Parkway 1
Sergent 2

Argyle 3
Mason (pen)22
Rickard 54
Mason 60

A MATT Rickard lob, sandwiched between a Joe Mason brace was enough to overcome resilient opposition in an entertaining pre-season friendly against Plymouth Parkway at Bolitho Park.

Argyle manager Paul Sturrock had opted to name a very young side that encompassed just five professionals - Simon Walton, deployed at centre-half and Yoann Folly in the middle of midfield being the most senior of the lot.

The diamond formation was again favoured, after Monday's 2-0 win at Truro, and saw Joe Mason sit in the hole in front of Liam Head and apprentice Matt Rickard up front. Ollie Chenoweth was given an outing in goal, whilst fellow apprentices Sean Kinsella, Jake Baker, Ryan Leonard and Connor Clifford were also handed starting jerseys.

Despite what looked like an obvious advantage, it was Parkway who took the lead when striker Andy Sergent did well to fire low past the hapless Chenoweth.

Parkway were not here to make up the numbers and worried the centre-half pairing of Gerring and Walton a few times before the Pilgrims could get a grip in the game.

The five pros were reduced to just four, when, after just 18 minutes, Yoann Folly limped off to be replaced by 14 year-old Jed Harper-Penman.

Argyle were beginning to sniff the rat and were back in the game 20 minutes after going behind when Joe Mason was adjudged to have been tripped inside the area. There didn't seem to be too much wrong with him though and he quickly dusted himself off to convert the spot-kick with a cool, down-the-middle finish.

From that moment on, Argyle took control and chances from Mason and Head couldn't quite find their way through. Walton had one cleared off the line, but no one could quite find the net before the whistle blew for half-time.

But soon after the break, Argyle got their reward when a long Connor Clifford pass was latched onto by Matt Rickard who expertly knocked the ball over the keeper to give his side the lead.

Joe Mason soon showed why he was given a professional contract a few minutes later when he flicked a low driven cross over his marker and then buried the volley in the bottom left hand corner. A quality finish to a quality move.

Parkway stood strong for the remaining 25 minutes and did themselves proud against an impressive young Argyle side.

Argyle (4-1-2-1-2): 1 Ollie Chenoweth (Raivo Varazinskis ); 2 Ryan Leonard, 30 Simon Walton, 5 Ben Gerring (14 Sam Sawyer), 3 Connor Clifford; 31 Yoann Folly (17 Jed Harper-Penman); 6 Sean Kinsella (15 Curtis Nelson ), 16 Jake Baker; 8 Joe Mason; 9 Liam Head, 11 Matt Rickard.