The Lew-Reid Partnership

LEWIS Alessandra and Reuben Reid are rapidly becoming one of the most prolific strike partnerships in recent Argyle history.

The pair have now racked up 26 goals for the first two-thirds of the season after Lewi went into double-figures with the winner in last weekend’s 2-1 Sky Bet League 2 win at Dagenham & Redbridge.

Even though Lewi missed out in Tuesday’s 4-0 away trouncing of Fleetwood, Reuben was on target for the third away game in succession and now both are looking to add to their tally when Morecambe visit Home Park this Saturday.

“I’m pleased,” said Lewi, whose haul is more impressive for the fact that he has played more than a few games this season out wide, rather than through the middle.

“I spoke a few weeks ago about setting myself a target - a realistic one – I’ve hit it early so I’m looking to go again. I played up front on Tuesday night and, if I’m playing up front more, I’ll be looking to score more than I was previously.

“It’s something that I’ve wanted to add to my game; I’ve never been a player that’s not had any chances – I’ve always had chances, but maybe I’ve had a bad conversion-rate. Now it’s turning around and I’m hitting the back of the net a lot more.”

After a patchy start, Lewi is enjoying his partnership with Reuben a lot more than most opposition centre-backs who have to shackle the pair.

He said: “The whole team are clicking and, without sounding a big-headed, we do pose a threat to teams and they will be slightly worried about us. We know each other’s game now – even the other night, when the first four or five touches were horrific, once we got going, I felt we were a handful.

“We were both in the same boat at the beginning of the season when it wasn’t quite happening for us and we took a bit of stick. We just kept digging away, working hard at our game and, for us and for the team, it’s paid dividends.

“It’s a good partnership and hopefully there are many more goals in the remainder of the season.”

Lewi comes up against his former employers on Saturday having been in opposition colours when Argyle manager John Sheridan made his debut at Home Park last year. It was the atmosphere that day which helped pave a move to Home Park in the close season.

“I remember that,” he said. “There was a bit of a buzz around the place, with the gaffer. It was quite overwhelming. You don’t often see that sort of crowd and atmosphere.

“Obviously it stuck with me and when the chance came in the summer, I was thinking ‘I want a bit of that’.”

The recent upsurge in form – two defeats in 12 matches – has seen the Pilgrims steadily climb the league table to within touching distance of the play-off zone.
 

Lewi said: “We know we had a poor start and we were underachieving at the beginning of the season, but we’ve kept going – we’ve believed that we can do it. It’s just sort of clicking in to place nicely.

“I remember saying, a few weeks ago, that I feel like we are cooking and one week soon we were going to run over someone, and it happened on Tuesday night at Fleetwood, who are a good side.

“It’s our away form that has been keeping us going recently. If we can turn around our home form, we will definitely have a realistic chance of being right up there.

“I’m not sure what it is - whether it’s the way teams set up to hit you on the counter – but we are looking to change things round as quickly as possible, starting on Saturday.”