United 0
Plymouth Argyle 2
(Hardie pen 50′, Mumba 61′)
Match Sponsor
United’s opening home pre-season friendly ended in defeat on Saturday, as Plymouth came out on top at Plainmoor.
The first chance of the game fell to the Pilgrims as early as the first minute, with Ryan Hardie presented with a golden opportunity to put his side ahead. However, after latching onto a driven cross from the left, Argyle’s number nine could only hook his shot wide from six yards out.
Although Paul Wotton’s side weren’t initially able to test Plymouth goalkeeper Connor Hazard, the men in the stylish yellow and blue hoops launched a couple of promising attacks, with Dan Hayfield just unable to stretch the extra inches required to power home a close-range header from a right-wing cross, before Brad Ash fired a right-footer over from a narrow angle shortly after.
A block from Sam Dreyer, following another Hardie effort was the only other real chance of note, and came between two lengthy stoppages due to incidents on the terraces. With the safety of all inside Plainmoor always taking precedence, it was no real surprise when a token five minutes of additional time was added, prior to a fragmented first 45 minutes coming to an end.
Once the second period eventually got underway, it was the visitors who gained the upper hand five minutes in.
A coming together between Brad Ash and former Gulls loanee Will Jenkins Davies initially appeared nothing more than a competitive reunion, however despite Ash’s appeals that the offence took place outside the box, the referee thought otherwise and pointed to the spot.
Hardie stepped up and fired to James Hamon’s left to make it 1-0.
Torquay responded well, with Cody Cooke – one of this week’s new additions – twice going close to levelling, first glancing a Hayfield free-kick wide, before his header from a Matt Carson corner cleared the crossbar.
Having survived that near-miss, Argyle doubled their lead on the hour mark.
After picking up the ball from deep, Callum Wright’s shot from 20 yards forced a smart parry from Hamon, however the ball fell kindly into the path of Bali Mumba, who fired into the empty net.
That second goal saw the Championship side gain a measure of control over proceedings, with Greens winger Cissoko a constant threat with his tricky footwork on the left.
Wotton’s side still had their moments, with Cooke looking the likeliest source of a breakthrough, although the target man couldn’t quite reposition himself in time to steer home another Carson cross in the 76th minute.
The remaining minutes saw both sides exchange promising moments in attack, with minutes in the bank remaining the key target ahead of a long football season for both clubs.
There will be one more warm-up at Plainmoor before the real thing starts on August 10th against Enfield, as Exeter City visit on Tuesday evening.
UNITED: 1. James Hamon, 3. Jay Foulston, 4. Jordan Dyer, 5. Sam Dreyer, 8. Roddy Collins (6. Austen Booth, HT), 9. Ben Seymour (19. Cody Cooke, HT), 11. Brad Ash (10. Omar Mussa, 64′), 14. Matt Carson, 17. Finn Tonks (16. Ed Palmer, 74′), 18. Oscar Threlkeld (c) (15.Jadyn Crosbie, 83′), 20. Dan Hayfield (7. Lirak Hasani, 66′).
SUBS NOT USED: 13. Matt Wonnacott, 21. Dean Moxey, 24. Jacob Wellington
Booking: Foulston 68′, Booth 71′
Attendance: 6,121