Under-18s Report | Forest Green Rovers 3 Argyle 4

Argyle’s Under-18s ran out 4-3 winners when they faced Forest Green Rovers in a free-scoring affair in the Youth Alliance League on Saturday morning.

Joe Hatch stole the show, scoring all four of the Greens goals, including a first-half hat-trick.

Manager Jamie Lowry made two changes to the starting line-up that hammered Newport County in the Pilgrims last game before the Christmas break.

Joel Sullivan took the place of Caleb Roberts, while Tegan Finn came in for Freddie Issaka, who featured for the first team in the Emirates FA Cup against Sutton United that afternoon.

There was an uncharacteristically slow start to the game from Argyle, as Forest Green had the better of the opening exchanges.

The hosts should have taken the lead in the first minute when Luca Alonzi missed a chance from close range after being picked out well by Isaac Hughes.

Forest Green’s early pressure paid dividend when, in the 13th minute, they took the lead through Alonzi. Once again, the striker was picked out well in the box and this time made no mistake, firing the ball past Dan Holman.

It did not take long for the young Greens to get themselves back into the game, levelling just seven minutes later.

Lewis Colwell played a teasing ball into the penalty area, which deflected off the back of Keon Sanniola and fortunately into the path of Hatch who lashed the bouncing ball past the Forest Green goalkeeper before he had a chance to react.

Having scored an equaliser, the Greens gained momentum and continued on in search of the goal that would give them the lead. Therefore, it was no surprise when Hatch had it made it 2-1 in the 36th minute.

Sam Lord had done well to keep a ball in play that seemed to be heading out for a goal-kick. He drove to the bye-line and crossed low across the face of goal to Hatch who was able to just sweep the ball home from just a couple of yards out.

Argyle continued their positive spell at the end of the first half, both Josh Bernard and Colwell having chances to add to the Pilgrims lead.

On the stroke of halftime Hatch completed his hat-trick and made it 3-1 to the young Greens.

This move was characteristic of Lowry’s side; a true team goal. Lord once again involved started of the move by breaking the defensive line with a perfect through ball. Finn latched onto it, finding himself one-on-one with Callum Godfrey in goal. He unselfishly rolled the ball across to Hatch who had an empty net to tap into, scoring both his and the team's third goal of the game.

The second 45 minutes started in the same way the first one ended: with a goal from Hatch.

Lord sprang forward from a deep position to apply pressure to the Forest Green midfield, resulting in substitute Preston Mason losing possession just inside the Argyle half.

Hatch unorthodoxly used his knee to bring Bernard into the game who had drifted infield from his wide-right position, and his chipped through ball caused the hosts all sorts of problems.

Unsure of how to deal with it, Rovers captain Jesse Thompson seemed to try to head the ball down to regain control of it. However, Hatch was more than a match with the defender for pace and charged the ball down before Thompson could take a second touch.

Hatch poked the ball ahead of him to set the bouncing ball in his path before hammering it over Godfrey’s head and into the roof of the net making it 4-1. 

The Pilgrims possibly allowed complacency to creep into their game after the fourth goal, and Rovers midfielder Hughes got a goal back. Miscommunication between Hatch and Jack Matthews allowed Hughes to pick the ball up in a dangerous area and punish Argyle with a precise finish into the bottom-right corner.

The hosts showed no signs of letting up when, minutes later, Fraser Bell’s curled effort rattled the top of the crossbar.

The Greens did not learn from their mistakes and Holman found himself picking the ball back out his net once more after the hosts had a moment of good fortune.

Thompson, the skipper, took aim with a volley from range which travelled through a crowd of players and ricocheted off Jensen Ireland, wrong-footing Holman and looping into the back of the net.

Forest Green continued to apply pressure in search of the elusive equaliser; resolute defending from the young Pilgrims kept the score-line as it was.

Matthews kept his team in the game when he made an outstanding recovery run to clear Bell’s dangerous cross away from striker Alonzi in the 86th minute.

However, it would be last gasp heroics from Holman that would prove just as valuable as a goal in terms of keeping Argyle ahead.

Colwell and Ireland were unable to clear their lines allowing Alonzi the chance to take aim from just outside the six-yard box. Holman, however, read the danger and rushed off his line, making a critical block with his leg to win his side the game.

Lowry’s side now have three wins on the bounce and sit top of the table as they enter the business end of the season in the Youth Alliance League.

Next up, they host the league’s second-place side Swindon Town on Tuesday afternoon in a top of the table clash that will have a decisive say in who will be top of the tree come mid-February.

Argyle: Dan Holman, Lewis Colwell, Joel Sullivan, Jack Matthews, Jensen Ireland, Cole Gibbings, Cole Fisher, Sam Lord (Trialist 69), Joe Hatch (Kian Burch 69), Tegan Finn, Josh Bernard. Substitutes not used: Oscar Dean.