The Night is Young

AFTER a 2-0 victory over local rivals Exeter in the club's 5,000th game, HADEN TYE took a look a the youthful element to the side on this historic occasion.

Life probably could not be much better for Argyle fans at this moment in time. The Pilgrims sit at top of the league, and have the bragging rights over Devon rivals Exeter City after a 2-0 victory. 

Any sort of success in football, or any sport, will likely have more than one contributing factor. Obviously some factors carry more importance than others, and it would be easy to pinpoint Argyle's successful start to the season down to one man: Derek Adams. 

It seems at the minute, Derek can do no wrong. He has brought in some talented players, instilled a confidence into Argyle's team, and the Pilgrims have shown that they can shift the ball around the pitch brilliantly at times - the victory against the Grecians oozed sophistication. 

After watching Argyle's stylish performance, you could easily forget that some of the Pilgrims on show are still inexperienced or young lads that have handled the pressure of the Devon Derby superbly. Many managers opt for experience in high pressure games, but Derek Adams was not frightened to call in some youthful changes.

Argyle's back four changed for the first time this season, as Ben Purrington, 19, stood in for Gary Sawyer. Ben, has given Derek a welcome headache, with an impressive performance at left-back. Although it was only his first start of the season, Ben made himself at home in the Argyle defence, whilst being put in a position many players of his age and experience would have struggled with. 

On-loan Craig Tanner, 20, also did himself proud against Exeter, scoring a brilliant goal and putting in an all-round classy performance. Stepping in for Graham Carey who was voted League 2 Player Of The Month would be a difficult ask for anyone, but Craig fitted in seamlessly, and was worthy of his goal, in which he ran with the ball from his own half before slotting home to put Argyle two up. 

Another loanee, another goalscorer and another youngster, Hiram Boateng, 19, put Argyle in front, scoring his second goal in four days for the Pilgrims. Considering this is Hiram's first full season in the Football League, he has established himself as a vital component of Derek Adams' inventory. He has a wonderful engine, and a composure which is uncommon in someone of his age. 

Lastly, Argyle's captain is well worthy of a mention in this section. In my opinion, Curtis Nelson was almost flawless against the Grecians. At only 22, Curtis dealt with everything Exeter threw at him with reasonable ease. He was a calming figure, and an absolute rock in Argyle's defence, alongside Peter Hartley. 

I have singled out some of Argyle's younger players, but all of the players deserve a mention for their performance. The 11 players that started worked tirelessly and deserved their victory. Derek has his players working for him, and Exeter had used all their three substitutes before Argyle even made a single one. 

It would be fair to say, Argyle looked more likely to score a third than Exeter did to get their first to get them back into the match. Exeter didn't play particularly poorly either, and Luke McCormick was called into action on several occasions, however Argyle's dominance was clear. 

The season is still young, but like Argyle's squad, so full of promise.