Mariners' Sway

DEREK Adams is delighted to have been given a Home Park date to kick off this season’s Emirates FA Cup campaign.

Argyle have drawn Grimsby Town at home in the first round of the Cup. The last time the two played was when the Mariners denied Argyle the Sky Bet League Two title as the clubs drew 1-1 on the final day of last season.

Grimsby are currently 11th in League Two, only three points off a play-off spot, and Derek knows the game, on Saturday, November 4, is not going to be an easy one for the Greens.

“It’s a home tie in the FA Cup and that’s what you want,” said Derek.

“We are always happy to be at home, so we don’t have to travel, but we could have got a much easier game than Grimsby because they’re mid-table in League Two and have got a very good squad.”

Argyle are likely to come up against three familiar faces in Luke Summerfield, Jamille Matt and Karleigh Osborne, with the Green Army having positive memories mainly of Summerfield and Matt, as Osborne was hampered by injury while at the club last season. Matt helped Argyle almost achieve promotion the previous season, when they Pilgrims lost to AFC Wimbledon in the League Two promotion decider at Wembley.

Derek said: “They are players that have done well for the football club, other than Karleigh, who picked up an injury. Jamille Matt was a very good signing and helped us get to the play-off final.

Former Pilgrim Lee Hodges has taken his Truro City side into the first round for the first time in the Cornish club’s history and they will face Argyle’s League One rivals Charlton at the Valley.

Derek said: “They were probably hopeful for a better tie than that – hopeful they had Plymouth at Plymouth. They’ve done really well to get into this round of the FA Cup.”