Under-18s v Bristol Rovers (H) | Preview

Argyle Under-18s return to action this weekend as they meet Bristol Rovers at Millennium Fields on Saturday morning.

Jamie Lowry’s team have not played since Tuesday, 24 October, when they beat Oxford United 4-1. A schedule free weekend was followed an unscheduled Saturday off, as last week’s fixture with Swindon Town was postponed because of inclement weather.

Argyle are top of the Youth Alliance South West table, with 18 points from seven games, two points ahead of Portsmouth, who have 16 from eight, and ahead of third-placed Swindon, who have 15 from seven.

Bristol Rovers sit fifth of the nine teams in the division, having won three, drawn two and lost three so far. One of those defeats was to Argyle, in September, as the Pilgrims won 4-1 away to Rovers, with Josh Bernard scoring twice, alongside goals from Tegan Finn and Kieran Edworthy.

"It wasn’t too long ago that we played them," said Lowry. "There were lots of positives to take from that game, it was one of the best performances that we have had this season, certainly since I have been overseeing the team, so we’ll take confidence from that.

However, at the same time, we won’t rest on our laurels. They are a good side and we’ll need to be at our best.

"We have planned for the game like we normally do. The gap in fixtures has given the boys a bit of rest and respite, and now they are chomping at the bit having not played for two weeks. It is not ideal to have that long without a game, but at the same time it doesn’t hurt to refresh the batteries, and they are ready to go again on Saturday."