Argyle Under-18s return to Youth Alliance League South action on Saturday afternoon, when they host AFC Wimbledon at Millennium Fields (1pm).
The Greens come into the game on a high, and refreshed, after their 3-0 victory over Mangotsfield United in the FA Youth Cup last Wednesday.
The visitors, however, have started their season in fine fashion, unbeaten, having won six of their opening eight league fixtures whilst drawing the other two.
Head Coach Jamie Lowry is hoping his side can use recovery time, returning bodies and confidence to battle with a physical Wimbledon side on the weekend.
“This is a challenge we're looking forward to,” Lowry told Argyle TV. “They're unbeaten in the league so far and are a good physical side, who want to play forward quickly. It will be a good test for us. The positive result we had in the FA Youth Cup will give us a boost heading into the game, and the lads had a little bit of a break over the weekend to give them a rest and recharge their batteries.
“At the start of the week, the boys were champing at the bit to get back. It has been a good week, and now we have a couple more boys back in training as well. We have a few more bodies available, so hopefully it will be competitive in terms of squad selection and making things difficult for me, with the boys having to play well to keep their shirts.
“Something we spoke about, as part of their development as young footballers, is consistency. I don’t think we've had a consistent run of results, but we have had some really good performances. It’s important that the boys can consistently find a level at they're performing well at and then obviously, results will come with that.
“We’ve spoken about both boxes being a real killer for us this year, and have probably not been clinical enough in the final third. It’s now about them going, applying it, and making sure that they can use that as part of their development as an individual and collectively, which improves them as a player, and gives results for the team as well."
