Jason Wins Player Of The Month

ARGYLE midfielder Jason Banton has been named npower League 2 player of the month for March.

The tricky winger, who is on loan to Argyle from Championship Crystal Palace, wins the award after scoring three goals for the Pilgrims in March, including the Devon Expressway Derby Day winner against Exeter City.

“I’m happy,” said Jason, 20.

“The recognition is good, but this sort of thing has not been in my mind since I’ve been here because it’s been a dog-fight, trying to stay in the league.

“To get recognised with the club in the position where we are is a good thing.”

Jason has played an integral part of Argyle’s recent resurgence and leads the goalscoring charts at the club with six goals despite being with the Pilgrims only since the start of February.


“Someone sent me a text saying that my goals have been worth 10 or 11 points to the club,” he said. “Those kind of stats are decent – I’m just glad I’ve been able to play my part.

“Everyone else – the team, the coaching staff, the backroom staff, everyone at the club – has contributed to what we are doing, and helped me be able to score the goals.”

Before Jason joined Argyle he had played just 23 minutes of league football, making this award all the more incredible for the talented youngster.

Jason’s first goal of his awarding-winning month came at Gillingham. An Argyle corner was cleared only as far as Banton on the edge of the box who smartly out-manoeuvred two Gillingham players before firing the ball back across the goal and into the bottom corner.


It bought the Pilgrims back into the game at 2-1 but, sadly, a second goal deceived them.

The Palace loan player was on the score sheet again in Argyle’s 2-1 victory over Fleetwood Town at Home Park. 

Jason, who was a constant menace to the Fleetwood defence all afternoon, eventually got his goal in the 39th minute. He poached the ball from a Fleetwood defender around 25 yards from goal before strutting confidently towards the edge of the area and dispatching the ball low and hard into the bottom right-hand corner.

The highlight of Jason’s month, though, came against Exeter City at Home Park.


On the stroke of half-time, he picked up the ball in a similar position to where he did against Fleetwood, beat his man with a well-executed back-heel followed by a swift turn, and drilled the ball across the Exeter goal and into the far corner via the post.

So, a thoroughly deserved award for Jason.

We are sure he will not take his eyes off the ball, however, and keep scoring until the end of the season.