Plymouth Argyle manager Ryan Lowe celebrated his 100th game in charge at the club with a resounding 4-1 victory against Accrington Stanley.
While the score was emphatic, there wasn't a massive difference between the two teams. Fine margins at both ends of the pitch went a long way in deciding the final outcome in this League 1 clash.
Back-three clash
Both teams have been predominant users of the back-three base and it was interesting to see if in the flesh.
Plymouth's wing-backs provided width and spare men in attack, with Joe Edwards powering in at the back-post to cause panic in the Accrington box on many occasions.
Harvey Rodgers and Ethan Hamilton wanted to do the same but they were often pegged back into a back-five. The latter also managed to loop the ball into his own net.
It is nice to see the tactical evolutions that we see in higher divisions, filtering down into the lower tiers.
Dictating the tempo
Lowe's teams predominantly have stronger second halves to the season so the southerners are in for a treat if that trend continues.
Plymouth weren't at their best today and it's usually a good sign when a team that won so convincingly despite not hitting their absolute high notes. Defensively, they had to dig in deep at the Wham Stadium and they were rewarded for that grit with some moments of brilliance and craziness at the other end.
What was particularly impressive was how they hung in and took the game away from Accrington in key moments. They recognised that it's difficult to dominate matches for an entire period so you have to show the rough with the smooth. Game-management is key in any division and Plymouth had it in droves.
Profligacy in attack
John Coleman lamented missed opportunities in his post-match thoughts. Stanley fought well and they got into some good situations but their finishing let them down. They only two shots on-target, a statistic symptomatic of their finishing woes.
Lewis Mansell missed a golden chance before Ryan Broom's stunning goal put Plymouth two-goals ahead. The striker has been providing some excellent link-up play but he bungled several chances that came his way.
Goals change games and, if Mansell scores his big second-half chance then the game is level and Accrington are in the ascendancy. Momentum comes and goes in football matches and it's important to take advantage of it when possible.
Colby Bishop will hope to add a bit of weight to Coleman's attacking ranks when he returns from suspension after his red card in the FA Cup clash with Port Vale.
Magic from the Broom
Ryan Broom was a cut above everybody else on the pitch. He moved with an exuberance and a quality that Accrington simply couldn't live with.
Broom's parent club, Peterborough United, would no doubt have had an eye on their asset's excellence. He thrived in an almost free-role in that three-man midfield, often taking wide positions to try and create opportunities.
The goal was a thing of pure beauty, picking up the ball in the inside-left channel before rifling a strike into top corner from 25-yards. However, his weight of delivery was also superb and he contributed with an official and unofficial assist – for the own-goal.
Broom's performance was the definition of an all-action display.