Argyle’s second pre-season game brought another win, and another strong piece of preparation, as the Greens travelled to Bath City.
At the home of the Romans, ironically anything but a straight road from Plymouth, Tom Cleverley’s side won the game 3-0, got several players onto the scoreboard, created chances aplenty, kept a clean sheet, saw two players play their first minutes in green, and obtained that sweetest of pre-season cliches, getting minutes into the legs.
Other than that, what did the Romans…etc.
It took Argyle a while to get their first goal, but they played some nice stuff and were very dominant before Owen Oseni got the ball rolling, and Michael Baidoo, now wearing number 20, appropriately made it 2-0 before the interval. Xavier Amaechi got a third not long after the break, and there were a number of opportunities to increase the scoreline.
Argyle’s first three chances, or at least approximations of chances, came from incomplete Matty Sorinola passes or crosses. That is not to denigrate the Argyle full-back’s choice or delivery. Once, a cross from the near bye-line was cut out, and twice a floated ball deceived at least one defender, but did not quite reach Bim Pepple for one reason or another.
The day was hot and still, the pitch patchy and firm, although with grass short enough to be conducive to passing football. The start was sedate enough, but around the midway point of the first period, Argyle started to step up their endeavours.
Alex Hartridge’s long throw was recycled back to him on the left side, from where he crossed to fellow centre-back Mathias Ross, captain for the day, who headed on target, but into the hands of home goalkeeper Harvey Wiles-Richards.
Almost immediately, Sorinola again got into a high attacking position, and cut back to the arriving Baidoo, who had a shot blocked. The same player, later in the same attack, fired in a half-cross-half-shot which Wiles-Richards repelled with his fists.
On 28 minutes, Amaechi clipped to the far post where Bim Pepple headed wide, before the busy Sorinola latched onto an Amaechi ball, cut inside, and had a shot on target, but straight at the goalkeeper.
Argyle’s best chance, from perhaps their best move, to that point, came from a long stretch of possession on the right side, with eventually Ross joining in from centre-back, and sending in a cross that Oseni headed narrowly wide.
It was Oseni who broke the deadlock, though, in the 40th minute, giving the Greens the lead. Baidoo, not for the first time, popped up in an inside-right location, despite his starting position on the left of midfield, and clipped a ball to where Oseni lurked, and the forward got the ball on the deck before slamming in the opener.
And there was time for a second before the interval – and a lovely goal it was too. Pepple’s hold-up play was exemplary, and the timing of an Oseni run from off him was beautifully timed. Oseni had beaten the offside trap, and bore down on Wiles-Richards, but unselfishly offloaded to Baidoo, arriving alongside, and the Ghanian had the simple task of rolling into an empty net.
The same starting line-up began the second half, and added a third with another neat move. Seb Campbell won the ball back in a good area, and it allowed Oseni to drive, approaching the area. Oseni passed to his left, Baidoo rolled the ball back into the centre, and Amaechi arrived to strike into the net.
Only a few minutes later, Bath gave the ball away, allowing Amaechi to find Pepple, whose shot, destined for the bottom corner, was well palmed away by Wiles-Richards. Pepple then did a superb job spinning his marker and getting to the edge of the area, only to skew his attempt to hit the target.
In the 62nd minute, Argyle made the expected 11 changes, with a fresh side coming onto the field. Julio Pleguezuelo had a chance to score with his first touch, heading wide from a free-kick, and this came moments before Bath’s best chance, with two of the Romans’ own substitutes combined. Good skill by Owen Windsor on the left led to a cross, headed on target by Alex Fisher, but cleared by a recovering Sam Hayman.
From another Argyle free-kick, Pleguezuelo went even closer, narrowly missing the post from a Ronan Curtis delivery.
Freddie Issaka was next up, and it was nearly a scintillating fourth. Issaka picked the ball up in a deep position, and scythed past two defenders before hitting a shot that was well saved. From the corner, the ball fell to Roberts, who turned a defender smartly before hitting a shot that was deflected wide.
The lively Bradley Ibrahim beat a player and had a 20-yarder palmed away, and Hayman was then blatantly shoved after heading the ball in the area. An enquiring shout and a quizzical shake of the shoulders from members of Argyle’s coaching staff was all it generated. Had this been a closer scoreline, and/or a game with something on the line, the apoplexy would have been a lot greater.
As it was, though, it came at the end of a game which was winding down, and that Argyle had navigated in a very satisfactory manner.
Next up, the annual trip to Plainmoor, to play Torquay United on Tuesday night.
Argyle starting line-up: 1 Murphy Cooper, 2 Mathia Ross (capt), 6 Malachi Boateng, 10 Xavier Amaechi, 18 Owen Oseni, 20 Michael Baidoo, 22 Alex Hartridge, 27 Bim Pepple, 29 Matty Sorinola, 38 Seb Campbell, 44 Jared Rendle.
Argyle, from 62 mins: 21 James Storer, 5 Julio Pleguezuelo, 11 Ronan Curtis, 23 Bradley Ibrahim, 24 Caleb Roberts, 25 Freddie Issaka, 26 Tegan Finn, 39 Sam Hayman, 40 Joe Mwaro, 43 James Sharpe, 45 Wes Harding.
Goals: Oseni 40, Baidoo 45, Amaechi 53
