Morecambe 0

Argyle 2
Sawyer 55
Paterson 77

THE goal-machine that is Gary Sawyer set Argyle on their way to second successive pre-season victory as the Greens eased past League Two outift Morecambe.

Sawyer scored the game's opener, before fellow lefty Jim Paterson - a player who has probably been on the pitch for more pre-season minutes than any other outfield Pilgrim - franked the win 13 minutes from the final whistle

Sawyer, who scored three goals in nine starts for the Pilgrims at the end of last season, had already got off the mark in pre-season with a quality strike in the 3-3 draw at Torquay.

On Saturday, he had barely been on the pitch ten minutes, as a half-time substitute, when he added another goal to his collection to fire the Greens into the lead.

Sawyer's intervention came at the start of a half which Argyle dominated, after an even opening 45 minutes.

Indeed, the Pilgrims were maybe fortunate to go in at the break on level terms after conceding a penalty

Argyle's line-up was notable for the inclusion of a couple of players not previously seen in pre-season.

Actually, in the case of the number 11 named on the team-sheet, Bryan Spring, a trialist, it was a case of a player not previously seen, period.

The rangy left-footed newcomer lined up in the centre of defence alongside Krisztián Timár, and Timár's trialing countryman, the Hungarian international right-back Zoltan Szélesi.

Goalkeeper Saxton emerged from the shadow of Romain Larrieu for a first-team run-out between the sticks.

For the first time since the players returned to training, Luggy started a game without a diamond midfield, favouring, instead the more regular 4-4-2 with which he ended the previous Wednesday's 2-1 victory over Romanian champions Unirea.

Chris Clark and Paterson took centre stage, with Jamie Mackie and Jason Puncheon in the wings. Ashley Barnes and Steve MacLean formed the Pilgrims' strike-force.

The game was the played in blazing sunshine on a wide park at Christie Road, which the Greens were visiting for the first time. And, cup draws notwithstanding, last time, as it is shortly to be replaced by a Sainsbury supermarket.

The home side's lively left-sided players Laurence Wilson and Ian Craney caused problems down the Pilgrims' right side during the early exchanges, and Saxton needed to be strong under pressure.

Argyle's best opportunity in the opening period fell to Jamie Mackie, who unleashed a low shot that swerved before reaching goalkeeper Barry Roche, who elected to kick out the shot.

Morecambe's enterprise in driving forward continued to embarrass the Pilgrims' back line rather too easily, and nearly reaped rewards when Craig Stanley's through-ball to Craney saw the recipient of the delightful pass crumble under pressure from the centre-back trialist.

Referee Nigel Miller's interpretation of the clash as worthy of a penalty left something to be desired, but Saxton ensured there would be no recriminations by thwarting Craney's penalty with a smart save to his left.

As the half wore on, Argyle managed to eliminate some of the errors, take the play higher up the pitch, and create chance. Maclean and Puncheon, especially, began to hit their stride and ask questions of the opposition defence.

The Greens should have taken the lead just before half-time, when Puncheon and Mackie worked an opening on the right and the ball reached Barnes on the six-yard line, only for the young striker to balloon his shot over the crossbar.

The Pilgrims made three changes at the interval, bringing on David McNamee, Carl Fletcher and Gary Sawyer for Szélesi, Chris Barker and MacLean.

Ten minutes later, Sawyer separated the two sides with a super strike from 20 yards, firing home a loose ball from just outside the left edge of the penalty area across substitute goalkeeper Scott Davies and into the corner of the net.

The second of trialists disappeared after an hour - though, not, I suspect, because he failed to impress - as Paul Sturrock began to ring the changes on a fairly regular basis.

It did little to disrupt the Pilgrims' rhythm and they deservedly went further ahead with 15 minutes to go, Puncheon playing Paterson in for a precise drive from the edge of the area.

One of the substitutes, Bradley Wright-Phillips, nearly opened his Argyle account after Mackie sprang the offside trap, but, after leaving his marker sprawling, curled his final shot wide of the post.

Puncheon, too, was close to scoring, seeing a fierce shot on the angle beaten by Davies, who then excelled himself further by parrying a blistering Wright-Phillips drive.

Rick Cowdery

Morecambe (5-3-2): 1 Barry Roche (13 Scott Davies half-time); 2 Darren Moss, 5 Henry McStay (12 Fraser McLachlan 69), 4 David Artell (17 Rory Winter 75), 6 Danny Adams (capt), 3 Laurence Wilson (14 Michael Twiss, half-time); 7 Mark Duffy (16 Andrew Parrish 69), 8 Craig Stanley, 11 Ian Craney; 9 Colin Larkin, 10 Phil Jevons (15 Aaron Taylor 81).

Argyle (4-4-2): 27 Lloyd Saxton; 22 Zoltan Szélesi (David McNamee half-time), 5 Krisztián Timár (capt), 11 Bryan Spring (19 Marcel Seip 61), 15 Chris Barker (Gary Sawyer half-time); 6 Chris Clark (20 Luke Summerfield 73), 3 Jim Paterson, 7 Jason Puncheon, 8 Jamie Mackie (14 Rory Fallon 86); 24 Ashley Barnes (10 Bradley Wright-Phillips 81), 9 Steve MacLean (4 Carl Fletcher half-time). Substitute (not used): 1 Romain Larrieu (gk).

Attendance: 705 (86 away).