For the second time in five days, Argyle won a pre-season encounter 1-0, against a team beginning with T, from the National League South.
This time, from that rarest of assignments, a trip to the west of Home Park, and not to the north or east, it was a jaunt to Truro City, where the game, a rather better tempered and more enjoyable watch than Tuesday’s outing at Torquay, was settled by a goal from substitute Michael Baidoo, his third of the pre-season campaign.
The game began in very blustery conditions, with Argyle playing the first half towards the end where the majority of the Green Army were located, and straight into the notable wind.
Not that it really helped either side. Argyle’s attempts at getting the ball swiftly to forwards Bim Pepple and Owen Oseni were hampered by the breeze, while Truro faced a different challenge, occasionally seeing forward passes sail beyond their front line and out for goal-kicks, swept on by the prevailing wind.
It was a slow start, chances wise, for both teams, with Truro being the first to notch anything significant. It came from a corner, partially cleared, to Ben Starkie, on the edge of the area. He smartly returned the ball, with interest, and saw it fly not far over Murphy Cooper’s crossbar.
Argyle’s response was a neat move, probably the best of the first half, with several players involved, the last being Ronan Curtis, who hit a low effort which was well pushed round by home goalkeeper Aidan Stone.
It was, though, a game that was parsimonious in terms of yielding opportunities on goal in the first period. Alex Hartridge, starting this game at left-back, had a flicked header from a corner go wide, while Xavier Amaechi, shortly afterwards, sought to burst clear from just inside Truro’s half from a fortuitous bounce. Amaechi squared to Curtis, just outside the area, but the latter was shut down before he could get a meaningful shot away.
The final chance of the half came in injury time, after Truro won a free-kick on the left. Former Argyle forward Luke Jephcott, playing in an advanced midfield role for the Tinners, clipped in a delivery that was probably mainly a cross, but was knowingly set into the wind for a draw, and was curling on target when Cooper pushed it wide.
At half-time, Alex Mitchell, on his return to Argyle colours, was withdrawn, and replaced by apprentice Jared Rendle, with Hartridge moving inside to central defence.
The Greens began the second half with far more attacking verve. Amaechi, now operating on the left, having played the first 45 minutes on the right flank, whipped in a superb cross that his team-mates could not convert, but seconds later the ball fell to Pepple, who brought a save from Stone.
Stone rolled the ball, and Truro tried to play out, but Harvey White picked a pocket, and Pepple subsequently whistled another effort not very far wide.
Curtis drove one not far off target a minute or two later – and this was all before the clock had reached 52 minutes.
Truro were quick to remind Argyle they were about, though, with two strong runs by Tom Tweedy causing issues. The first got the winger to the edge of the Argyle area, and his lay-off to another former Pilgrim, Tyler Harvey, resulted in a shot on target, but one that did not seriously test Cooper. The next run ended in a ball inside that caused a moment of distress, but one which ended when Malachi Boateng swept in to clear the danger.
Around the hour, Argyle made three changes, with Pepple, Amaechi and White giving way to Freddie Issaka, Baidoo and Bradley Ibrahim, with the former duo heading to the flanks, and Ronan Curtis joining Owen Oseni up front.
The initial wave of chances somewhat dissipated, and with the hosts making plenty of changes as well, the game took on that familiar friendly feeling of disjointedness, which is both understandable and yet not always easy on the eye.
Argyle brought on Caleb Roberts for Hartridge, with 15 minutes to go, with Boateng dropping back for a little stint in the centre of defence.
Argyle had a chance on 79 minutes, with Rendle heavily involved. He did well on a couple of occasions during an intricate passing move that ended in Baidoo’s shot being deflected wide. From the corner, Boateng headed on target, but sub goalkeeper Lavercombe gathered.
Two minutes later, Curtis nearly nicked a slow backpass, and as Issaka tried to grab the loose ball, Lavercombe recovered to fall on top of it.
The Pilgrims finally got their breakthrough on 82 minutes. Issaka was busy, getting hold of the ball and running infield from the right, with a release to Baidoo teeing up the Ghanian nicely. Baidoo’s finish was well-struck and precise, beating Lavercombe low to his left, and giving the Greens the lead.
Truro rallied in the closing stages, Jephcott having a shot deflected wide from just inside the area, but Argyle saw it out, maintaining their 100% record in pre-season.
Argyle: 1 Murphy Cooper, 2 Mathias Ross (capt, 40 Joe Mwaro 90+6), 6 Malachi Boateng, 7 Harvey White (23 Bradley Ibrahim, 61), 10 Xavier Amaechi (20 Michael Baidoo, 61) 11 Ronan Curtis, 15 Alex Mitchell (44 Jared Rendle, half-time) 18 Owen Oseni, 22 Alex Hartridge (24 Caleb Roberts, 75), 27 Bim Pepple (25 Freddie Issaka, 61), 29 Matty Sorinola. Substitutes: 21 James Storer (gk), 41 Leo McCormick (gk), 26 Tegan Finn.
Booked: Ross 39, Sorinola 89
Goals: Baidoo 82
