Plymouth Argyle players and fans rally around Wayne Rooney after red card

Rooney received a great reception from his team and the Green Army when he went out onto the pitch following the 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers

Wayne Rooney could not do his own talking about Plymouth Argyle's oh-so-late but deserved win against Blackburn Rovers after he had been sent-off in the closing stages of the Championship clash at Home Park.

However, the way his players and the Green Army reacted following the 2-1 victory, courtesy of Morgan Whittaker's headed goal in the seventh and final minute of added time, spoke volumes for the support the England legend has from them, just nine league games into his tenure as head coach.

Rooney was sent-off by referee James Linington in the aftermath of Blackburn's controversial 86th minute equaliser, a far post header from Joe Rankin-Costello, which came after Argyle substitute Ryan Hardie appeared to be tripped when defending inside the Pilgrims' box.

That anger turned to jubilation as Whittaker came up with the winning goal and Rooney, who had watched the closing minutes from the tunnel area, went out onto the pitch a few minutes after the final whistle to congratulate his players, who were all eager to see him.

Rooney also got a hero's reception from the Green Army, who seemed to appreciate the passion he had shown even though it led to him being sent-off.

His red card meant he could not talk to the media after the match so it was left to assistant head coach Pete Shuttleworth to reflect on Argyle's third consecutive home Championship win, and give his thoughts on the dismissal of the Pilgrims' boss.

Shuttleworth said: "He's still passionate. You all watched him play for many years and you know that passion is what drives him. He has been brilliant down here because I have seen him like that, he has still got passion on the touchline.

"He likes to be calm and calculated at times as well and see the game, and that's his management style, but you are never going to take that out of Wayne.

"We were disappointed there wasn't a foul given on Ryan Hardie, we were all disappointed. We saw that as a foul and Wayne reacted to that with passion. I don't know what the exact sending off was for or what they are going to credit it to."

Shuttleworth added: "If we have offended anyone there at that point we apologise. We are quite a nice bench really. We speak to officials in the right way most of the time but that really angered us.

"Probably the frustration that we hadn't killed the game by then but also the fact we were convinced it was a foul and it should have been given. You kind of saw your hard work maybe going out the window at that point.

"We are all passionate. You all know about Wayne and how he has been in his whole career. Myself, Kevin Nancekivell, who would do anything for this football club, we were all quite angry at that decision because we were desperate to win that game before the international break and get the result we deserved today.

"I will probably go in and speak to the fourth (official, Jacob Miles) now and apologise for any of our actions that he thought was disrespectful, but passion sometimes overspills."

There were a lot of doubters about the appointment of Rooney as Argyle head coach in the summer but the way he has got his team playing and how he has fitted into the local community has won most if not all of them over.

Shuttleworth said: "I think myself and Wayne coming down here, there is a lot of real good people at this club. It was very obvious early on what kind of club this was. It has got a special heart here.

"It's a really unique football club down on the south coast. It's a brilliant football club. Myself and Wayne made it our ambition to buy into that and realise where we are at and what makes this football club tick. I think we have done that and enjoyed every minute of it.

"In return, the lads have bought into what we have asked them to do, the fans are seeing what we are asking them to do. We are trying to play in a way where it would be seen as the 'Argyle Way', it's what the vision of the football club is, to play attacking football, get on the front foot and excite these fans.

"They are seeing us do that. The togetherness after the whistle with the lads getting around Morgan, and the fans shouting Wayne's name, it's brilliant moments you will remember in football and you will never want them to go."

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