Truro City 0

Argyle 2
Puncheon, Barnes

A GOAL in each half, from Jason Puncheon in the first and Ashley Barnes in the second, gave Argyle a comfortable win in their opening pre-season friendly.

The Pilgrims had arrived at Treyew Road to the strains of Thin Lizzy's The Boys are Back in Town, and Cornwall's premier non-league club had, as usual, rolled out the red carpet for the near-traditional visit of Paul Sturrock's men.

The welcome extended to some blissful early evening sunshine, such a contrast to 12 months previously, when Cornwall's capital appeared to be experiencing the Duchy's equivalent of the monsoon season.

Argyle fielded two different starting 11s in each half. Neither included, among others, the injured Romain Larrieu, David McNamee and George Donnelly, while Karl Duguid was given leave of absence to be at the imminent birth of his twin girls.

Truro's squad, under the management of former Home Park hero Sean McCathy, contained more than a smattering of ex-Pilgrims: Andy Watkin, Marcus Martin, Joe Broad, Martin Watts, Josh Grant, Lewis Edwards, Stewart Yetton and goalkeeper Tom Brooks and all.

The Greens employed a diamond midfield in the first half, with Puncheon at its apex, and it was the former Barnet man who scored the only goal of the opening 45 minutes, lashing home a left-foot shot after being teed up by Steve MacLean.

The second -half side saw the appearance of trialist Kári Árnáson, the only one of more than 20 promising hopefuls who had showed up at Harper's Park the previous day to make it through to this second stage of an attempt to win a permanent contract: whether he has the x-factor, we will have to wait and see.

The tall, composed, midfielder was the base of the diamond, with Craig Noone in the Puncheon role, floating behind the front two of Barnes and Rory Fallon, or 'Rory Fashion', as the PA announcer appeared to introduce him.

The problem right-back position was filled by Simon Walton, normally a midfielder and occasionally a central defender.

The Pilgrims doubled their led when Barnes, so often unlucky in front of goal last season, headed home a sweet soft cross from Chris Clark.

With Paul Sturrock insisting he was looking for no more than his players to have a bit of a blow after the summer break, it would be unfair for this much less demanding reporter to pass critical judgment.

If, though, the touch was understandably not always sure and the match-day instincts predictably far from honed, the Pilgrims went about their business with a competence and willingness that did them and a decent-sized squadron of the Green Army proud.

Rick Cowdery

Argyle, first half (4-4-2): Lloyd Saxton; Ryan Leonard, Krisztián Timár, Marcel Seip, Chris Barker; Luke Summerfield, Jason Puncheon, Carl Fletcher (capt), Jim Paterson; Steve MacLean, Jamie Mackie.

Argyle second half (4-4-2): Lloyd Saxton; Simon Walton, Mathias Kouo-Doumbe (capt), Ryan Brett, Gary Sawyer; Chris Clark, Kári Árnáson, Craig Noone, Damien McCrory; Ashley Barnes, Rory Fallon.