The Road to the Semi-Finals

Argyle meet Cheltenham Town in the Papa Johns Trophy Semi-Final on Tuesday, 21 February (8pm). Both sides are seeking to reach the Wembley showpiece for the first time in their history and, with anticipation building, Lewis Calf traced their respective routes to the final…

Group Stage

Southern Group C

Milton Keynes Dons 1-2 Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town 2-1 Walsall
Cheltenham Town 1-2 West Ham United Under-21s

Town opened their campaign in the best possible way with a hard-fought victory over the Dons, Alfie May and Charlie Brown scoring either side of a Zak Jules equaliser.

The Robins continued their perfect start to the competition with goals from Dan Nlundulu and Liam Sercombe giving them control despite surviving an early penalty shout scare. Walsall got a late consolation, but it was not enough.

In the final group game, goals for West Ham academy prospects Will Greenidge and Freddie Potts either side of half-time overtook Brown’s 16th-minute opener and briefly threatened to send the away side though, but Town’s previous results ensured their progress by virtue of superior goal difference.

Southern Group E

Argyle 1-1 Bristol Rovers (4-3 on penalties)
Swindon Town 1-3 Argyle
Argyle 1-0 Crystal Palace Under-21s

Against Bristol Rovers, a second half Ryan Loft goal for the Pirates was cancelled out by a Ryan Hardie penalty just eight minutes later. This secured a point for both sides, but a crucial Callum Burton save allowed Niall Ennis to score the decisive penalty in the shoot-out to deliver the bonus point for the Pilgrims.

At Swindon Town, first-half debut goals for Will Jenkins Davies and Oscar Halls were followed by Hardie’s second in the competition, a late consolation for Town failing to prevent their early exit from the competition.

A stoppage-time winner from Ennis was enough to secure Argyle’s passage into the knockout stages as Group E winners, with Rovers joining them as runners-up.

 

Round Two

Forest Green Rovers 1-1 Cheltenham Town (3-4 on penalties)
Former Argyle loanee Ryan Broom scored the first headed goal of his career midway through the second half to send the game to a penalty shoot-out following Josh March’s opener. Broom would also score the crucial fourth spot-kick for Town, placing the pressure on fellow goalscorer March to convert. Luke Southwood saved, and Cheltenham were through at the expense of their Gloucestershire neighbours.

Argyle 3-2 Charlton Athletic
After Daniel Kanu’s early goal put the Addicks in front, quickfire goals from Sam Cosgrove and Ennis gave Argyle a half-time lead. Shortly after the interval, 17-year-old Caleb Roberts’ debut goal proved crucial. It gave Argyle a cushion that they would need, and rendered substitute Karoy Anderson’s stoppage-time goal irrelevant.

Third Round

Cheltenham Town 4-0 Chelsea Under-21s
Town secured a comfortable passage into the final eight with victory over Chelsea’s youngsters. Brown opened the scoring after just four minutes against his former club, and Town continued to dominate without reward until the game’s dying ember. A late flurry from Broom and Sercombe came either side of another Brown goal to secure the Robins’ quarter-final spot.

Argyle 3-3 AFC Wimbledon
The Argyle Papa Johns Trophy adventure looked over when Wimbledon found themselves 3-0 at half-time at Home Park, but a triple substitution at the break provided the impetus for a remarkable fightback. Cosgrove netted a scarcely believable hat-trick in just 15 minutes to send the game to penalties. Hardie’s opening miss would not prove too costly, as another Burton penalty-save proving gave Bali Mumba the chance to convert the decisive spot-kick.

Quarter-finals

Cheltenham Town 3-1 Salford City
The Robins’ recovered from an early setback against their lower league opponents with another commanding display. Broom again proved crucial as his 45th-minute effort cancelled out Callum Hendry’s opener. Goals in successive minutes from Sercombe and new signing Will Goodwin took Cheltenham into the semi-finals for the first time.  

Bristol Rovers 0-2 Argyle
The Pirates and Pilgrims met again following their opening group-stage encounter, Argyle deservedly booking their place in the semi-finals thanks mainly to a commanding first half-display. Seemingly dealing with the sodden conditions better, a goal from Ben Waine, his first in English football, followed by Hardie doubling the lead. Rovers fought back after the break, but Argyle always head them at arm’s reach.