Argyle topped Southern Group E in the Jersey Mike’s Trophy following a 2-1 win against Swindon Town at Home Park, setting up a home tie in the next round.
Ronan Curtis opened the scoring with a clinical penalty after Owen Oseni was hacked down by Kaelan Majekodunmi, but Antwoine Hackford equalised shortly after with a powerful strike that found the back of the net via James Storer’s midriff. Seb Campbell stepped up in the final minute of stoppage time, firing in a 99th-minute winner for the Greens.
Having already qualified for the knockout stage of the competition, Argyle went into the fixture knowing that a minimum of a draw would see them top the group, and confirm a welcome return to Home Park in the next round.
Head Coach Tom Cleverley made nine changes from Saturday’s FA Cup win over Alvechurch, with only Storer and Oliver Irow retaining their places. Mathias Ross, Malachi Boateng, Harvey White, Will Evans, Amaechi and Wes Harding were on the bench, while Bim Pepple, Joe Edwards and Alex Mitchell were not in the squad.
This meant a back four of Joe Mwaro, Alex Hartridge, Jack MacKenzie and Jared Rendle lined up ahead of Storer, with Campbell and Bradley Ibrahim featuring in central midfield. Curtis and Irow flanked, leaving Oseni and Frankie Maund, on his debut, to lead the line.
Following a cagey start, Argyle’s first chance came in the 19th minute from a Curtis free kick. After winning a foul, the winger whipped in a right-footed cross in towards the back post, where Hartridge rose highest, but failed to find the target with his header.
Two more opportunities came to open the scoring within the next few minutes, as Oseni glanced Mwaro’s first-time cross narrowly wide, before Irow swung a ball into the path of Curtis, who nodded into Lewis Ward’s hands.
After mounting the pressure on the Robins, Argyle found an opener midway through the first period. Oseni latched onto a through ball inside the 18-yard box, faked a shot and cut onto his right foot, but he was taken down by the trailing leg of Majekodunmi. Captain for the evening, Curtis, stepped up and fired the penalty to the left of Ward, sending him the wrong way.
Swindon responded well to the Pilgrims’ opener and probably should have equalised when Hackford burst down the left, dribbled into the box and was left one-on-one with Storer, but the Argyle keeper made a good save to keep it out.
In the 35th minute, the visitors pulled one back from a very similar situation – it was Hackford again, but this time off the right flank. The forward was left unopposed once more and made it 1-1 with a powerful strike that bobbled into the back of the net via Storer’s body.
Ward made two good saves to keep it level heading into the break, one from Oseni’s header that the Swindon keeper tipped onto the post, and the other to deny Ibrahim’s edge-of-the-box effort.
Having successfully completed his first 45 minutes back since suffering an injury in September, Oseni was replaced by Amaechi at half-time, with the substitute making an immediate impact.
Amaechi’s corner was directed towards Curtis at the front post, who nodded onto find Maund, but the 17-year-old failed to connect well with the ball and the result was a Swindon goal kick.
Fellow youngster Rendle, who registered an assist for Michael Baidoo on his Emirates FA Cup debut last Saturday, was forced off following a clash of heads with Lucas Griffiths-Brown, with Harding taking the defender’s place.
In a second half lacking chances, it took until the 63rd minute for either side to really threaten the other, as Storer produced a good save down to his left to deny Jaylan Pearman’s free-kick.
Three minutes later, Cleverley opted for a triple substitution and replaced Mwaro, MacKenzie and Hartridge with White, Harding and Boateng.
The changes led to a switch in formation, as Argyle moved to a back three featuring Harding, Ross and Boateng, with Irow and Curtis operating as wing-backs.
The Pilgrims enjoyed a few half-chances across the rest of the 90 minutes, most notably when Irow was denied by Ward, but both sides struggled to find the back of the net.
However, Campbell popped up with a 99th minute winner to save everyone at Home Park from a penalty shootout that would have had no effect on the final group standings. Amaechi made a good run down the right, before cutting a pass across the six-yard box to find Campbell, who fired into the roof of the empty net.
Argyle will now await the draw to discover their round of 32 opponents, but know the tie will be played at Home Park, having topped the group.
Argyle: 21 James Storer, 3 Jack MacKenzie (7 Harvey White, 66), 11 Ronan Curtis (capt), 14 Oli Irow, 18 Owen Oseni (10 Xavier Amaechi, HT), 22 Alex Hartridge (2 Mathias Ross, 66), 23 Bradley Ibrahim, 38 Seb Campbell, 40 Joe Mwaro (6 Malachi Boateng, 66), 42 Jared Rendle (45 Wes Harding, 55), 46 Frankie Maund (9 Will Evans, 86). Substitutes: 1 Murphy Cooper (GK).
Goals: Curtis 27, Campbell 90+9
Booked: Ibrahim 42, MacKenzie 61
Swindon Town: 12 Lewis Ward, 2 Mitch Clark (19 Joe Snowdon, HT), 7 Tom Nichols (capt) (27 Anthony Munda, 62), 18 James Debayo, 21 Kaelan Majekodunmi, 22 Jaylan Pearman (45 Jacob Hagan, 88), 24 Matty Virtue (43 Freddie Hoare, HT), 29 Antwoine Hackford (44 Rory Da Costa, 62), 33 Joel McGregor (6 James Ball, HT), 38 Lucas Griffiths-Brown, 39 Louis Millard. Substitutes: 37 Charlie Summers (GK).
Goals: Hackford 35
Booked: McGregor 29
Referee: Lewis Sandoe
Attendance: 2,508 (104 away)
