Football: FA Cup: Marshall lays down the law

Plymouth Argyle . . . 3

Peterborough United. .2

DWIGHT Marshall ended his goal famine in spectacular fashion as Second Division Plymouth Argyle knocked First Division Peterborough United out of the FA Cup last night.

Marshall's double first-half strike in this second-round tie seemed to put Peter Shilton's Plymouth in the driving seat but they had to endure a fraught second half in which the Posh twice cut their two-goal lead.

Marshall could have scored five goals in an extraordinary first-half performance, but was more than happy to settle for two inside three minutes as Peterborough's defence was torn to shreds by effervescent Plymouth.

It had required two desperate interventions from Noel Luke to keep them restrained early on.

In the 12th minute he blocked on the line a firm-footed drive by Adrian Burrows after Marshall had quick-wittedly turned on a Paul Dalton corner.

Luke was also instrumental in frustrating Plymouth soon after as he blocked a shot from the omnipresent Marshall. The rebound, however, fell perfectly to Dalton, whose header looked bound for the net until Ian Bennett produced a startling one-handed save.

Peterborough were given an even more dramatic reprieve when Marshall, put clear by Kevin Nugent's astute pass, failed to beat Bennett in a one-on-one, screwing his shot lamentably wide.

Yet Marshall gloriously atoned for his embarrassing error with a superb 34th-minute goal fashioned first by Burrows and then by Dalton, who whipped over a low cross which was crashed home with pleasing relish.

To prove that the exemplary strike was no fluke, Marshall added a twinkle-toed second goal after a dire defensive mix-up between Steve Welsh and Bennett which again underlined Peterborough's lack of defensive cohesion.

But with the First Division side now lording the midfield, in the form of the hard-working Mick Halsall, Plymouth were limited to breakaways having once dominated.

Marshall again was involved when he failed to make the most of a probing through ball from Darren Garner. Tony Philliskirk cut Plymouth's advantage with a 74th-minute goal from close range, only for Steve Castle to restore it almost immediately from close range following more good work from Marshall.

But this extraordinary match was not finished yet and a third goal inside as many minutes arrived when Worrell Sterling gave Peterborough renewed hope with their second goal.

Plymouth Argyle: Newland; Poole, Morgan, Hill, Burrows, Garner, Barlow, Castle, Nugent, Marshall, Dalton. Substitutes not used: Edworthy, Adcock.

Peterborough United: Bennett; Bradshaw, Robinson, Halsall, Luke, Welsh, Sterling, Iorfa (Barnes, 60), Adcock, Philliskirk, Ebdon. Substitute not used: Retallick.

Referee: P Durkin (Portland).