SCHOOLBOY striker Jared Sims, 16, from Truro was the two-goal hero, grabbing a late winner, as our youngsters were made to fight all the way by a spirited young Gulls side in the Football League Youth Alliance at Newton Abbot on Saturday.

Sims was one of four schoolboys that head of youth coaching, Mike Pejic, involved in the match - with full backs Jack Stephens and Jamie Richards joining Sims in the starting line-up, and right winger Jed Harper-Penman coming on as a substitute during the second half.

Pej's inexperienced protégées impressed with their flowing approach work right from the kick-off, but a lack of care with their passes in the final third meant they rarely created clear-cut scoring chances. Indeed, it needed 'keeper Ollie Chenoweth to twice make good saves to keep the scores level at the interval.

However, the home side eventually took the lead five minutes into the second half, when their striker Ray Spear pounced on a misplaced pass by an Argyle defender, and the game developed into a typical ding-dong Devon derby battle.

Sims notched a quick equaliser five minutes later. Centre-back Ryan Leonard's long throw-in was headed on by right-winger Matt Rickard and the unassuming Cornish teenager was on hand to turn the ball into goal.

Disappointingly, our defence conceded a second goal only a minute later, scored by United defender Ed Palmer, and the Young Pilgrims had to work extremely hard for their second equaliser.

It eventually arrived, just five minutes from time, when the referee awarded a penalty for a foul on striker Liam Head, and up stepped midfielder Sean Kinsella to coolly convert the spot kick.

Then, three minutes later, Sims was on hand to net Argyle's last-gasp winner with a close-range shot after a goalmouth mêlée, thus enabling our youngsters to retain their local bragging rights.

Argyle: Ollie Chenoweth, Jack Stephens, Jamie Richards (Connor Clifford), Sean Kinsella, Jordan Trott, Ryan Leonard, Matt Rickard (Jed Harper-Penman, Lewis Coombes), Luke Young, Liam Head, Jared Sims, Jake Baker. Subs (not used): Raivo Varazinskis, Sam Sawyer.

The under-18's do not have a fixture in the Football League Youth Alliance this weekend, but will be involved with another 'Devon derby' against Exeter City at the Grecians' Cat & Fiddle training ground on Tuesday of next week, February 9, (kick-off 2pm).

Next Saturday our under-16 Centre of Excellence team will play the Grecians at the Cat and Fiddle, while the under 15's entertain the Jersey schools' representative team at Elburton Villa's Haye Road ground (both games kick-off at 11am)..

Next Sunday the younger Centre of Excellence schoolboy teams play against Exeter behind closed doors, the games having been classified as development games, with no spectators allowed.