Argyle Under-18s secured a sixth straight win to seal the Merit League One title with a game to spare.
Hosting Portsmouth at Coach Road in Newton Abbot, Argyle came into the game needing a draw to secure the championship. As the game entered its final stages, they were level with Portsmouth, who had twice gone ahead in the first half, via an own goal and a ricochet off of Destiny Ojo.
Argyle’s two equalisers had come from Seb Campbell, on as an early substitute to make his Under-18s debut, and the 15-year-old, usually a central midfielder, made his mark up front with two clinical finishes.
As the clock wore down, Kian Burch, who had had an outstanding game, powered in a header to claim the three points and ensure the title was won in fitting style.
This completes a divisional double for Argyle, who won the Youth Alliance league earlier in the season.
Argyle were without Freddie Issaka, Caleb Roberts and Josh Bernard for this game, bringing Burch, Cole Fisher and Sam Lord into the 11.
Just after the five-minute mark, Connor May went close for Portsmouth, skimming the post with a shot on the turn from inside the area. Shortly afterwards, Ojo worked Dan Holman in goal for the first time.
Argyle had the ball in the net just two minutes later, but it would not count. Lewis Colwell’s delivery from the right was excellent, sending a ball in for Burch to bring down and finish smartly. However, the initial control was adjudged to be with an arm, so the goal was not given.
Argyle lost Joe Hatch just after 10 minutes, limping from the field to be replaced by Campbell. He came on to play from the left flank, Burch shifting initially to a centre-forward role.
Midway through the half, Ojo looked set to give the visitors the lead. Cole Gibbings’ pass back to Holman was under hit, and Ojo nipped in. Holman’s initial challenge delayed Ojo, but he still looked the overwhelming favourite to score before Gibbings used his long legs to atone for his mistake, diving in to win the ball back and prevent the opener.
However, it was not prevented for long. Portsmouth won a corner on the right, and though Matthews met the delivery, his contact turned the ball past Holman and into the net.
Portsmouth seemed the most likely to add a second, too. Ojo was again gifted a chance just outside the area, and it look several Argyle defenders scrambling to get enough on the ball to divert it wide.
Manager Jamie Lowry swapped Burch and Campbell over, the latter taking a spot in the centre, and the switch worked the oracle. Argyle’s leveller came via a really nice team goal, the catalyst for which was Finley Wilkes, clipping a clever pass into the left-hand channel for Burch to run on to. He met the ball in stride, and crossed into the centre where Campbell was timing his run. Campbell knocked home, Argyle had parity, and Campbell had his first goal at this level, at the first attempt.
The goal seemed to lift Argyle, who played with renewed fluency and belief, but found themselves behind to a bit of a freak goal, just a minute before the first 45 minutes had elapsed.
Initially, Jayden Keteku had forced Holman into good save at his near post. The Greens attempted to clear the resulting corner, but the ball struck Ojo and found the net.
The Argyle response was perfect, though. Within moments, and with similarities to the Greens’ first goal, Lewis Colwell had looped a ball over Portsmouth’s backline, this time on the right, releasing Cole Fisher. His cross to the near post found Campbell, who steered in his second of the day, his second equaliser too.
Argyle upped matters after the break. Despite Holman being called into action to tip over an effort by Fraser Thomas, it was the other end that saw chances in the early part of the second half.
Campbell, in search of a hat-trick, got behind the Portsmouth defence and shot wide. Sullivan then tested the goalkeeper at the near post, before Argyle were convinced they had taken the lead around the hour mark.
Tegan Finn, on the right flank, got outside his man and crossed low. The ball deflected and rolled towards the goal-line, with green shirts in the vicinity of the belief that it had crossed. The officials, though, thought otherwise.
Campbell went close to his treble again with 20 minutes to go, cutely lofting a ball over the goalkeeper, only to watch it strike the post and roll across the goalmouth before being cleared.
It was all Argyle, with Burch at the heart of most of the many potent attacks, but the Pilgrims could not get through.
At the other end, with six minutes to go, Portsmouth threatened to spoil the party. May had a shot blocked, with Kevin Bosaka’s follow-up well struck but deflected away by the leg of Gibbings.
As the 90 minutes dawned, Argyle were in possession of a draw which would be enough to secure the title, but they did it in style with a late winner. It was fitting that the goal was scored by Burch, who had been the best player on the pitch in the second half.
A free-kick on the left was beautifully delivered by Fisher, and Burch attacked the delivery with purpose to powerfully head home and secure not only the win, but the second divisional title of the season for Jamie Lowry’s Greens.
One more game remains, against Sutton United on Friday, before the summer break begins.
Argyle: Dan Holman, Lewis Colwell ©, Joel Sullivan, Finley Wilkes (Jenson Ireland, 66’), Jack Matthews, Cole Gibbings, Kian Burch, Sam Lord, Joe Hatch (Seb Campbell, 10’), Tegan Finn, Cole Fisher. Substitutes not used: Billy Devlin.
