GOALS by first-year apprentices Luke Young and Matt Rickard gave our youngsters a 2-1 lead early in the second half of their opening first round group game in the Football League Youth Alliance Cup, but defensive errors allowed the Swans finish the game with maximum points.
Demanding head of youth coaching, Mike Pejic, was disappointed: "We did well to get ourselves 2-1 ahead" he said.
"All we had to do was to keep our discipline and we would have won. It's frustrating. For the last ten weeks we've worked on defending, but they don't seem to be taking the instructions on board."
Pej fielded a young side: "We're using these Cup games to test out the better under-16's in competitive under-18 games," he explained, after naming three 15-year-old schoolboys - Jamie Richards, Dan Hart and Jared Sims - in the starting line-up, and another - trialist Jack Keeble - as one of the substitutes.
After Argyle fell behind to a close-range headed goal after just two minutes, lively right winger Young sparked a revival eight minutes later with a crisp drive from 15 yards out that arrowed just inside the far post, after striker Rickard had had two goal-bound efforts blocked.
The Swans hit the woodwork shortly before the interval, but it was the Young Pilgrims that scored next, Rickard side-footing from close range inside the near post after the home side had been caught off-guard by Jake Baker's unexpected low driven right wing corner eight minutes into the second half.
Unfortunately, Argyle's rearguard failed to demonstrate the discipline Pej was seeking to keep the Swans at bay, and two weak clearances presented the Welshmen two 'gifted' goals, the first on the hour-mark and the second just three minutes before the final whistle.
Argyle (4-2-4): Raivo Varaziskis; Chinua Troupe (Jordan Trott, Sam Sawyer), Ryan Leonard, Curtis Nelson, Jamie Richards; Luke Young, Dan Hart; Sean Kinsella, Jake Baker; Matt Rickard, Jared Sims (Jack Keeble). Substitutes (not used): Lewis Coombes, Connor Clifford.
Our youngsters do not have a game this weekend, but Pej is expected to give more under-16 schoolboys an opportunity to impress on Wednesday week, September 16, in a friendly match against the Devon County F.A. youth team at their Coach Road headquarters in Newton Abbot, kick-off 7.30pm.
They return to their previous home at Plymouth Parkway's Bolitho Park ground on Saturday September 19 for their next Youth Alliance Cup-tie against Bristol Rovers, kick-off 11am, as Elburton Villa's main pitch at Haye Road is not available.
Our Centre of Excellence schoolboys have six games against our local rivals from Exeter City next weekend - on Saturday the under-16's travel to play the Grecians at their Cat and Fiddle Training Ground; then on Sunday, the under-14's, under-12's and under-10's make the same journey; whilst the under-13's host them at Elburton, and the under-11's and under-9's play at Eggbuckland Community College (all games kick-off at 11am).
