Lowry previews PDL Cup test against Swansea

Several competitions are on the calendar for Argyle Under-18s, with the focus this week returning to the Professional Development League Cup. 

A loss away from home to Cheltenham Town in the opening game of the group stages shocked both the players and staff. However, after a run of improved form, Head Coach Jamie Lowry believes a win against Swansea City on Saturday can put his side in good stead in the group. 

“Preparations ahead of the game have been good,” Lowry told Argyle TV. “We’ve had two busy weeks of back-to-back midweek games, so the start of this week has been more relaxed, making sure everybody's fit, then we've got the work in the back end of the week. It might be a tough challenge, but one we're excited about.  

“Getting a result out of the game is something we've spoken about already. That's really important. Swansea and Bristol City drew in the last game, so it's still quite an open group. If we win this game, we can still progress in the group. That’s what we're working towards. 

“We had a good game at the end of last season against Swansea in this competition, so we must use that motivation where we didn't quite get across the line with a draw when we needed a win last season. Swansea are a difficult team, however. They always pass the ball well and have very technical players.” 

With the competition pitting Argyle against different teams compared to the league and other cup campaigns, Lowry is excited for the challenge that awaits him and his side on the weekend.  

He said: “It’s exciting for me personally in terms of the challenge, to come up against something a little bit different and a good technical team. They play differently from what we’ve come up against. Play through the midfielders a lot and bounce passes. Our possession must be right and getting our press going is important. Watching their games back and preparing has been a good challenge for me. I’m excited to go and try to put it into practice on Saturday.” 

Argyle were forced into several changes in their previous game against Luton Town. Lowry provided an update on how the squad looks ahead of the fixture against the Swans. 

“Toby Haley will probably be a bit longer term with a hamstring issue. He's hopefully going to have a scan soon to see the full extent. The rest of them were quite light knocks and niggles, so hopefully they'll be back and ready for the weekend.”