Under 18s Report | Argyle 3 Oxford United 1

Argyle’s Under-18s reached the summit of Merit League One with a fifth straight league win, this time overcoming Oxford United. 

In a game played at Home Park, the visitors took an early lead, but Argyle had turned it around by half-time with a Freddie Issaka cracker followed by a Joe Hatch header.

Caleb Roberts made it 3-1 in the second half to seal a victory that could have been much larger had it not been for an excellent performance by Oxford goalkeeper Monty Marriott. 

Argyle fashioned their first chance in the fourth minute, when Lewis Colwell made a strong run from full-back to latch on to a lofted pass. The Argyle skipper turned inside and crossed, from which Hatch steered an effort narrowly wide. 

Within a minute, Oxford were ahead. Louis Griffiths crossed for United on their left flank, to find Jack Lee peeling off at the far post and steering home a controlled right-foot finish. 

The game quickly fell into a pattern, with Argyle having the bulk of possession and territory and Oxford looking a threat on the break. While Argyle had a Finley Wilkes effort from just outside the area, at the other end Dan Holman had shown good awareness to race out of his area to clear when Zaide Took-Oxley bore down on him, and shortly afterwards Oxford winger Kasway Burton got into the area, but pulled an effort wide. 

Issaka levelled just after the quarter-hour mark, scoring a trademark effort from the left flank. He still had plenty to do when receiving the ball but, knowing his intentions, drove infield, daring defenders to try to halt him. None could, and he opened his body to despatch a finish into the opposite corner. 

Roberts was at the heart of a flurry of Argyle chances near the 25-minute mark. Firstly, his quick feet put one defender on the deck, then a punched low cross nearly cannoned in of another Oxford player, with Marriott scrambling to push away. Within 30 seconds, Roberts had it again, this time smashing an effort goalwards which was pushed away. 

Just before the half-hour mark, Argyle took the lead. Tegan Finn took down a ball from the sky sublimely, then, after a one-two with Roberts, curled a ball into the centre. Hatch did well to adjust his feet as the ball arrived, and steered his header into the net to put his side in front. 

Oxford ‘keeper Marriott prevented a third only moments later, sparing the blushes of his defender who struck a low backpass rather too powerfully. Marriott swiped at the ball in desperation, and saw it whistle just past his post as he cleared for a corner. 

Argyle pushed for a third before half-time, hard work from Hatch won a corner which the Greens took short to Issaka. His cross found Joel Sullivan, who got a flick on target, but Oxford stopped its progress. They could only clear to Josh Bernard, whose shot was saved by Marriott. 

There was still time before the break for two Finn free-kicks, the first pushed over by the goalkeeper, the second clipped not far wide. 

The start to the second half saw 20 minutes of a familiar pattern. Argyle on top, controlling the game, but their dominance yielding little by way of obvious chances. 

The Pilgrims thought the third goal had come when Bernard’s header looped into the net on 64 minutes, but he had strayed offside at the taking of the dead-ball that preceded. Shortly afterwards, substitutes Cole Fisher and Kian Burch both got something on a Roberts cutback but could not convert. 

Suddenly the Argyle chances were coming at a higher frequency, perhaps owing to fatigue on the part of an Oxford side that had spent the first three-quarters of the game largely chasing the ball. Finn and Roberts exchanged smoothly on the right in a manner they have done many dozens of times over the season, with Finn gliding to the edge of the penalty area. His fierce effort looked goalbound, but for yet another good save by Marriott in the Oxford goal. 

After another stunning block to prevent Bernard, Argyle finally got their third through Roberts. Credit should go to Jack Matthews, by this point playing in midfield, who stepped in to the win the ball and came away with it, loping forwards. His release was timed perfectly, from which Roberts collected with one touch, and smoothly finished with the next. 

The game was effectively over at this point, and Jamie Lowry’s charges saw the game out without alarm. They will be back in action on Tuesday, 30 April, against Portsmouth, with the possibility of clinching the Merit League One title a distinct possibility. 

Argyle: Dan Holman, Lewis Colwell ©, Joel Sullivan, Finley Wilkes (Jenson Ireland, 64), Jack Matthews, Cole Gibbings, Freddie Issaka (Cole Fisher, 59), Caleb Roberts, Joe Hatch (Kian Burch, half-time), Tegan Finn, Josh Bernard.