Ghanaian midfielder Michael Baidoo enjoyed a dream return from injury by scoring his first goal for Plymouth Argyle as the Pilgrims eased to a commanding 4-0 victory over Alvechurch FC in the first round of the Emirates FA Cup.
The 26-year-old came off the bench to cap an impressive comeback with a goal, helping Plymouth secure a comfortable passage into the second round of England’s oldest football competition.
Despite dominating possession and creating the better opportunities during the opening half, Argyle found it difficult to break down a resilient Alvechurch defence, with the sides going into the interval deadlocked at 0-0.
The breakthrough finally arrived five minutes after the restart when Will Evans capitalised on a defensive error before calmly drilling a low effort into the bottom corner to put the Championship side ahead.
Evans doubled Plymouth’s advantage in the 69th minute after Ronan Curtis’ dangerous cross took a heavy deflection and found its way into the net, with the striker credited with his second goal of the afternoon.
Baidoo, who had entered the contest in the 61st minute, wasted little time making his mark. In the 78th minute, the Ghanaian midfielder latched onto a low delivery from Jared Rendle and emphatically powered the ball into the roof of the net to score his first goal in Plymouth colours.
The goal capped a memorable return for the former IF Elfsborg midfielder, who has been working his way back to full fitness after an injury layoff.
Ronan Curtis rounded off an impressive afternoon for the hosts just two minutes later, calmly lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper after being played through by Harvey White to complete the 4-0 rout.
The convincing victory sends Plymouth Argyle safely into the second round of the Emirates FA Cup, while Baidoo’s goalscoring return provides a timely boost for both the player and the club as they prepare for the busy run of fixtures ahead.
The Ghanaian will now hope to build on his encouraging comeback and establish himself as a key figure in Plymouth’s midfield during the remainder of the season.
