Argyle Under-18s booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Professional Development League Cup for the first time with a 2-1 win against Swindon Town.
Daniel Brennan gave Swindon the lead shortly after half-time, before Tashall Sandhu equalised and Billy Devlin completed the comeback to secure the Young Pilgrims’ progression to the final eight.
The result rounds off an excellent week for Argyle, having also won their first round FA Youth Cup fixture against Mangotsfield United on Tuesday night.
Head Coach Jamie Lowry made three changes from that midweek game. Leo McCormick and Sam Hayman returned to their loan clubs, and were replaced by Tom Armytage and Dylan Williams, while captain Joe Mwaro made his return to action from a knee injury, in place of Joel Tolcher.
A back four of Mwaro, Williams, Toby MacLean and Jared Rendle started in front of goalkeeper Armytage, with Devlin partnering Seb Campbell in central midfield. Sandhu and Marley-Blu Francis occupied the wings, leaving James Sharpe and Frankie Maund up front.
The visitors enjoyed the faster start of the two teams and had the ball in the back of the Argyle net inside the opening 30 seconds. Briel Da Costa broke free down the right wing, dribbled past the Argyle defence and fired a powerful shot at goal, which Armytage parried away, but the keeper’s save rebounded to Jacob Hagan who bundled the ball over the line. However, Argyle’s early blushes were spared as the linesman raised his flag to indicate offside.
The Robins had a golden opportunity to open the scoring on the 10-minute mark, when Brennan got in behind the Argyle back line and volleyed downwards, but he was denied by Armytage on the keeper’s return to the squad after featuring for England Under-15s in Azerbaijan.
After a tough opening 15 minutes, Argyle grew into the game and responded well. Efforts from Campbell, Maund, Rendle and Sharpe all missed the target, but showed signs of Argyle taking control of the match.
On the brink of half-time, Swindon keeper Charlie Summers made a fantastic save to keep Maund’s back-post half-volley out after a pinpoint cross from Sandhu on the right flank.
At the break, Lowry made a planned triple substitution with Maund, Rendle and Mwaro being replaced by Tolcher, Corey Browne and Alfie Vosper. Mwaro had completed his first 45 back, while Maund and Rendle were off to Home Park for the first team’s FA Cup game against Alvechurch – in which the latter registered an assist for Michael Baidoo.
Despite a positive end to the first half for the Young Pilgrims, Swindon broke the deadlock within 90 seconds of the restart. Head broke in behind Vosper, who was deputising at right-back, and found a pass across the box to allow Brennan a simple finish.
Argyle should have equalised shortly after, when the two wingers, Sandhu and Francis, combined, but Summers yet again produced a good save.
However, Sandhu did find the back of the net, equalising in the 61st minute after receiving the ball on the left flank from Devlin, before cutting in and unleashing a powerful strike into the far bottom corner.
The Greens continued to attack the Swindon goal, and Campbell should have made it 2-1 after Francis’s through ball left him one-on-one with Summers, but the keeper made another impressive stop.
Then came the deciding moment, in the 72nd minute. Tolcher hounded the opposition to turn over possession and found Sharpe out wide. The striker played a pass across the box, Campbell dummied and Devlin produced a composed finish at the back post to put Argyle ahead for the first time in the game.
Argyle resisted Swindon’s attacking efforts well, limiting them to half-chances for the rest of the 90.
Argyle’s task was made easier when Freddie Hoare was sent off following a second yellow card. The midfielder received his first booking midway through the first half after blocking Rendle’s quick free kick, and was shown his second for a bad foul on Sandhu in the 88th minute.
The Greens now progress to the quarter-final stage of the PDL Cup and await the draw to discover their next opponents.
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Argyle: 1 Tom Armytage, 2 Joe Mwaro (capt) (14 Joel Tolcher, HT), 3 Jared Rendle (12 Corey Browne, HT), 4 Billy Devlin, 5 Dylan Williams, 6 Toby MacLean, 7 Tashall Sandhu, 8 Seb Campbell, 9 Frankie Maund (18 Alfie Vosper, HT), 10 James Sharpe, 11 Marley-Blu Francis (17 Toby Tamblyn, 83). Substitutes: 23 Charlie Pawley (gk), 15 Harry Locke
Goals: Sandhu 61, Devlin 72
Booked: Mwaro 9, Tolcher 58, MacLean 60
Referee: Ryan Cornelius