Argyle beat Shrewsbury after Sparks tribute

Plymouth Argyle remembered long-serving BBC Radio Devon commentator Gordon Sparks ahead of their 2-1 win over Shrewsbury Town.

A giant mosaic reading ‘Sparksy’ was also held up by fans in Home Park’s Lyndhurst Stand.

Sparks commentated on the club’s matches for 32 years before calling time on his career as a commentator after the League Two play-off final loss to AFC Wimbledon in May 2016.

He began his commentating career on hospital radio before joining Plymouth Sound and then BBC Radio Devon, where he also presented the station’s breakfast programme until his diagnosis.

Sparks’ funeral will be held at Home Park on Wednesday 2 November.

On the field Plymouth made it eight home League One victories on the spin as they came back from 1-0 down to win 2-1.

Morgan Whittaker tapped in the 83rd-minute winner from substitute Brendan Galloway’s defence-beating cross after Niall Ennis had cancelled out Jordan Shipley’s opener.

Town central defender Matthew Pennington shook the frame of the goal with a thundering header off the bar from a Tom Bayliss corner after five minutes.

Not long after Rob Street’s header bounced off the top of the crossbar from Elliott Bennett’s cross.

Argyle’s best first-half chance came when Whittaker flashed a shot across the face of goal from Finn Azaz’s 19th-minute corner.

Shrewsbury deservedly got the breakthrough in the 30th minute when a slick passing move enabled Christian Saydee to put Shipley in on goal and he slotted home past Michael Cooper.

Argyle restored parity after 70 minutes following superb work by homegrown midfielder Adam Randell.

He set Whittaker away down the right and the cross was superbly tucked away by in-form striker Ennis for his sixth goal of the season.

And Whittaker struck late on to maintain Argyle’s two-point lead over Ipswich.

Match details supplied by PA Media.