Argyle Under-18s Head Coach Jamie Lowry believes his side will face their toughest test of the season so far this Saturday when they host Northampton Town in the Youth Alliance League.
The Young Pilgrims and Northampton are the only unbeaten sides remaining in the division, setting up a meeting between two of the league’s leading teams as Argyle look to extend their winning start to the season.
Lowry expects a tough game against a Cobblers side that have conceded just seven goals in eight games, but he remains confident that his team can cause problems going forward, having already scored 33 times in the league.
He said: “It’s going to be our biggest challenge so far. It’s a test that we are really looking forward to. The lads have seen that they [Northampton] are still unbeaten, and we know that they are a really good and organised side who don’t concede many goals.
”They play with a good defensive structure. Obviously, we have been doing well at the opposite end of the pitch. We have maybe conceded a couple more than we would have liked, but we’ve also scored over 30 goals, so that’s been really positive from our side.
“It’s going to be a bit of a shootout at the top of the league. Getting the boys to experience those pressurised matches against the better teams in the programme is something that we want, and they will enjoy it.”
Argyle head into the fixture following a tough Premier League Cup encounter against Bournemouth Under-21s on Monday night, providing another opportunity for the younger players to test themselves against more experienced opposition.
Lowry acknowledged the difficulty of the game, but believes the lessons learned will prove valuable as his players continue their footballing education.
He said: “It was a really tough test for the boys, like it has been in all the PL Cup games. Our side is obviously a bit younger than the teams we have been coming up against, and Bournemouth are a category one Premier League club.
”It was a tricky night, but it’s all about the boys’ development and what they can take away from it.”
That experience could prove useful against Northampton.
With two unbeaten records on the line, Lowry is also keen to see how his players handle the pressure and manage key moments in the game.
“It’s about how the lads approach the match and what their mindset is like going into the game,” he said. “It will be interesting to see how the boys adapt to the challenge, what it’s like in the dressing room leading up to kick-off and how they deal with positive and negative things during the match.”
Argyle will be looking to combine that competitive approach with their goalscoring prowess to maintain their 100% start to the league campaign.
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You can watch Lowry's full Argyle TV preview now, here.