PAUL Hayes never scored when he was on loan at Plymouth but he’s made a habit of netting against them since and he’s hoping to continue that when the sides meet tomorrow.


He said: “I had a bad time went I went there on loan. I wasn’t fit, I’d been going through a really bad time at Brentford where I was training on my own. Physically and mentally I wasn’t fit or ready to go on loan but I went because I needed to get out of the environment I was in to give myself a chance and to play again.


“I was there for a month. I started the first four games for Plymouth, didn’t score and then in the last two I was rightly on the bench because I had not performed well.

“I was grateful to Plymouth for taking me out of the situation I was in. It was something I wanted to do. They looked after me and everything off the pitch was right but on the football side it went terribly wrong. I wasn’t fit or mentally right and it was hard for me in games – when you’ve got a combination of all those things going on you are never going to perform properly.”

But since leaving Plymouth, Hayes has really shown the Argyle fans what he can do with three goals against them last season including two in the play-off semi-finals where Wanderers claimed a place at Wembley at Argyle’s expense.

He said: “It was nice to do that when I knew I hadn’t played well at that club. It was good for my self esteem. The Plymouth fans had given me a bit of stick for the way I was when I was there and that’s their prerogative, they have the right to do that but as a player if you score past them when they are giving you abuse you just have that emotion that comes out. It’s good banter and it was great feeling.”
Hayes’ tongue out celebration after scoring in the second leg was one of the abiding memories of the tie but he says those two games which Wanderers won 3-2 in Devon and 2-1 at home, will have no bearing tomorrow.


He said: “It’s two teams in good form and hopefully it will be a good game.”


And ironically Hayes, who has been struggling with an ankle knock this season, goes into it stuck in another rare goal drought. He has yet to score this season.


He said: “You always want to get off the mark as soon as possible. It’s been stop-start with my injury. I’ve only played 90 minutes once this season, but it’s a different feeling to when I was at Plymouth. I’m happy, I’ve got confidence, I’ve had that since day one of coming here and when you’re feeling like that you can realise your potential.


“I know I need to get off the mark soon and I will do because I’m in a happy place. Saturday wouldn’t be bad day to start – that’s the plan.”