HEAD of youth coaching, Mike Pejic, was pleased with his first glimpse of next season's youth team in action in this under-17 friendly against highly-rated Academy club, Southampton, at their well-appointed Staplewood training ground.

Pej also used the game to have a look at a couple of trialists - 17-year-old Bovey Tracey goalkeeper, Tom Brookes, was in the starting line-up, and 16-year-old left winger, Connor Gater, recently released by Wolves, was a second-half substitute.

The Young Pilgrims fell a goal behind as early as the 3^rd minute, when they were slow to react after conceding a free kick 35 yards from goal, and Saints capitalised by scoring directly from the quickly-taken kick.

But they did not allow the set-back to knock them off their stride, producing some good passing movements, and being unlucky in the 21^st minute, when left-winger Joe Mason hit the post from 15 yards.

Their equalizer eventually came five minutes into the second half, when Sean Kinsella's left wing corner was headed home by towering 6ft 4ins centre-back Ben Gerring from close range.

Pej's new protégées took the lead in the 59^th minute, when creative midfielder Kinsella's well-weighted forward pass caught Saints' rearguard too square, giving England under-16 international striker Liam Head the chance to expertly lob their 'keeper from 15 yards.

The home side hit back and levelled the scores nine minutes later, with a header from a free kick into the top corner of 14-year-old substitute 'keeper Connor Sidley-Adams' goal.

But Argyle were quickly in front again. Just two minutes later the Saints' defence failed to clear midfielder Ryan Leonard's cross, and midfield colleague Brian McCaul showed the ruthlessness of an ace striker to force the ball into goal.

It was not to be our youngsters' day, however, and they were eventually robbed of victory at the death, conceding a penalty goal in the last minute of injury time.

Elsewhere, Swansea City beat Hereford United 2-0 to clinch second place in the Puma Youth Alliance South-west Conference's final league table - the Young Swans taking their points tally for their 18-match campaign to thirty-three - nevertheless twelve points behind the runaway winners, Argyle.

Our youngsters have one more friendly left - they play the Royal Marines at Lympstone on Thursday week, May 15, kick-off 6.30pm.

Two of our Centre of Excellence schoolboy teams meet DJM League representative teams at Mar-Jons this Sunday - the under-12's kick-off at 11am, and the under-14's at 12.30pm.