AN inexperienced Argyle under-18 team made hard work of their visit to the Football League Youth Alliance South-west Conference's bottom-of-the table club and had to be content with a share of the spoils.
Four of the apprentices were unavailable for the game - Ryan Leonard having travelled with the first-team party to Barnsley, and Ben Clarvis, Curtis Nelson and Matt Rickard being sidelined through injury.
Head of Youth coaching Mike Pejic named three schoolboys in his starting line-up - centre-back Jack Stephens, midfielder Jordan Copp and striker Jared Sims - and brought on two more - defender Dan Hart and winger Jed Harper-Penman - as half-time substitutes.
Pej's protégées, nevertheless, completely dominated the opening half-hour, with Sims hitting the outside of the home upright, midfielder Luke Young having an effort cleared off the line and striker Liam Head twice failing to find the net when well-placed.
The Greens were to pay quite a high price for their early profligacy in front of goal, and Latvian junior international 'keeper Raivo Varazinskis had to make two good saves as the Young Bulls gradually began to come to the fore.
The home team gained just the boost they needed when striker Aiden Thomas launched a 20-yard screamer into the roof of the net in the 59th minute.
However, it took the Young Pilgrims only seven minutes to level the scores, former England under-17 international Head netting from close range in a goalmouth scramble.
Not to be deterred, the Bulls went ahead again in their very next attack - that man Thomas giving his marker the slip to head home a right wing centre at the far post.
Our youngsters were eventually rewarded for their perseverance with a last-gasp leveller, Head nodding a driven centre from the left by Connor Clifford into the net from close range in the final minute of the match.
Argyle (4-4-2): 1 Raivo Varazinskis; 2 Sam Sawyer (15 Dan Hart 46), 6 Jack Stephens, 5 Jordan Trott, 3 Connor Clifford; 7 Luke Young, 4 Sean Kinsella, 8 Jordan Copp (16 Jed Harper-Penman 46), 11 Jake Baker; 10 Jared Sims (14 Lewis Coombes, 62), 9 Liam Head. Unused Sub: Ollie Chenoweth.
Our youngsters' next Youth Alliance fixture is on Saturday when they have a home game against Bristol Rovers which will be played at Elburton Villa's Haye Road ground (kick-off 11am).
As this is half-term week Pej will be having our under-16 and under-15 Centre of Excellence schoolboys in for extra training with the apprentices, and on Wenesday he will be accompanying the under-15's for their away friendly against Academy club West Bromwich Albion at the Baggies' training ground (kick-off 2pm).
