is well and truly back 😂
@FatJanner: As far as debuts go wiredus 1st 45 is the worst ive ever seen. To top it off he scored the worst own goal ive ever seen and a ridiculous decision to boot it as hard as he can into our own area resulted in a 2nd goal. And i had high hopes for him. Lets hope its just nerves #pafc
@BaileyStables: You’re lucky to still have 11 on the pitch. Should have been a red for Wiredu
@_JAJT_PAFC_: Not acceptable whatsoever. Caleb Watts only one with any credibility, the rest… 💩
@CoreyAn42377878: The window is still open, get rid of Wierdu. He’s absolute pants and obviously very hot headed. We don’t want players like that here.
@EthanGTBFC: You lot know Muslic isn’t your manager any more right? You don’t need to foul, dive and play dirty anymore.
@FatJanner: We have a team of professional football players who can not make a simple fucking pass. We are a man up and a goal down with 10 minutes to go with absolutely no fucking urgency whatsoever. If thats cleverley ball then i say #bringbackwaynerooney Fucking awful #pafc
@PAFCRyan: Honestly wouldn’t blame Cleverley if he walked late September time, Board have given him absolutely nothing but national league dross especially in defense, gunna be a long season where we finish no higher than 15th at a push. #pafc
#PAFC pic.twitter.com/1FI5JpxGbm
— Argo Memes (@ArgyleMemes) August 2, 2025
@goring_jack: Did wiredu get some bad news before the game? Playing like he’s at war 😂
@deanball__: Everyone was celebrating Ibrahim being a shithouse when he’s unnecessarily going to put Cleverley in an awkward position every game 😂😂 #PAFC
@plymouthjim: I thought we had a mid table squad. I’m now not sure of that. The defence was the defence that conceded about 80 fuckin goals under Rooney. The forward line is non existent. This is all on Hallett, as was last years relegation #pafc
@DanCook5: Watts aside that was a complete and utter shitshow against a not very good Barnsley side, play like that again next week and Bolton will absolutely hammer us, we are desperately short of depth but we all knew that! #pafc
@Ollie_PAFC: We setting the world record for amount of fights in a season, I fucking love it #pafc
@jcoleman22_: Any danger of getting a bunch of match officials that are actually competent at their job
@EFL??? #pafc
@JEales_: There’s been more fights in the last 2 games then passes we’ve put together. Absolute shambles from top to bottom. Bunch of amateurs in this squad. #PAFC
@Ollie_PAFC: You’d think we still have the team from Rooney, fuck me. Worst half of football I’ve watched, shit everywhere on the pitch no to mention the fucking refs #pafc
It came less than a week after we saw similar scenes in a pre-season friendly at Home Park between Plymouth and Bristol City. Have a look at the article below…
Plymouth and Bristol City players in a ‘not so friendly’ clash as fans watch on laughing
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