Green Shoots

DEREK Adams named possibly the least experienced and youngest substitutes’ bench in Argyle history at Gillingham, and then sounded a note of caution about his youngsters’ future prospects.

As well as giving first-year professional Alex Fletcher a rare start because of the Pilgrims’ massive injury-list, the Argyle manager included development professionals Dan Rooney and Alex Battle in his squad, alongside second-year apprentices Ryan Law and Cameron Sangster, and first-year Klaidi Lolos.

Sangster and Battle came on as second-half substitutes in the 5-2 defeat that ended Argyle’s Sky Bet League One play-off hopes.

However, Derek said: “We shouldn’t get carried away – they are a million miles from playing in the first team.

“It’s great for them to be in the first team. They have got a lot of learning to do, but it is good that they have progressed and got first-team game-time.

“But it is important that they don’t get carried away; their parents don’t carried away; the supporters don’t get carried away. That sometimes happens and it’s up to me, as a manager, to keep them on a level field.

“I’ve tried to play a lot of youngsters in my time here: Tyler Harvey and [Louis] Rooney have played in the first team; this season, we have had [Michael] Cooper, Sangster, Battle, Fletcher, [Jordan] Bentley. Over my time here, I have tried to give opportunity to them.

“They are only 17, 18, 19 years old and they’ll take time to develop. That’s the reason why I’ve put a reserve team in place for next year, to allow them to develop, with a coach, in a team, to make them better.”