Saltash Utd 2 Plymouth Arg XI 1 SALTASH manager Tim Halford was surprisingly critical of his side's first-half performance of this notable pre-season victory over a young, but talented, Argyle side. 'I wasn't pleased with our first-half showing, but we got to grips with the game after the break and we caused them more problems defensively,' explained Halford. 'I always like playing any Argyle line-up because they play football the way most teams would like to,' he added. Argyle included their three newest professionals, Martin Watts, Paul Kendall and Daniel Smith, in their starting line-up for a game which they would have expected to win. Instead they shared the first-half honours, which were few and far between, and then had to take second best in the last 45. Jake Moult's header was cleared at the foot of the post by Mike Norman as Argyle were the first to show, but the best chance fell to Chris Maskell, who managed to shoot wide from 12 yards after Glenn Palmer had knocked the ball down to him. Argyle hit back, with Smith denied by Stuart Clark's fine challenge before Ashes goalkeeper Steve Vaux did well to force Josh Grant wide before blocking his final effort from an acute angle. A great run by Danny Lewis almost lit up a dull half when he twisted and turned his way from the halfway line before curling in a shot that looked a goal all the way until it unluckily took a deflection. The second half began with Argyle goalkeeper Michal Misiewicz making a brave save at the feet of Daley Simpson, before the Ashes finally made the breakthrough on the hour. Clark found himself in space 25 yards from goal to send an exquisite lob over the stranded Misiewicz. Saltash were gifted their second goal on 74 minutes when substitute goalkeeper Oliver Chenoweth's clearance only found Palmer on the edge of the area, and he promptly dispatched the ball back over the embarrassed goalkeeper's head and just under the crossbar. Argyle finally pulled a goal back nine minutes from time when Watts' great ball inside the Ashes' defence sent substitute Damian McCrory racing to the byline before he fired the ball across for Grant to smash into the roof of the home goal. McCrory had a great chance to equalis,e but he shot too close to Vaux, who saved well to preserve his side's victory.
