Ibrahim Cissoko double inspires Plymouth to impressive win over Luton

Substitute Ibrahim Cissoko scored twice as Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth claimed a 3-1 win over Luton in their Championship clash at Home Park.

The on-loan Netherlands Under-21 winger added to Rami Al Hajj’s fine early opener by finishing off a superb counter-attack in the 69th minute, 11 minutes after coming on.

Victor Moses pulled one back two minutes later, but Cissoko sealed the points for the hosts with a brilliant individual third in added time.

Swedish playmaker Al Hajj marked his first start for Plymouth with the opening goal in the eighth minute from Argyle’s first meaningful attack.

The 23-year-old Lebanon-born midfielder finished first time from Ryan Hardie’s cross, his effort into the top corner giving goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski no chance.

At the other end Mark McGuinness headed just over at the far post from a corner.

Argyle should have gone two goals up in the 12th minute after another flowing move, but Michael Obafemi thumped his shot wide from inside the area from Morgan Whittaker’s cross from the right.

Hardie then should have done better when he cut in from the right but shot well wide.

El Hajj, who was having a memorable evening, teed up Whittaker, whose shot from the edge of the box drifted wide.

A minute later El Hajj was on hand to divert Darko Gyabi’s shot from an Adam Randell corner, forcing a magnificent one-handed diving save from Kaminski.

Luton threatened as the half wore on with a succession of corners but found Argyle’s central defensive duo of Lewis Gibson and Kornel Szucs in top form.

The closest the Hatters came to levelling was when Elijah Adebayo headed just over from Alfie Doughty’s 37th-minute free-kick.

Doughty was on hand to clear when Kaminski made a superb save to keep out Joe Edwards’ first-time shot from Bali Mumba’s cross.

Argyle keeper Dan Grimshaw had to be on his toes to keep out Doughty’s inswinging 54th-minute corner, which looked set to creep in at the near post.

McGuinness headed just over from another pinpoint Doughty delivery before Adebayo forced Grimshaw to save low at his near post.

But Plymouth got their second when on-loan Leeds midfielder Gyabi broke from his own half, putting Luton’s defenders on the back foot before releasing Cissoko on the right.

Cissoko cut inside before sending a shot beyond the reach of Kaminski and into the far corner.

Luton responded in the next attack as Doughty crossed for substitute substitute Moses to score.

Randell then saw a 25-yard effort crash off the crossbar before Cissoko wrapped up the points in style.

The 21-year-old cut into the area from the left, skipping between two defenders, and, although his first effort was blocked, he seized on the loose ball to fire home at the second attempt.