Argyle's Hardie banishes ghost of FA Cup penalty miss

Ryan Hardie had not thought about his penalty miss against Chelsea until the night before Plymouth Argyle's historic FA Cup win over Liverpool.

But on Saturday the emotions of that miss three years ago at Stamford Bridge came flooding back for the Scottish striker.

With four minutes left in extra time 27-year-old Hardie had a penalty that would have levelled the score at 2-2 at the home of the then European champions.

But Kepa Arrizabalaga saved Hardie's spot-kick and Argyle's dreams of a cup upset turned to dust.

However, three years on Hardie made no mistake as he slammed his penalty past Caoimhin Kelleher and sealed one of the biggest days in Plymouth Argyle history.

Hardie's penalty miss cost Plymouth Argyle the chance of an upset at Chelsea in 2022

"Last night I thought back to the Chelsea game and I thought 'oh my god, if we get a pen tomorrow what will happen if the same thing happens?'," Hardie tells BBC Sport.

"The most important thing that I did at Chelsea was I changed my mind on my run-up.

"It came to me last night because I don't want to be seen as missing the big pens.

"So now that I've got that bairn off my shoulder I'm happy.

"Obviously, I've scored pens since, but I've got it off my shoulder and this one went in."

'It's one that will live with me forever'

Hardie's penalty was his fifth goal of the season and the second penalty he has scored in as many matches

If the result was emotional for Hardie, it was doubly emotional for the long-serving Argyle striker as his son was the Pilgrims' mascot.

"He came up on the screen doing a little interview and it set me off before the game, it brought tears to my eyes, it was a special, special moment," he said.

"Once we got into the game it was about doing it for the team, to get the win, I think hopefully it'll set us in good stead for the rest of the season, that's the most important thing at the minute.

"He said Argyle would win 10-0, I'm going to game it and say the one and the zero makes 10, so that's fine," Hardie added about his son.

And now Hardie's legacy can be cemented for the right reasons - for the goal that helped Plymouth Argyle, bottom of the Championship, beat Premier League leaders and Champions League group-stage winners Liverpool.

Many say it is the Devon club's greatest victory, and one that Hardie will never forget.

"We're immensely proud," he told BBC Sport.

"Today's going to be cemented in the club's history, the city's history and our names are going to be on that.

"When you start your career as a football player it's things that you dream of.

"Playing against Premier League opposition and to do it and to beat them and to get the winning goal, it's one that will live with me forever."