MANAGER Paul Sturrock watched with interest as his current club's under-18 team fought out a tight draw against their counterparts from his former club, a result that consolidated our youngsters' eleven point lead at the top of the Puma Youth Alliance's South-west Conference.

Swindon, who have now completed their fixtures, remain in second place on 31 points, on the same number as third-in-the table Swansea City, who drew 2-2 at Bournemouth on Saturday.

The Swans' have two games left - against the Young Pilgrims next Saturday and against lowly Hereford United - and a draw or win in either of these games would lift them above the Wilshire club's teenage starlets.

Back in January the Robins promoted no less than nine of their youth squad to the professional ranks, whereas the Pilgrims' boss still has to decide which of Mike Pejic's protégées are to be up-graded.

No doubt buoyed by their 9-1 triumph over Hereford the previous week, Argyle dominated the early stages of the game, with striker Toby Davis particularly lively, but they struggled to carve out many clear-cut chances against a resolute Town rearguard.

The main threat to the Wiltshire lads came from the aerial ability of 6' 5" centre back Ben Gerring at set pieces - and he was twice denied by controversial refereeing decisions in the first half.

In the 31st minute his goal-bound header was deflected away by the raised arm of a Town defender, but Argyle's claims for a penalty were waved aside. And, just five minutes later, the towering defender headed the ball into the net, only to have the effort ruled out for an alleged offside infringement.

Three minutes after the interval our youngsters again appealed unsuccessfully for a penalty when striker Ashley Barnes was bundled to the ground, and Toby Davis brought out a fine save from the visitors' keeper in the 57th minute with a neat turn and shot from the angle of the goal area.

But Argyle's best chance came and went 10 minutes later when, in a breakaway, they found themselves in a three-on-one situation, but the opportunity was lost when substitute Jarred Stevens, after a 30-yard run, inexplicably passed straight to the Swindon defender.

Although the youth team completes their Youth Alliance season at Swansea this Saturday, Mike Pejic is already planning ahead, and has arranged a friendly for next season's youth squad away at Academy club Southampton the following Saturday.

Our Centre of Excellence schoolboys have a full programme of games against Exeter City this weekend - on Saturday the U16's travel to City's Cat & Fiddle training ground, and on Sunday the U13's, U12's and U11's make the same trip, whilst the U15's, U14's, U10's and U9's host their Devon rivals at Plymstock School (all games ko at 11am).