If there is one small blot on Thomas Frank’s Brentford CV after six transformative years in charge, it is his FA Cup record.
And the Dane was made to rue ‘a missed opportunity’ in the iconic competition again as the Bees were shocked by Plymouth Argyle to crash out in the third round for the third successive year.
They say the magic of the cup has gone, but this certainly was magic as a Plymouth side who have lost 12 and won none of their 15 away games this season beat a team who have the second best home record in the Premier League.
Argyle, who are bottom of the Championship, were brilliant as they restricted the prolific hosts, before Morgan Whittaker showed why top clubs around Europe are eyeing him up with a stunning strike late on.
Whittaker cut inside unchallenged before unleashing a powerful effort past Hakon Valdimarsson to send a packed away end into delirium as Plymouth picked up a first win on the road since April 2024.
There were questions over whether Mustapha Bundu was in Valdimarsson’s sight in an offside position, but with no VAR to intervene, the goal stood.
Morgan Whittaker scored a late winner as Plymouth shocked Brentford with a 1-0 victory
Whittaker celebrates following his goal in the 82nd minute for the Championship outfit
Newly-appointed Plymouth manager Miron Muslic was in attendance at the Gtech Stadium
‘I’m really proud,’ Plymouth caretaker boss Kevin Nancekivell said. ‘There’s a lot of emotion and I’m pleased for the supporters.
‘We’ll enjoy it tonight. The FA Cup is a release from the pressures of the Championship and if we can’t enjoy days like today, we shouldn’t be in the game.
‘The cup brings that romance and luckily we’ve added our little bit of history to it today.’
Frank was less happy, although the Dane made sure to pay tribute to Nancekivell’s side.
‘Congrats to Plymouth, they deserved the win,’ he said. ‘They put a lot of effort into it and defended brilliantly before they scored a really good goal.
‘It is a massive missed opportunity though and we are very disappointed, but we basically didn’t create anything.’
The big news ahead of kick off was Rico Henry’s inclusion in Brentford’s starting XI, with the left back having been absent since September 2023 with a knee injury.
It’s been a long road back for Henry, who had been tipped for international honours before his lengthy lay-off – and he looked bright as the Bees made much of the early running.
There were jubilant scenes amongst the Plymouth players following Whittaker’s goal
Rico Henry, right, had made his return to the Brentford line-up following a lengthy injury
There was frustration for Thomas Frank as Brentford were knocked out of the FA Cup
Caretaker boss Kevin Nancekivell celebrated as Plymouth delivered a third round shock
Fabio Carvalho, handed a rare start after a frustrating season, forced Conor Hazard into two smart saves, but Argyle were holding their own in front of new boss Miron Muslic, who was appointed on Friday.
Plymouth’s dire away record is one of the factors that cost Wayne Rooney his job – and this performance was perhaps a penny for his thoughts – with Valdimarsson having to be at his best to repel Callum Wright.
Argyle have conceded 53 goals in 25 league games so Muslic, who guided Cercle Brugge into Europe during his time in Belgium, will be in no doubt about the size of the challenge, although there are so many positives the Austrian can take from here.
Frank’s side continued to be frustrated in the second period despite calling on his big-guns Bryan Mbeumo, Keane Lewis-Potter and Yoane Wissa.
Plymouth gave nothing away and the home crowd grew increasingly tetchy as the visitors started to create more.
And when Whittaker was given the freedom of west London to dart inside before his stunning effort, Muslic let out a wry smile in the stands as the Pilgrims showed the magic of the cup is still well and truly alive.
‘That’s what Plymouth is all about,’ Nancekivell, who is in his fourth caretaker stint in charge of the club, added. ‘We’re built on spirit and resilience and the lads have shown it. Everyone in the football club should take that going forwards for the rest of the season.
‘It’s a tough challenge to stay in the Championship but if we put in performances like that then there’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to achieve that.’
