Under-18s Report | Argyle 6-2 Northampton Town
Argyle Under-18s came away as 6-2 victors in their final home game of the season at Harper’s Park against nine-men Northampton Town, thanks to a quartet of goals from Cole Fisher.
Despite falling 2-0 behind to the visiting side in the opening 15 minutes of the game, an impressive and determined performance from Jamie Lowry’s side saw the three points come the way of the Greens.
Fisher’s four goals and a goal apiece for Fletcher Poole and Sam Lord propelled Argyle to a decisive win in the sun, following two red cards in four minutes for Northampton.
The visitors stormed out to an early lead, with goals from Ollie Evans and Neo Dobson placing them in good stead after just 13 minutes of action. However, motivation from the pitch and sidelines soon turned Argyle’s mindset into a positive one and by the half-hour mark, the Greens had the lead.
Fisher scored his, and Argyle’s, first of the game just after the 20th minute after some tidy play on the left. Poole fired a ball across the box, and it was tapped home by the Argyle number seven.
After missing a looping header earlier in the game, before Fisher’s goal, Poole redeemed himself by winning the ball off a pass from Elliott Smith in the Northampton goal, driving towards goal and slotting home to level the game.
Just two minutes later, the celebrations continued as a repeat of the opening goal occurred, and Fisher handed Argyle the lead. Some strong defensive efforts from Jensen Ireland and company neutralised any attacking threat in the final minutes of the half, meaning the Greens went into the break as leaders of the tie, following a breathless opening 45.
Argyle’s attacking efforts continued early in the second half, but Northampton held strong and managed to block, clear or halt the efforts around the box and at goal to begin with.
In the 65th minute, Northampton defender Freddie Findlay was sent off for receiving a second yellow card after handling the ball on the ground and the tie started to shift more in the Greens’ favour.
Three minutes later, Fisher had his third and Argyle’s lead was extended to two. After winning the ball in the visitors’ box, the midfielder smashed the ball into the back of the net, beating recovering defenders and Smith in goal.
Chaos ensued after the goal. As the celebrations occurred in the corner, the referee brandished a red card for Smith due to a comment made in anger. Northampton were reduced to nine men, and with no goalkeeper on the bench, goalscorer Evans was forced to wear the number 1 shirt for the remainder of the tie.
Argyle used the extra men to their advantage and scored their fifth and sixth goals of the game, through Lord and Fisher, in the remaining minutes of the tie, handing them three points at Harper’s Park.
Argyle: 40 Dan Holman, 2 Toby Haley, 3 Sam Hayman, 4 Harley Sneap, 5 Jensen Ireland, 6 Joel Sullivan (capt), 7 Cole Fisher, 8 Sam Lord, 9 Fletcher Poole (14 Frankie Maund, 45), 10 Jared Rendle, 11 Kian Burch (12 Seb Campbell, 25). Substitutes: 15 Joe Hatch.
