Supporters will always be most interested in the fortunes of a club’s first team; it’s where the hope and the glory exists, writes Kevin Marriott.

But it is good sometimes to scratch under the surface a little to discover what the future might hold.

Even if fans concentrate on the senior side, most long term followers of a club are delighted when ‘one of our own’ steps up to the big stage from the reserves or youth set-up.

Plymouth Argyle fans are no different and while 7,500 were at Home Park on Saturday to watch the 1-1 draw with Hartlepool United, a small contingent made the short journey up the A38 to Coach Road in Newton Abbot to watch the second-placed Pilgrims take on leaders Saltash United.

Argyle are beginning to make some noise in the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League premier division and on Saturday they became the first team to take any points off the Ashes, who went into the game having won 10 out of 10 to start the season.

Some of those at the game described the 2-1 win as a smash and grab result, and indeed an in-form Saltash put lots of pressure on a young Pilgrims side during the second half.

But from an Argyle point of view, they defended very well against excellent Peninsula League strikers in Sam Hughes and Ryan Richards, and sealed all three points with a brilliant goal from Ben Steer.

Steer was among those in the Argyle team who made an impression; right back Billy Palfrey had an excellent game and the back four was superbly marshalled by Karleigh Osborne, a commanding and vocal presence in central defence.

The presence of an Argyle team in the Peninsula League has prompted mixed feelings from clubs. St Austell certainly weren’t too impressed when their midweek trip to Coach Road saw them up against a Pilgrims team packed with professionals, many with first team experience, who beat them 6-1.

The word is that you don’t want to play Argyle in midweek. But as their young team illustrated on Saturday, the young generation are far from pushovers either.

If you have a spare Saturday afternoon when the first team are playing away, get yourself along to a reserve game. They are playing good football – and after all, they are the future of Plymouth Argyle.