Argyle emerged 3-2 victors in a competitive battle with National League side Truro City.
A sold-out gathering across the Cornish border, the Tinners enter the 2025/26 campaign as the most successful Cornish side, following their promotion out of the National League South last season.
This time over the Tamar, Truro encountered a new-look Argyle, with new faces filling the first-team lineup, as well as the leadership of recently appointed Head Coach Tom Cleverley.
The experienced Jamie Paterson was sliding along the 10 and 6 in the midfield, playing well-placed passes to the aggressive Bim Pepple, whose hold up play allowed plenty of link-up with wingers Freddie Issaka and Argyle's newest arrival, Ayman Benarous.
The Pilgrims had their work cut out for them, however, with Truro’s Dominic Johnson-Fisher darting and weaving down the left, and Zak Bell powering from full-back to deliver a series of low, driven crosses throughout the first half.
Bell found himself on the end of one those crosses in the 27th minute, forcing a close-range save out of Argyle’s trialist 'keeper.
A boxing bout of few blows, yet it would be Truro to deliver the first true stinger of the match, with Will Dean pinpointing a through ball to the insistent Bell, who located former Green Luke Jephcott, subsequently laying off for a wondrous top-right finish from midfielder Lirak Hasani.
Truro would once again knock on the green door, as Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain’s long throw influenced an Argyle scramble in the box, only for another eventual low shot to be palmed away by the 'keeper.
The Greens would finally make their own attacking breakthrough on the stroke of half-time, with a short corner finding the feet of game’s architect Paterson, who swung a long ball over the back post to Pepple. Fortune favoured Pepple, as his cross deflected in off Truro’s defender Dean.
Argyle re-entered largely unchanged, apart from Brendan Galloway, with their overhaul of substitutions coming at the hour mark, and Truro followed suit only seconds later.
Many of Cleverley’s new-look side played their part in the second half, yet Xavier Amaechi looked to draw the eyes of the Green Army towards himself, collecting the ball in deeper positions and using an immense change of pace to expose defenders and create chances going forward.
He fizzed an aggressive right hand side strike wide of the far post, after bringing up the ball on the right wing only minutes into his introduction.
After 25 minutes of nearly moments in the second half for both sides, it would be Bradley Ibrahim who would fire Argyle into the lead, with the Tinners unable to capitalise on a Bali Mumba slip. A simple strike from close range gave Argyle their first lead of the evening.
Only a minute later, Truro, while down, were not out, and levelled thanks to a high finish by a Truro trialist that left the 'keeper with no chance.
Argyle fought back again, with a few minutes remaining. Amaechi collected the ball in midfield, and drove forward. Edwards, darting down the right alongside him, received the ball and crossed for Watts, who cut inside and found the net via a deflection.
Argyle: 21 Trialist (gk), 3 Jack Mackenzie (22 Brendan Galloway 46), 6 Kornel Szucs, 7 Jamie Paterson (capt, 17 Caleb Watts 63), 14 Ayman Benarous (10 Xavier Amaechi 63), 19 Malachi Boateng (23 Bradley Ibrahim 63), 24 Caleb Roberts (4 Brendan Wiredu 63), 25 Freddie Issaka (2 Bali Mumba 63), Bim Pepple (18 Owen Oseni 63), 29 Matty Sorinola (8 Joe Edwards 63, capt), 37 Jack Matthews (44 Victor Palsson). Substitutes: 31 Jack Flower (gk), 38 Joe Hatch.
Goals: Dean og 45+2, Ibrahim 68, Watts 83.
Attendance: 2725.
Match report by Samuel Williams.
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