Argyle’s SuperCupNI squad confirmed their place in the Boys’ Junior SuperCup semi-final with a 1-1 draw against County Londonderry on Wednesday afternoon.
The Greens headed into the game top of Group D, following wins over Chicago City and Tottenham Hotspur, needing just a point to confirm their spot in the premier final bracket in Northern Ireland.
Head Coach Dan Thompson made two changes to his line-up, bringing in Harry Woodruff between the sticks and Finley Tassell into the back line, with Isaac Rowe and Cody Baxter moving to the bench.
The game started as you might expect at the Riada Stadium, first against second, high-pressure, with confidence on show.
Both sides looked to flood forward and cause issues for their opponent, but neither had the composure in front of goal to do so.
Three minutes before the break, however, Argyle took the lead. Zain Malik was fouled in the area, with the ever-so-reliable Joseph Snell stepping up and converting from the spot.
Londonderry came firing out of the gates after the restart, winning a corner and applying pressure, but the Greens composed themselves well, clearing the set-piece delivery immediately.
Ethan Tichias came close for Argyle, just a minute later, but the winger’s poked effort ran wide of the post despite beating the Londonderry goalkeeper.
Oliver Babb and Baxter had long-range efforts saved throughout the half, and as the game entered its final minute, Londonderry found an equaliser. A delivery from the right wing bounced through the box and was turned home at the back post.
In additional time, the Northern Irish side had a chance to steal three points and the top spot off Argyle, but a superb save from Woodruff pushed the ball away from goal before the whistle was blown for full-time.
The Greens will find out their SuperCup semi-final opponents on Wednesday evening, so stay tuned to @PAFCAcademy on X for updates.
