Argyle Under-18s are hoping to continue their FA Youth Cup journey on Monday night with an exciting trip to Hertfordshire to face Watford.
The third-round tie against the Hornets is no easy task, but one that the Greens are ready to tackle head-on.
Confident victories at Home Park over Mangotsfield United and MK Dons in the opening rounds, along with winning form in all competitions over the last two months, leaves Argyle in great stead, despite losing to Oxford United last Tuesday.
The main talking point heading into the match at the Orbital Fasteners Stadium (7pm) is the success of both sides in last year’s competition.
Argyle reached the quarter-finals in 2024/25, while Watford did one better by reaching the semi-finals.
A 3-0 defeat in the quarter-final to Aston Villa at Villa Park ended Argyle’s joint best-ever run in the FA Youth Cup, but victories over Carlisle United in extra-time, Lincoln City on penalties, and Everton away from home created memories unforgettable to all involved.
“[The FA Youth Cup] is the biggest competition in under-18s football,” Head Coach Lowry told Argyle TV. “No matter what club you're at, it's something the boys always look forward to having at the start of the season. You get to play different opposition and have the opportunity to play at different stadiums when that occurs, but it’s something that everybody is looking forward to.
“The experience that we had last season - 75% or 80% of the boys this year were involved in the run at some point. It's about utilising that experience, using the calmness against teams that may be perceived as better than us, traveling and staying overnight, and having that downtime in the hotel during the day to manage ourselves properly.
“We still get the same game footage of Watford as we would for a normal league game. We do our homework, analyse the game properly, and then go through it with the boys after the staff have spoken with each other about strengths and weaknesses, in areas where we can impact the game.
“The Oxford result is something we put to bed straight after the game. It was a very good game of football in terms of the challenge, with Oxford being the best side we've played this season. They're a very good side, and we did enough to match them for 60-70 minutes, but then probably just ran out of steam a little bit.
“With it being the FA Youth Cup, the boys will do whatever they can to play. We're quite fortunate that we have pretty much a fully fit squad. Everybody's in a real good vein of form, with all the previous victories, and physically they're also in a great place leading into the Christmas break after Monday.”
Fletcher Poole was a part of Argyle’s squad that travelled to Birmingham in the final eight of the competition last year.
His headed goal against Lincoln at Home Park put the Greens in a strong position in the fourth round, with key contributions also coming in other matches.
“We’re all absolutely buzzing for the game,” Poole said. “The lads have done really well through the first two rounds. Last year with the boys, the run we went on, the teams we beat as well, was great, and hopefully we can do the same this year.
“I do think we have to take this like a normal game. It’s a big occasion, but you just must take it as if you’re playing another game against just another team. You don't want to think, ‘oh, a category two team, they're doing well in the league, they're better than us.’ We don't think any team are. We just want to make sure we go into the game with a clear mind and go there to win.
“We can't dwell at all on the loss to Oxford. Winning six out of the last seven games is brilliant. We have played some good teams in that run as well, so it’s brilliant the way we're going.
“We must stay together as a team on Monday night; that is the main thing. We need to make sure we trust each other, that we're going there to win, and believe in all our strengths.”
