Argyle Under-18s booked a spot in the next round of the FA Youth Cup with a 3-0 victory over Milton Keynes Dons at Home Park.
With seven minutes of the first half remaining, an own goal by defender Jack Mackin put the Greens in the lead, and a Tegan Finn double after the break enabled Jamie Lowry’s side to secure safe passage to Round Three.
For the first half an hour of the game, such a solid advancement did not look on. MK Dons started with the more purpose of the two sides and, certainly for the first 15 minutes, were constantly on the front foot.
In fairness to Argyle, they did restrict their visitors to precious few chances. The closest MK truly came was from a Brooklyn Kazungu low cross that rolled across the face of goal, but found no white shirt on hand to turn it in.
As the half progressed, so did Argyle. With ten minutes to go in the half., Seb Campbell struck wide, and just a couple of minutes later, the young Greens got the lead, in admittedly fortuitous circumstances.
Finn fizzed in a low cross from the right, which Mackin looked to have covered. However, the central defender sliced into the air, and the ball sailed over goalkeeper Ryan Kelly, and into the net.
Now they were leading, Argyle looked energised. Within moments of the restart Fletcher Poole had latched onto a Finn through-ball and forced Kelly into a save with his feet, and Poole was close when a poor defensive header allowed him space in behind. Kian Burch also struck not far wide as Argyle finished the first period in total control.
Within a minute of the second half beginning, they had a second goal. Finn smoothly tucked away Malachi Davy’s low cross, and Argyle had a cushion.
The search continued to put further daylight between Argyle and the Dons. The industrious Poole was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet on more than one occasion, having a looping header pushed over, and then shooting not far past when breaking into the right-hand channel.
Finn effectively sealed it with a classic Tegan Finn goal, striding forward, committing defenders, cutting onto his left foot and bending into the bottom corner.
Argyle were now safe, but MK Dons did have a few chances, and substitute Joshua O’Keeffe would have thought that he had gone one back, only for Toby Haley to make a magnificent block on the line to preserve the clean sheet.
Preserve it they did, and they could have had a couple more goals, only for a combination of Kelly and an offside flag halting hopes of further additions to the tally.
The victorious Pilgrims will now face Watford away from home in round three, at a date to be arranged.
Argyle: 1 Jack Flower, 2 Jovan Wamani (14 Dylan Williams, 90), 3 Malachi Davy (12 Toby Maclean, 77) 4 Oscar Dean ©, 5 Sam Hayman, 6 Toby Haley, 7 Kian Burch (17 Frankie Maund, 77), 8 Tashall Sandhu, 9 Fletcher Poole, 10 Seb Campbell (16 Billy Devlin, 71), 11 Tegan Finn (15 Joel Tolcher, 82) Substitutes: 23 Leo McCormick (gk).
Booked: Campbell 14
