Jamie Lowry previews Saturday's Devon Derby

Argyle Under-18s return to Youth Alliance League action on Saturday, travelling up the A38 to face Exeter City in an exciting Devon Derby.

Despite battling and fighting for 90 minutes, the Greens were unable to continue their magical FA Youth Cup run against Aston Villa at Villa Park last Friday. They have now turned their full attention to the final eight important games of the league campaign.

Twice this season Argyle have faced the Grecians, with both games ending 3-1 in favour of Jamie Lowry’s side, one in league play and the other in the YA Cup.

The Greens’ Head Coach thinks that returning to the regular schedule and approach for his side should not be a problem, especially given the identity of the weekend’s opponents. 

“It's something that we've probably needed off the back of the FA Youth Cup run and the game last Friday,” Lowry told Argyle TV. “I think it's a perfect game for lads to return to. It can be fierce, competitive, and have a little bit of an edge to it, so it's a great game to bring us back to earth.

“We've had it on four occasions now with the FA Youth Cup run and going from the circus of it, whatever it brings and the high of it, to a league game next or a cup game after that. It’s something they've had a good experience of this season. With it being a local derby, you get up for it no matter what.

“You want to get the bragging rights, so it shouldn't be an issue getting the boys up for it.

“We must turn up and perform, work hard, do the basics right, that we keep alluding to. If the basics are right, our performance will be fine, and we'll get the result we need.”

Argyle’s league form, prior to the FA Youth Cup tie in Birmingham, dipped slightly from that seen earlier in the season. Despite this, Lowry’s side still sits in sixth with multiple games in hand on their competitors close to them in the table.

He believes the – potentially – fiery affair can be an exciting kick-starter for his side’s final push to end the season positively.

Lowry said: “It's going to be a challenge for the lads now to finish strong and go on a run like we did before Christmas, where we went 11 games unbeaten. That’s our challenge and what they've set themselves. That’s what we can control and, then we’ll see how the results go for us.

“[We must be] tidy in possession, aggressive out of possession, press as high as we can, go and steal the ball back, and then once we regain, we must look after it and have a good structure about us. 

“Like any other game, it's going to be key in both boxes. We must be ruthless in their box and keep a clean sheet in ours.”