Some ten days on from a Devon Derby at Home Park, Argyle Academy will host Exeter City once again, but this time in EFL South Youth Alliance League action on Saturday at Millennium Fields.
Last Wednesday, an Under-17s team thrashed the Grecians in a PDL Cup group-stage match, and now Jamie Lowry’s Under-18s will look to build on a strong 3-0 victory over Cheltenham Town in their previous match. They also hold confidence ahead of the tie after beating the Grecians earlier in the season in the league’s cup competition.
Lowry hopes recent performances and a continuous, growing belief in the squad will help his side perform in an important derby match that could propel Argyle into the top half of the league.
“The weekend win against Cheltenham was pleasing,” Lowry told Argyle TV. “The performance was probably our most complete and all-round performance of the season, with the way we managed the game, the consistency in our performance and how strong our possession was. We kept a clean sheet for the first time this season which was really pleasing. There were some good performances, but collectively as a group, they were outstanding.
“I think the boys are in good spirits at the moment. They've had strong performances backed up by some good results recently, so, they’re going into it on the front foot. We’ve played Exeter a few times this season, so we know what they're about and how to deal with it, but a Devon Derby will be competitive. They're going to have a bit of fire in their belly. We've beaten them twice already this season, so it's something that we need to go and make sure we're prepared for and bang on it.”
Despite starting the season on the back foot, Lowry’s side has been able to string together a strong run of performances on the pitch, picking up points and progression in the league and various competitions. The Argyle Head Coach knows the squad needs to continue playing how they have, although injuries have plagued the camp recently.
He said: “We just need to do the things that we've done really well recently, with working hard, being competitive, and managing the moments in the game right. Just all the things that you can call the basics to give us a good foundation to build on and then the added quality we have in the team, hard work, winning 1v1s and being competitive gives you a good foundation to go and win games of football.
“We're looking pretty strong. We've picked up a couple of little niggles from Saturday, so we just need to see how they settle down. We’re comfortable if players aren't available; we've got other players that come in and are doing well. Another lad gets an opportunity from one lad who misses out. We’re in a good place and happy with where we're at ahead of the game.”
