Friday 24 February 2023

PILGRIMS TO FACE TROTTERS AT WEMBLEY

Plymouth Argyle will face Bolton Wanderers in the final of the Papa Johns Trophy at Wembley on Sunday April 2. 

The Pilgrims overcame Cheltenham Town 3-2 on penalties in the Southern Area final - after drawing 1-1 in normal time - while the Trotters defeated Accrington Stanley. 

Goalkeeper Callum Burton, who recently established himself as Argyle's first choice keeper after Michael Cooper was ruled out through injury, saved three penalties for the Pilgrims to deny former Pilgrims' loanee Ryan Broom, Elliot Bonds and Alfie May - as they booked their third visit to Wembley. 

May had given the Robins the lead before substitute Ryan Hardie equalised for the Pilgrims, which sent the tie to penalties.

Argyle have now become the second team from Devon to reach the final of the competition and their run to the final draws certain parallels with the last team from the county to make it to the final in 1989 - Torquay United. 

Not only did the Gulls face Bolton Wanderers in the final of the Sherpa Van Trophy, as it was then known, they also had a stand-in goalkeeper to thank for an heroic display in the Southern Area final against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Veteran keeper Kenny Allen rejoined Torquay following an injury to first choice keeper Kenny Veysey and played out of his skin to keep a Wolves attack that included Steve Bull and Andy Mutch in the second leg at Molineux, as the Gulls won 2-0 to win 3-2 on aggregate.