Plymouth Pilgrims Cruise to Convincing Pre-Season Victory
Plymouth Pilgrims started life without Lorent Tolaj as they cruised to a 3-0 win over Southern League Premier South side Bath City in their second pre-season game. The Swiss striker was not in the Pilgrims' squad at Twerton Park as his widely reported £4 million transfer to Bristol City neared completion.
What Happened?
The Pilgrims used 22 players against Bath, with the starting line-up being replaced as a whole shortly after the hour mark. They had already scored their three goals by then, with Owen Oseni and Michael Baidoo striking late in the first half and then Xavier Amaechi also getting on target in the 53rd minute.
Why it Matters for Plymouth
Argyle's starting line-up was captained by defender Mathias Ross as Joe Edwards continued his recovery from a close season knee procedure while Wes Harding was included among 11 substitutes for the away side. Ross had not played in the first pre-season game, the Pilgrims' 4-1 win at Plymouth Parkway last Saturday, for personal reasons so this was his first action since the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
What Comes Next?
There were also first Argyle appearances for two of the club's summer signings - goalkeeper Murphy Cooper, who had a short loan spell at Bath earlier in his career, and defender Alex Hartridge. Cooper completed a transfer from Queens Park Rangers for a reported £150,000 last Tuesday while Hartridge sat out the game against Parkway due to a slight groin issue.
The Twerton Park pitch was reasonably green considering the recent heatwave but it was clearly quite firm because the ball bounced up high a lot. The opening stages of the game passed off without incident, apart from a cross from Sorinola which deceived a Bath defender but Bath 'keeper Harvey Wiles-Richards caught the ball before Bim Pepple could get there. Ross then had a header comfortably saved by Wiles-Richards following a long throw-in into the penalty area from Hartridge and that was soon followed by a 'hydration break' for both teams midway through the first half on what was another very hot July afternoon.
On the resumption of play, People headed wide after a cross from Amaechi before Sorinola got in a shot from inside the Bath box which was safely held onto by Wiles-Richards. Oseni should have put Argyle ahead when he was picked out by a clipped cross by Ross but the striker, who was in a central position about eight yards out, headed wide. However, Oseni did open the scoring in the 40th minute with a close range finish past Wiles-Richards after a cross from Baidoo was not dealt with by the home side. It was then 2-0 to the Pilgrims in the 40th minute, with Oseni and Baidoo scoring for the visitors.
The Pilgrims' starting line-up was captained by defender Mathias Ross as Joe Edwards continued his recovery from a close season knee procedure while Wes Harding was included among 11 substitutes for the away side. Ross had not played in the first pre-season game, the Pilgrims' 4-1 win at Plymouth Parkway last Saturday, for personal reasons so this was his first action since the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
Argyle's attack was led by Oseni and Bim Pepple, with attacking width coming from Amaechi and Baidoo, who has changed his squad number to 20 for this season. Malachi Boateng and Seb Campbell were the central midfield pairing, with a back four of Matty Sorinola, Hartridge, Ross and first-year apprentice Jared Rendle playing in front of Cooper. The Pilgrims' 3-0 win over Bath City marked a convincing start to their pre-season campaign, with the team set to face further challenges in the coming weeks.
The Pilgrims' next game is set to take place at Home Park, with the team looking to build on their convincing win over Bath City. With Tolaj on the way out of Home Park, Argyle's attack is set to be led by Oseni and Bim Pepple, with attacking width coming from Amaechi and Baidoo, who has changed his squad number to 20 for this season. The team's next game is set to be a crucial test of their abilities, with the Pilgrims looking to continue their winning form.
