Report taken from official Plymouth website

MANCHESTER CITY YOUTH 1 ARGYLE YOUTH 2

SKIPPER Sean Kinsella and striker Matt Rickard were on target as our youngsters recorded an impressive, if unexpected, victory over one of tbis country's leading Youth Academies in this friendly match staged at Alsager College in Staffordshire.

City's 28 apprentices, recruited from all over Europe, had spent the previous two weeks on campus as part of their pre-season preparations, and they used all 28 players in the game, which was played in four sessions.

Head of youth coaching Mike Pejic produced a trump card when he threw 15-year-old schoolboy central midfielder Jordon Copp into the fray, for the diminuative play-maker with a cultured left foot proceeded to set up a series of counter-attacks that completely altered the pattern of the game.

Argyle drew level in the 35th minute, when co-midfielder Kinsella scored from the penalty spot, after left winger Jake Baker had been brought down.

 

Sixteen minutes later Rickard struck the killer-blow, rifling home a powerful 18-yard drive.

 

Centre-back Jordan Trott marshalled the Pilgrims defence well as City strove for an equalizer, but they were thwarted by a good block by substitute 'keeper Raivo Varazinskis, and last-ditch tackles from centre-back Sam Sawyer and left-back Jamie Richards.

 

Richards, another 15-year-old schoolboy, played the whole 90 minutes and should also be pleased to have done so well in his first outing for Pej's protégées.