Forest Green Rovers U18 vs Plymouth Argyle U18

Argyle Under-18s return to EFL Youth Alliance League action on Saturday with a trip up the M5 to face Forest Green Rovers away from home.

After a small break over Christmas and the New Year, Wednesday night saw a nail-biting penalty shoot-out win in the FA Youth Cup fourth round against Lincoln City. Now, three days later, the Greens are looking to extend their unbeaten league run to 10 games.

Head Coach Jamie Lowry believes if his side uses the confidence and adrenaline from the win at Home Park on Wednesday, and recover well before kick-off, a positive result can be achieved on Saturday morning.

“The boys have been in the pool today to rest after Wednesday night,” Lowry said, on Thursday. “We’ve done no physical stuff, just all recovery and mobility to get the legs rested. Friday will be like a normal day with match preparation for Saturday. It's all about saving the legs and recovering as much as possible ahead of the weekend.

“I think the confidence and energy from the win will take over the potential fatigue. I think if we'd have lost, they'd have gone up there a bit leggy, feeling a bit sorry for themselves, but I think because of the high and the buzz of it, that will get them going again. They're so driven to do well in the league as well.

“We spoke about it in the build-up, just to refresh the memory on the goals they set themselves this season. They’re driven to go and do well. Nine unbeaten so far, so they want to go and make that ten, and keep that run going in the league. It’s really important to them.

“They've got to be in a mindset that they're going to work hard, like we ask of them every game. Take the confidence into the game, be brave and want to get the ball; the message is clear and simple. We need to do what's got us success and do what's right to win games of football.”

Forest Green sit ninth in the Southern section of the Youth Alliance League, seven spots below second-placed Argyle. The Gloucestershire side have won two of their last three games, and Lowry is making sure his side are in the correct frame of mind to succeed on the road.

He said: “They're a side that likes to play the right way. They've got a good way of playing that they always try and play but the big thing for us will be our mindset and mentality after the highs of Wednesday night.

“We’re going to have to go there and make sure we're on it again and get back to league form. We spoke about it on Thursday morning after the game. It's something that we've got to be in the right frame of mind for, that’s the biggest thing before kick-off.”

Argyle grabbed their sixth consecutive Youth Alliance League victory as they beat Forest Green Rovers 4-2 on Saturday.

A Tegan Finn brace, and goals from Fletcher Poole and Harry Shield, ensured Argyle brought all three points back to Plymouth.

Argyle made their early pressure count and opened the scoring in the seventh minute. Forest Green were very keen on playing out from the back, which Argyle capitalised on, a perfectly executed high press from Seb Campbell saw him seize on a poor pass from the goalkeeper. Campbell squared the ball across to Finn, who could do nothing but put the ball into an empty net.

After they went one down, the game swung towards the hosts. Forest Green’s Thomas Conteh was a big threat down the right, beating his man on a number of occasions and getting plenty of balls into the Argyle box, but they were unable to capitalise on the pressure they applied.

Rovers’ best efforts of the first half came from Stephen Walsh and Thomas Conteh. Conteh’s effort struck the crossbar and Walsh saw his fly just over.

After absorbing the pressure for the last half an hour, Argyle broke forward themselves. Shield made a driving run down the left wing into the Forest Green penalty area he played a brilliant ball across to the far post to Poole, who fired the ball into the back of the net.

As the second half got under way, the mist and the rain crept in. It was a slow start to the second period, neither side had any clear-cut chances. The best chance came from an Argyle corner, but Harley Sneap could only head the ball straight at the keeper.

Just before the hour mark, Finn made it 3-0 to as he calmly slotted away his second goal of the game from the penalty spot.

Three minutes later, Forest Green grabbed a goal back courtesy of Isaac Hughes, but they were still left with a mountain to climb.

With 18 minutes to go, Shield put the game completely out of sight as he netted Argyle’s fourth. The ball was initially swung in from a corner and, after the ball bounced around in the penalty area, Shield was there to put it away.

The final action of the second half saw Forest Green get their second goal of the game, Hughes scoring a penalty, but Argyle were well clear by then.

Head Coach Jamie Lowry said: “I thought, overall, the boys did really well, after a big shift on Wednesday night in the FA Youth Cup. It was always going to be hard to get the boys going, but we spoke before the game and on the game day as well, if we want to be serious contenders for the league this season, these are the games that we can't afford to drop points at. In terms of that, I thought their mentality and their attitude was excellent.

“We managed the game well and started quite brightly and early through Tegan [Finn] and then they grew into a game and to a three-goal lead. It’s disappointing to concede a couple of sloppy goals towards the end, but overall, I’m pleased with the boys.

“They had a really tough week mentally and physically but, at the end of the day, they've come away with two wins from two. I’m proud of them.”

Argyle: 40 Dan Holman, 2 Joe Mwaro, 3 Trialist, 4 Harley Sneap, 5 Jensen Ireland 6, Sam Hayman, 7 Cole Fisher, 8 Seb Campbell, 9 Fletcher Poole, 10 Tegan Finn, 11 Harry Shield. Substitutes: 23 Jack Flower (gk), 12 Toby Haley, 14 Lewis Thomas, 15 Jared Rendle, 16 Kian Burch

FGR Forest Green

PLY Argyle