Our U18 side take on Plymouth Argyle in the Youth Alliance South this Friday, having previously beaten them at Velodrome Way in the most recent meeting between the sides.
This is the Young Exiles first league match in just under two weeks, having progressed into the Quarter-Finals of the FAW Youth Cup after beating Caerau Ely 5-0 last Sunday in the Third Round of the competition.
We preview Argyle’s last five matches, previous fixtures between the two sides and a lowdown on their backroom staff ahead of our important away fixture against the Devon-based side.
Previous Fixtures
Last season, County’s U18’s played Argyle three times - drawing the first fixture and then winning the next two fixtures during the 16/17 season.
The fixture was twice hosted at Lliswerry School last season, with a 2-2 draw in August contributing to a 6th place finish in the Youth Alliance League South.
A 3-0 win at Lliswerry School in February put the Young Exiles on their way to winning the Merit League 1 for the first time in their history.
The last fixture between the two sides was a 3-2 victory for the Young Exiles, after a double from forward Michael Cook and a goal from Joe Hunt saw the County pick up their first win of the season, after trailing 2-0 at half time on September 30th, 2017.
Backroom Staff
Plymouth’s academy is currently lead by Academy Manager Kevin Hodges – an ex-player who has clocked-up over 500 appearances and 81 goals for The Pilgrims.
The role of Head of Academy Coaching is currently occupied by the man who was co-caretaker for Argyle’s first-team in 2013, Kevin Nancekivell.
Former Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Plymouth 'keeper Rhys Wilmot began his second spell as Academy Goalkeeping Coach in 2015 - after working with the first-team as a goalkeeping coach.
Interesting, the ex-professional keeper was born in Newport. He worked his way through Arsenal’s youth sides before making his first-team debut in 1980.
Last Five Fixtures
The Pilgrims have struggled as of late, only picking up three points out of fifteen in their last five matches - with their only win coming against Cheltenham Town, who currently occupy the bottom position in the league.
Losses against Bournemouth, Exeter City, Bristol Rovers and Portsmouth have contributed to Argyle slipping down the table - with their biggest loss over the last five games being a 6-0 defeat against Alan Connell’s Bournemouth last month.
FAW Youth Cup
After beating Caerau Ely in the Third Round, we were drawn away against cup holders Swansea City.
Fixture News will be confirmed in the near future, with any updates being announced on the official academy Twitter and Facebook pages.
Match Details
The match will take place on Friday, 24th November 2017, with the Young Exiles traveling to Plymouth hoping to take home all three points.
Byron Anthony’s side will kick-off against the Pilgrims at 1:00PM (13:00).
The League Fixture will be hosted at Harpers Park, Outland Road, Plymouth (PL2 3DQ).
Live Coverage
If you can’t attend the fixture, you can follow match updates on the official academy Twitter @Youth_County as the Young Exiles look to beat the Pilgrims for the second time this season.