Torquay 3
Sills 32
Seip og 54
Benyon pen 90

Argyle 3
Fallon 45
Sawyer 81
Summerfield pen 89

ARGYLE and Torquay United shared six goals in an excellent Devon derby at Plainmoor.

The game had all the amiable characteristics of a pre-season friendly, but with the added bonus of some terrific goals. Tim Sills opened the scoring for the Gulls on 32 minutes, only for Rory Fallon to reply with a similar effort in first-half injury-time.

Marcel Seip introduced himself to the game with an unfortunate own goal after the break, but Gary Sawyer brought Argyle level again with a stunner on 81 minutes. The game ended with two penalties in the space of two minutes. Luke Summerfield scored the first for Argyle before Elliot Benyon responded for Torquay.

Argyle lined-up for their third friendly in consecutive days looking for a third win of the pre-season campaign. Comfortable wins at Truro and Plymouth Parkway provided perfect preparation for the far sterner test of Torquay United.

Lloyd Saxton continued in goal, with Romain Larrieu still recovering from injury. The back four comprised Chris Clark and Ryan Brett at full-back, flanking the central duo of Mathias Doumbe and Chris Barker.

The midfield diamond was again preferred, with Carl Fletcher forming the base behind the young trio of Craig Noone, Shaun Kinsella and Damien McCrory. Fallon started up front alongside Ashley Barnes. Watching intently from the stands was our new recruit Bradley Wright-Phillips.

Former Pilgrims in the Torquay squad included the evergreen Lee Hodges, who started in the centre of midfield for the hosts. Steve Adams took his place on the substitutes bench alongside former Argyle youngster Ben Joyce, who recently joined the Gulls after being released by Swindon.

The opening 15 minutes were a case of friendly sparring for both sides, although Argyle undoubtedly won the territorial battle.

The exciting Kinsella forced home 'keeper Martin Rice into an early save from distance and Fallon came close with a looping header to finish off a move that he started, but, in truth, it was gentle stuff on a beautiful evening in the English Riviera.

Argyle's best passing move of the first 25 minutes ended with Noone being tripped on the edge of the area, and the same man picked himself to swing a delightful free-kick inches past the Torquay upright.

Moments later, the Pilgrims upped the pace once again, and Noone pounced on a lovely knock-down from Barnes to rifle a deflected shot narrowly over.

Torquay responded admirably, with Wayne Carlisle's dipping cross throwing the visiting defence into confusion, and home skipper Tim Sills probably should have done better with his stabbed shot on the turn, which plopped harmlessly wide.

The Greens failed to heed the warning, and when Doumbe allowed Sills to run free from a Carlisle corner, the back-post header proved a routine finish for the big striker.

Argyle's evening then got worse, as a blow to the head for Barker prompted a cautious response from Luggy. First-year apprentice Curtis Nelson was the nominated replacement.

The Greens needed a lift, and it arrived in the dying seconds of the first period. Kinsella made decent progress down the left before releasing Brett, who delivered a wonderful cross for Fallon to plant an unstoppable past the stranded Rice.

As promised, Luggy rang the changes at half-time, with Saxton, Fletcher and Clark the lucky three to survive the cull.

Sawyer slotted in at left-back, with Krisztián Timár partnering Seip at centre-back. Summerfield, Jason Puncheon and Jim Paterson came into the midfield. Jamie Mackie and Steve Maclean formed the new front pairing.

Argyle's refreshed side started sprightly in the second period and big Timár was unlucky to see his header ruled out for a push after he had been set up beautifully by a clever turn and cross from MacLean.

Argyle suffered further disappointment minutes later, when Seip glanced an excellent cross from Jamie Hatch past Saxton to give the Gulls a somewhat fortunate lead.

Despite the setback, Argyle continued to play the more incisive football with the game being played almost exclusively in Torquay's half. Clear chances, however, remained elusive.

One particular move started with Sawyer spreading the ball across the pitch for Paterson to exchange quick passes with Punchoen in the penalty area, but the eventual shot from the Scot was well blocked by the retreating home defence.

The only problem for the Greens was converting their obvious superiority into goals. Playing off the front two, Puncheon's movement was proving too much for Adams to handle and MacLean looked like a man determined to show his worth.

Argyle's equalizer, when it finally arrived was an absolute scorcher. Torquay half-cleared a cross from the right by Clark, which zipped out to Sawyer, who struck a sensational first-time half-volley into the near corner of the net from 25 yards.

It was a goal the Greens deserved, and Paterson almost grabbed another two minutes later, as the Gulls allowed him to advance unopposed and fire in a dipping shot that Rice did well to push wide.

The Pilgrims would not be denied, however, and Summerfield seemingly sealed the win with a confidently-taken penalty after Mackie had been felled by Michael Brough.

Torquay had other ideas, and it was level again two minutes later. Referee Roger East awarded another penalty after shirt-pulling by Seip, and Elliot Benyon fired in the final goal of the evening from 12 yards.

Torquay (first-half): 13 Martin Rice; 7 Lee Mansell, 5 Chris Robertson, 6 Chris Todd, 3 Kevin Nicholson; 15 Wayne Carlisle, 11 Nicky Wroe, 16 Lee Hodges, 19 Danny Stevens; 8 Tim Sills, 18 Mustapha Carayol.

Torquay (second-half): 13 Martin Rice; 17 Jamie Hatch, 4 Mark Ellis, 2 Michael Brough, 3 Kevin Nicholson; 15 Wayne Carlisle, 12 Tyrone Thompson, 24 Steve Adams, 19 Danny Stevens; 9 Elliot Benyon, 10 Ben Joyce.

Argyle (first-half): 27 Lloyd Saxton; 6 Chris Clark, 13 Mathias Doumbe, 15 Chris Barker (23 Curtis Nelson 40), 22 Ryan Brett; 29 Damien McCrory, 4 Carl Fletcher, 17 Craig Noone, 16 Shaun Kinsella; 14 Rory Fallon, 24 Ashley Barnes.

Argyle (second-half): 27 Lloyd Saxton;6 Chris Clark, 5 Krisztián Timár, 19 Marcel Seip, 18 Gary Sawyer; 7 Jason Puncheon, 4 Carl Fletcher, 20 Luke Summerfield, 3 Jim Paterson; 25 Jamie Mackie, 9 Steve MacLean.

Referee: Roger East (Wiltshire).

Attendance: 2,046 (700 away est).