Plymouth Argyle vs Swansea City

A 73-day wait without football at Home Park comes to an end tonight, as Sky Bet Championship side Swansea City come to PL2 for a pre-season friendly.

Like the Green Army, Argyle manager Steven Schumacher is excited for the season to get going, and a little like when you spy the sea for the first time on the way to your summer holiday destination, the work being done by the Argyle ground staff has raised the gaffer’s excitement.

“The pitch is looking unbelievable,” he told ArgyleTV. “The lines have started to go on, and then it starts to feel real. The season is almost here when you can see the pitch coming in.

“The last time we were out there it wasn’t a great day. Hopefully we’ll put that one to bed and enjoy it. It will be good to see all the fans again, good to be back out on the grass – hopefully it’s a good night.”

Following an opening 2-2 draw with Plymouth Parkway, and then a facile runout in the Costa Del Sol where scoring goals was not a tricky task, Schumacher knows what his focus is from the test the Swans will pose.

“To be tested defensively,” he said. “We know that Swansea are a heavily possession-based football team. They’ve got real quality players with good movement, so it gives us something to think about. Defensively we have to be organised when we haven’t got the ball, aggressive when we haven’t got the ball, and have a plan when we do nick it to go and counter-attack.

“Hopefully there will be some opportunities for us to do that. It will be a tough test. Swansea will be a tougher test than our last game.”

Swansea have already played two pre-season fixtures against EFL opposition. They played Colchester United last Tuesday, in a game spread over four 30-minute quarters. This was followed by a game against Forest Green Rovers on Saturday. Both games were played behind closed doors at Swansea’s training facility.

The Swans came to Home Park for a pre-season friendly last season. Swansea won 2-1, with goals from Morgan Whittaker and Liam Cullen in the first half, before Ryan Hardie pulled one back for The Pilgrims.

The game was somewhat overshadowed from a Swans perspective, as they were rocked the following day by the news that manager Steve Cooper had left the club. He was replaced before the season began by Russell Martin, who took the Swans to 11th place in the Championship.

The most eye-catching arrival of this summer at the Swansea.com Stadium is the return of Joe Allen, the talisman of Swansea’s side that ascended to the Premier League and won the EFL Cup in 2012/13.

Another notable newcomer for the South Walians is Harry Darling. The central defender, who scored at Home Park in last season’s final fixture, has received rave reviews for his performances in the heart of the Milton Keynes Dons defence in recent seasons, and now joins former boss, Martin, at Swansea.

Also making a reunion with his ex-boss is Matthew Sorinola, who played under Martin at MK Dons before leaving for Belgian side Union SG. The lively wing-back has now signed for the Swans on a season-long loan.

Young defender Nathan Wood, the son of former Crystal Palace full-back Dean Gordon, has joined from Middlesbrough, although Swansea have lost the services of creative midfielder Flynn Downes, who has signed for West Ham United.

Tickets for Tuesday night's game are available to purchase from the Home Park Ticket Office or online at www.argyletickets.com. You can also call the the ticket office on 01752907700.

If you are unable to make it to Home Park, then the match is being streamed on ArgyleTV for a price of £5. Erin Black will be joined by Ian Stonebridge for our pre-match show, which beings at 7pm. All details on how to buy your match pass can be found here.

Argyle 1
Hardie 89

Swansea City 1
Piroe 6

A familiar chipped finish from last season’s top scorer Ryan Hardie secured a late draw against Sky Bet Championship side Swansea City at Home Park.

Joel Piroe’s sweet volley just six minutes into the game looked to be enough to grab the win for Russell Martin’s visitors, but Argyle grew into the game and would not be denied a result for their endeavour.

Argyle manager Steven Schumacher’s starting XI offered the Green Army a first glimpse of two of the three summer recruits on home soil, with Matt Butcher and Mickel Miller taking their first steps in Green on the Home Park turf. Callum Burton lined up in goal – with Mike Cooper missing through personal reasons. Newest signing Finn Azaz, who joined on loan from Aston Villa 24 hours before kick-off, joined a substitute contingent containing nine Argyle Academy products.

As the age-old adage goes, pre-season is all about minutes in the legs, and trying new things – both of these objectives were met from kick off, with the Greens working hard to match their higher level opposition’s slick passing game – all while trialling a fluid formation.

