Academy Report | Argyle 4 Gillingham 4

A topsy-turvy encounter at Millennium Fields saw Argyle Under-18s squander a lead but also recover a point against Gillingham.

The Young Pilgrims led 2-0 and 3-1 during the game, but a second-half Gillingham fightback saw the visitors take a 4-3 advantage into stoppage time. It took Will Jenkins Davies to score his second goal of the game to rescue a point and preserve Argyle’s unbeaten start to the season.

Josh Bernard, on his debut for the under-18s, put the Greens in the lead when he followed up a Freddie Issaka shot which had struck the crossbar.

Argyle doubled their lead on 29 minutes thanks to Jenkins Davies’ fine solo run. The midfielder picked the ball on the halfway line, held off one player, drove between two others then hit a low shot which squirmed under the goalkeeper.

Two minutes later, Gillingham pulled one back, but Argyle soon restored their two-goal advantage. The Gills could not satisfactorily clear after several Argyle attempts on goal, and eventually Issaka pounced on a loose ball to slot home.

Kieran Edworthy’s header was well saved by the goalkeeper just before half-time, but after the break it was Gillingham who came roaring back into the game.

Suddenly, within ten minutes of the restart, the score was 3-3, and things got worse when, with just over 10 minutes to go, Gillingham turned it round completely to take the lead.

Cue a late barrage by Argyle, with the Greens marauding forward until, deep into injury time, with virtually the last act of the game, Jenkins Davies ran onto Lewis Colwell’s header to smash home an equaliser.

Argyle: Zak Baker, Lewis Colwell, Jack Endacott, Harley Sneap (Harry Shield 59), Oscar Halls (c), Cole Gibbings, Caleb Roberts, Will Jenkins-Davies, Kieran Edworthy (Henry Donovan 73),  Freddie Issaka, Josh Bernard (Joe Hatch 65). Substitutes not used: Jensen Ireland, James Morley (gk).