Argyle 7 Exeter 0

Report | Argyle Under-17s 7-0 Exeter City

Argyle notched seven goals against Exeter City, in an under-17s fixture played at Home Park on Wednesday night. 

Seb Campbell scored four of the Greens’ septet of strikes, with one each coming from Billy Devlin, Tegan Finn and Lewis Flowers. 

The Pilgrims were on the front foot from the outset. After just two minutes Campbell drew a tidy save from Exeter goalkeeper Sam Down, and just a few minutes later Campbell turned home smartly in the area to give Argyle an early lead they deserved. 

The Greens sought a second, and came close when a deep corner was headed against the post by Fletcher Poole, and Toby MacLean’s follow-up headed was cleared off the line. 

It was midfielder Devlin who made it two. He had only just been foiled by Down after nicking a loose ball and driving into the box, but getting another chance a minute or so later, he opened his body in an inside-left position, and finished powerfully into the corner. 

Exeter had occasionally brief spells on the front foot, which yielded a corner or two, but apart from one effort from Nathan Swift which was easily gathered, Leo McCormick has precious little to do. 

The goalkeeper some 100 yards away, at the other end of the field, was much busier. Down saved from Poole, and then was relieved to see Finn’s effort deflect over the bar. 

Finn made it three before half-time, though, unleashing a left-footed effort from the area’s edge that Down could do nothing about. 

The one-way traffic continued in the second half, with Campbell receiving a sweet lay-off from Finn and finishing with the help of a small deflection. 

Poole, desperate to – and deserving of – getting on the scoresheet had another ejected from the goal-line, before Campbell claimed his hat-trick, heading in Finn’s inswinging corner. 

Both sides made a host of substitutions – Argyle’s Joe Rapson had a shot blocked with his first touch on the field – before Lewis Flowers headed home comfortably from another Argyle corner. 

Campbell made it seven – four for him – when steering home substitute Ollie Evans’ low cross following a strong run on the left flank, and Argyle cruised to a comprehensive victory. 

Argyle: 1 Leo McCormick, 2 Joe Mwaro, 3 Toby MacLean, 4 Oscar Dean (capt), 5 Lewis Flowers, 6 Sam Hayman, 7 Fletcher Poole (16 Ollie Evans, 68), 8 Billy Devlin (12 Joe Rapson, 68), 9 Kian Burch (15 Frankie Maund), 10 Seb Campbell, 11 Tegan Finn (14 Jared Rendle, 64). Substitutes: 23 Jack Flower (gk). 

Goals: Campbell 6, 48, 54, 75, Devlin 25, Finn 39, Flowers 72. 

Exeter: 1 Sam Down, 2 Liam Cartwright, 3 Logan Aston (15 Henry Revell, 85), 4 Louie Cayless, 5 Jack Anthony (capt), 6 Percy Baker, 7 Callum Graham, 8 Luke Hodgetts (14 Liam Nardiello, 55), 9 Harry Appleton, 10 Jack Belotti, 11 Nathan Swift (12 Archie Bryce, 72). Substitutes: 13 Dylan Shanahan (gk). 

Attendance: 520