ARGYLE manager Bobby Williamson is disappointed at not having a game on Saturday due to the International weekend. The manager would have liked a match to continue on from Saturday's remarkable win against Gillingham, their first in seven matches, though one win doesn't mean Argyle's problems have gone away. The small gate of 13,665 for the Gillingham match was not entirely unexpected. Gillingham are an unfashionable club, but Argyle's tumble from their lofty league position was probably the main reason for the fans staying away. Argyle were far too good for Ipswich and yet lost, once again showing they couldn't hang on to a lead. The Gillingham match was different; in front of a crowd that didn't seem to know how to urge their team on, Argyle's better all round play was finally rewarded thanks to everyone's favourite Frenchman David Friio. What has been noticeable is the club's change of direction, playing through the midfield instead of over them. At times Argyle were superb. Gone was the early season up and under, to be replaced by pass and move. From goalkeeper Romain Larrieu, through Mathias Doumbe and the whole of the back four, Argyle looked comfortable in playing the passing game. This change of emphasis seemed to confuse many of the fans, who frustratingly wanted the ball played into the penalty area at the earliest opportunity and often criticised players for the odd poor pass. Fans have to learn quickly that ball retention is the key to success in this league. When Argyle have the ball, the other team cannot score. It was also good to see David Worrall stepping into Peter Gilbert's shoes to produce another excellent performance. Argyle's next game is at home to league leaders Wigan Athletic, who have spent millions, while Argyle's squad cost just £80,000. Fans have to put this into perspective. All Williamson is doing is carrying on the building work started by his predecessor. The club can afford the current wage structure and won't go spiralling out of control through heavy spending that may not produce the results. Few clubs can sustain Argyles meteoric rise without having a set plan. Argyle's is well on course, playing for today but building for the future. It has to be more than ready for the next step up. With Crawford and Gilbert away on international duty this weekend, the manager put out a strong reserve team on Tuesday against a Swansea City side that would have found it difficult to compete against the Argyle's youth team. The 10-1 scoreline reflected this. Williamson was definitely not amused after the match, and was heard muttering out loud to himself about playing against a bunch of kids. Argyle took years to get back into this league, only to find that it changed to an east-west set-up, therefore denying the fans watching and players competing against the top London teams. There were a number of good points that came out of the game. Saltash youngster Ryan Dickson looked confident and competent, Fowey's Chris Reski came on for an enjoyable 20 minutes, but it was the display by 17-year-old Republic of Ireland youth international Anthony McKeever at left back that caught the eye. It's not difficult to see why he attracted the interest of Arsenal and Nottingham Forrest. On the injury front, Tony Capaldi is likely to be out of action for at least another month, Marino Keith limped off injured in the reserve match, as did Nathan Lowndes and McKeever, though all three are expected to recover quickly. Bair Sturrock has gone on trial at Northampton, former Argyle player and manager Kevin Hodges is the new man in charge at Southern League Clevedon Town, while Jamie Laird has followed elder brother Scott as captain of the Scotland U16 team, who play in front of the Sky TV cameras on Friday night against Northern Ireland.
FIXTURES - Coca-Cola Championship: Sat Oct 16 Wigan Athletic (H) 3pm. Reserves: Tues Oct 12 Swansea City (H) 7pm League Cup. U18s: Sat Oct 9 Swansea City (A) 11am. U16s: Sat OCt 9 Exeter City (H) 11am. South West Women's League: Sun Oct 10 Reading Royals (A) 2pm.