Under-18s Report | Argyle 1 Exeter City 2

Argyle’s Under-18s suffered late Devon derby defeat against Exeter City in the Youth Alliance League on Saturday morning.

Pedro Borges gave the Grecians the lead midway through the first half from a corner. Tegan Finn would go on to level the game minutes after the interval, but it would be the visitors who took all three points when Kieran Wilson scored five minutes from time.

Argyle manager Jamie Lowry made two changes to the team that beat Swindon Town in midweek, with Sam Lord and Cole Fisher dropping to the bench.

In came Caleb Roberts and Fin Wilkes, the former having missed the past two games and the latter making a return from injury.

The Greens had chances to take the lead early on in the game, Roberts picked the pocket of Harrison King in the middle of the park before laying it off to Finn who would set Joe Hatch away down the left. He called Dylan Shanahan into early action with a low shot across goal from a tight angle.

Argyle’s next chance came when Josh Bernard whipped a free-kick into the penalty area from a wide-right position. It bounced just over the heads of Hatch and Cole Gibbings who were waiting on the back post. Had the bounce been slightly kinder, it would have been 1-0.

Therefore, when Exeter took the lead just three minutes later it was a real kick in the teeth for the Pilgrims.

Borges made himself a nuisance as the ball was swung into the box from a corner and managed to beat Dan Holman to it. It was not the cleanest of goals, with the ball bouncing off numerous Argyle players, before Borges finally turned it over the line.

The young Greens came close to an equaliser on 35 minutes when Joel Sullivan set Wilkes away down the left flank. He did well to get his head up and pick out Roberts who was poised on the edge of the box His shot flew through a crowd of bodies and looked destined for the back of the net, that was until a combination of Shanahan and an Exeter defender blocked the effort on the line.

Half-time provided an opportunity for Lowry to speak to the team and integrate some fresh ideas, Argyle came out much better after the break.

This was evidenced when they equalised in the 49th minute, Finn scoring his seventh goal of the season. The Greens kept the ball alive after a corner came to nothing, Roberts playing a one-two with Josh Bernard before wriggling away from Jake Richards and getting a shot off.

Shanahan could only parry the well-hit effort directly into the path of Finn who passed the ball into the bottom-right corner, the Exeter keep with no time to react.

Argyle would go on to pressurise the visitors' backline and create a plethora of opportunities to take the lead.

Sullivan found Bernard in the box with a fantastic cross, the midfielder's looping header was just clawed over the crossbar by Shanahan.

Hatch also had to a chance to give his side the lead, once again Sullivan curled in a beauty and found a green shirt in the box. From close range, Hatch just could not keep his headed effort down with it missing the goal by inches.

There was a warning sign when the visitors had the ball in the back of the net in the 66th minute, but the offside flag was up much to the relief of the Pilgrims.

If this was not enough of a warning, Exeter hit the post minutes later when Tom Dean let rip from just inside the box.

Jack Matthews had a speculative effort after he intercepted the ball in his own half, spotting Shanahan off his line, the defender took aim from the halfway line, missing the target narrowly.

It would be the visitors who made the most of their chances, scoring the winner in the 85th minute.

Richards found Dean in the box, and he stroked the ball goalward, Holman made a big save to deny the midfielder, but this would not be enough as Wilson was on hand to turn in the rebound at the back post.

This late heartbreak will have been an unfamiliar feeling to Lowry’s side who have scored late goals themselves throughout the current campaign.

They will have the chance to get back to winning ways next weekend when they face Cheltenham Town at Millennium Fields.

Argyle: Dan Holman, Lewis Colwell, Joel Sullivan, Jensen Ireland (Sam Lord 83), Jack Matthews, Cole Gibbings, Fin Wilkes (Cole Fisher 67), Caleb Roberts, Joe Hatch, Tegan Finn (Henry Donovan 67), Josh Bernard. Substitutes not used: Toby Haley, Jack Flower.