Manager Schumacher and his backroom staff’s diligent preparations met a setback early on, with Dutch striker Piroe expertly volleying into the top corner of the Devonport End net after a fortuitous ricochet on the edge of the box.

The Greens had not had much of the ball up until that point, but the goal stirred life in the Pilgrims’ counter-attacking system. James Wilson clipped a measured ball over the top for front-man Niall Ennis to chase, and the Argyle striker looked to slide the ball low past the onrushing Andy Fisher, but the Swans stopper saved well.

If Argyle needed it, the Swans’ riposte was a through ball of their own on 20 minutes, with goalscorer Piroe turning provider for a through ball that saw Michael Obafemi drag wide of the far post.

After a difficult start, the Greens grew in stature as the half wore on. Both captain Joe Edwards and Miller were getting some joy down the flanks, and it was the former who instigated a move which resulted in left-footed centre-back Macaulay Gillesphey firing narrowly wide on his weaker foot from all of 25 yards.

Tricky work from Danny Mayor in midfield released Miller down the left moments later, and he hung a ball up to the far post, but Edwards could not get on top of the header enough to keep the ball under the crossbar. At the other end, just before half time, Piroe wound up that left foot once again, but Burton won the duel on that occasion, tipping wide in the last meaningful act before the interval.

Both teams remained unchanged as the second half began, but, this time, it was Argyle enjoying the lion’s share of the ball. After a lengthy spell of possession, Miller once again rampaged down the left wing - to the delight of his new crowd - before unleashing a devilish low cross that narrowly evaded the lunge of Ennis, before being turned wide by the somewhat surprising figure of James Wilson at the far post.

On the hour, boss Schumacher rotated through the subs bench, introducing six new players, including Azaz. The Swans also introduced four changes of their own. It was an Argyle substitute who tried his luck first, as Ryan Hardie fired a free-kick over the bar from the edge of the area.

Next up, another reinforcement, Azaz, looked to make an immediate impact – first curling over the bar from 25 yards, before twisting his marker inside and out and smashing over the bar from a narrow angle. The intent, if not the end result, was thrilling enough in mid-July.

By the time the remaining substitutes were in play, both sides were full of youthful exuberance, rather than hardened experience. It was a combination of two home-grown talents that saw Fisher’s palms stung on 82 minutes, as Ryan Law’s marauding run and cross found Finley Craske in space, with the newly minted professional volleying hard and low – but too close to the Swansea keeper.

As the Swans played keep-ball to the glee of their loyal travelling support in the Barn Park End, it looked as though Argyle would have to settle for a narrow defeat, but Hardie scampered away before providing a signature chip over Fisher to square things up at the death.

Argyle: 25 Callum Burton (gk), 3 Macaulay Gillesphey (42 Jack Endacott 85), 4 Jordan Houghton (41 Caleb Roberts 77), 5 James Wilson (37 Brandon Pursall 77), 6 Dan Scarr (43 Oscar Halls 77), 7 Matt Butcher (20 Adam Randell 61), 8 Joe Edwards (capt) (36 Finley Craske 61), 10 Danny Mayor (18 Finn Azaz 61), 11 Niall Ennis (31 Luke Jephcott 61), 14 Mickel Miller (27 Ryan Law 61), 16 Alfie Lewis (9 Ryan Hardie 61). Substitutes (not used): Zak Baker (gk)

Booked:

Swansea City: 1 Andy Fisher (gk), 4 Jay Fulton (Cameron Congreve 45), 6 Harry Darling (31 Ollie Cooper 77), 8 Matt Grimes (capt) (48 Joel Cotterill 77), 9 Michael Obafemi (3 Ryan Manning 61), 10 Olivier Ntcham (12 Jamie Paterson 61), 17 Joel Piroe (16 Brandon Cooper 77), 22 Joel Latibeaudiere (14 Kyle Joseph 70), 23 Nathan Wood (37 Daniel Williams 77), 26 Kyle Naughton (15 Nathanael Ogbeta 61), 29 Matty Sorinola (20 Liam Cullen 61). Substitutes (not used): 13 Lews Webb (gk).

Booked:

Attendance: 3912 (291 away)

PLY Argyle

SWA Swansea