Ben Davies: Plymouth broke my heart - but I got revenge and helped Portsmouth win the title

Ben Davies has revealed his delight at wreaking revenge on Plymouth – by thwarting their League Two title ambition.
Ben Davies' last Pompey appearance was play-off defeat to Plymouth in May 2016 - but he had his revenge. Picture: Joe PeplerBen Davies' last Pompey appearance was play-off defeat to Plymouth in May 2016 - but he had his revenge. Picture: Joe Pepler
Ben Davies' last Pompey appearance was play-off defeat to Plymouth in May 2016 - but he had his revenge. Picture: Joe Pepler

Just as sweet, that May 2017 draw with Grimsby enabled his former Pompey team-mates to instead claim it on a dramatic final day.

Davies was a member of Paul Cook’s side which suffered last-gasp play-off semi-final elimination at Home Park in the 2015-16 campaign.

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Yet, 12 months later, he inflicted his retribution – and Derek Adams’ Pilgrims lost out on the title by goal difference.

‘Upon reaching the Blundell Park dressing room, my first act was to fire off a number of texts from my phone. The recipients were Michael Doyle, Gareth Evans, Conor Chaplin and Gary Roberts,’ he told Played Up Pompey Three.

‘The message simply said: “Congratulations. I’ve done my bit”.

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‘There was no way Plymouth Argyle were winning the League Two title on my patch, not after the previous season, no chance.

Ben Davies made 51 appearances for Pompey, all arriving in the 2015-16 season. Picture: Joe PeplerBen Davies made 51 appearances for Pompey, all arriving in the 2015-16 season. Picture: Joe Pepler
Ben Davies made 51 appearances for Pompey, all arriving in the 2015-16 season. Picture: Joe Pepler

‘As I left the pitch on that final day of the 2016-17 campaign, Derek Adams’ team were absolutely devastated – and it was brilliant to see.

‘The Pilgrims had 12 months earlier inflicted the second-worst moment of my football career.

‘I was representing Pompey when Peter Hartley’s stoppage-time header condemned us to play-off semi-final elimination at Home Park.

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‘Having sustained concussion during that agonising 3-2 aggregate defeat, I then had to hang around their jubilant dressing room for a while, with the club doctor tending to me.

‘During a 22-year playing career, such anguish is eclipsed only by a last-gasp League Two play-off final defeat for my Shrewsbury Town side against Gillingham in May 2009.

Yet, there I was, a Grimsby Town player, who had helped hold Plymouth to a 1-1 draw in north-east Lincolnshire in May 2017. It was also a scoreline which ensured Pompey claimed the league crown on goal difference.

‘I was absolutely made up for my former team-mates and Paul Cook. There was no envy on my behalf, despite the manner of my Fratton Park departure in June 2016.

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‘It was a club which deserved success. It had been a tough two years for that group of players and I was well aware of the hard work they’d put in to achieve that fantastic moment.

‘It was natural that I delivered my congratulations, starting with a text to Michael Doyle. I knew how much that title victory meant to him, he had been through a lot. Similar to myself, his family wasn’t there and it was often tough – now he was a League Two champion, they all were.

‘About an hour later, Conor Chaplin FaceTimed me, joined by the other boys. It was a fantastic moment shared by us all.

‘Upon arriving at Blundell Park on that final Saturday of the 2016-17 league programme, I climbed out of my car and noticed Plymouth’s players laughing and joking, while the League Two trophy was also in attendance, earmarked for presentation.

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‘We saw it in the tunnel as we walked out for the warm-up – there it was, ready for them.

‘Selected in the side at right-back, I recall thinking: “There’s no chance you’re winning the league here, not after last year. You are never walking out of here with that trophy”.

‘With it being our last match of the season, I came out before kick-off with my two young sons, who were mascots, and looked across at Plymouth’s players, there was a real swagger about them, they thought the title was theirs.

‘As for their fans, there were 1,834 in attendance – Grimsby was covered in green and white.

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‘However, we played really well that day, really, really well.

‘Grimsby took the lead inside the first minute when Shaun Pearson scored and, such was our dominance, it should have been 4-0 at half-time. We were cruising, missing a couple of great chances.

‘At the interval, I looked for Pompey’s score and noticed my old club were winning 1-0 against Cheltenham Town, while Doncaster Rovers were leading by the same score at Hartlepool United. As it stood, Paul Cook’s team were in second place.

‘Then, on 61 minutes, substitute Jimmy Spencer levelled for the Pilgrims and suddenly we were put under loads of pressure, testing us defensively.

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‘Although having assured our League Two status weeks earlier, we didn’t lack motivation, with four of the team soon to be out of contract and desperate to secure our futures - me included.

‘Even before the game, our recently-appointed gaffer, Russell Slade, drilled into us: “Don’t let them get on the pitch at the end celebrating, we cannot let them come here and win the league”.

‘Plymouth came at us strongly in the end, but we defended superbly and it finished 1-1. Pompey had won the title. It was nice to play my own small part.’

Davies made 51 Pompey appearances and scored once from August 2015 until June 2016.

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Played Up Pompey Three is priced £18.99 and available from Amazon, Waterstones, the Pompey Store and The Petersfield Bookshop.

For player-autographed copies, with the signatures of Richard Hughes, Sammy Igoe, Martin Kuhl, Lee Bradbury or Dave Munks, email [email protected]

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