Bristol Rovers 1 Plymouth Argyle 0 Live: Greens beaten by last

The final game in Southern Group B of the 2025/26 Vertu Trophy is taking place tonight with Plymouth Argyle travelling to the Memorial Stadium to take on Bristol Rovers.

Kick-off is at 7pm and both sides go into it low on confidence after recent runs of poor results in league action, with Argyle bottom of League One after losing 3-1 away to Huddersfield Town on Saturday while Rovers are 17th in League Two following a 1-0 home defeat by Gillingham at the weekend.

However, Argyle and Rovers both know they have already qualified for the last 32 of the Vertu Trophy because of their previous results in the competition this season.

You can read more of our Argyle stories from Plymouth Live by clicking HERE

The Pilgrims won 2-0 at home to Cheltenham Town and then thrashed Tottenham Hotspur U21s 6-2. A win against Rovers will see them finish top of Southern Group B.

However, the Pirates will pip the Pilgrims to first place by beating them tonight. They won 5-4 on penalties against Spurs U21s after a 4-4 draw in their first group game and then went to Cheltenham and defeated them 1-0.

The big breaking Argyle news this afternoon was that their former manager Derek Adams will be returning to the club as their new director of football.

Scroll below for all the latest updates from Chris Errington at the Memorial Stadium:

Key Events

Red card19:03

20:56Chris Errington

Full-time: Bristol Rovers 1 Argyle 0

Argyle are beaten after conceding a last-gasp goal when Luca Ashby-Hammond could not hold onto the ball after a corner was swung into the box and Kamil Conteh bundled the ball home.

20:54KEY EVENT

Rovers score in last minute

Rovers have a corner which Luca Ashby-Hammond tries to catch but drops and Kamil Conteh bundles the ball into the net.

20:50Chris Errington

Rovers on the attack

Rovers are doing nearly all of the attacking now. Fabrizio Cavegn has sent one shot wide and Ryan Howley has had a strike deflected behind for a corner off Matty Sorinola. We are now playing an extra four minutes.

20:44Chris Errington

Two Argyle changes

After a long wait standing by the side of the pitch, Argyle substitutes Jamie Paterson and Bradley Ibrahim are sent on in the 83rd minute for Tegan Finn and Caleb Roberts.

20:37Chris Errington

Just wide

Rovers go close to breaking the deadlock with a shot on the turn from Fabrizio Cavegn, which was not far wide.

20:35Chris Errington

Off target

Rovers midfielder Kamil Conteh shoots wide from 25 yards out. Still no Argyke substitutions even though they have been playing with 10 men since the second minute of the match.

20:31Chris Errington

Sorinola shoots too high

Caleb Roberts plays the ball into the path of Matty Sorinola and his shot from a tight angle flies over the bar.

20:29Chris Errington

Tolaj denied

Lorent Tolaj again looks threatening as he tries to create a shooting chance inside the Rovers penalty area but before he can take aim he is tackled.

20:21Chris Errington

Argyle looking to Tolaj

Lorent Tolaj tries to run onto a through ball from Bali Mumba and as he does so collides with Rovers' onrushing goalkeeper Brad Young. Referee deems it a 50-50 challenge and lets play continue. The Swiss striker is by far and away the Pilgrims' best scoring threat.

Meanwhile, Argyle goalkeeper Luca Ashby-Hammond has been booked for time-wasting at a goal kick restart.

20:15Chris Errington

Hopeful penalty appeals

Lorent Tolaj goes down inside the Rovers penalty area after a challeenge on him but no action is taken by referee Aaron Farmer. Tolaj is putting in a hard-working shift up front for Argyle and causing the home side a few uncomfortable moments.

20:08Chris Errington

Tolaj fires wide

Lorent Tolaj shows good strength to win the ball back inside the Rovers box and then sends a left-foot shot wide of Brad Young's near post.

20:06Chris Errington

The second half has started

Rovers have made two more changes with Shaq Forde and Alfie Chang on as half-time subs for Bryant Bilongo and Macauley Southam-Hales

19:50Chris Errington

Tonight's attendance

The crowd at the Memorial Stadium is 2,110 and includes 697 Argyle supporters.

19:50Chris Errington

Half-time: Bristol Rovers 0 Argyle 0

Argyle have played all but the first 90 seconds with 10 players after a red card for Kornel Szucs. Luca Ashby-Hammond made one good early save for the Pilgrims but has not been tested since then.

19:46Chris Errington

Added time

Rovers defender Clinton Mola heads wide after a cross from Jack Sparkes. We are now playing three extra minutes at the end of the first half.

19:44Chris Errington

Finn takes aim

The ball is played to Tegan Finn inside the Rovers box and the 17-year-old has a shot blocked by Jack Sparkes. Both goalkeepers have been rarely called into action in this first half.

19:41Chris Errington

Mumba and Finn pushing up

Argyle are not getting forward that much but when they do Bali Mumba and Tegan Finn are pushing up on either side of Lorent Tolaj to support the Pilgrims' striker.

19:35Chris Errington

Off target

Bristol Rovers captain Taylor Moore heads wide of the far post following a corner.

19:31Chris Errington

Ross cautioned

Argyle defender Mathias Ross is booked after indicating to referee Aaron Farmer that he should show a yellow card to Rovers midfielder Kamil Conteh for a foul on him.

Rovers have made their first substitution with Fabrizio Cavegn on for the injured Stephan Negru in the 30th minute.

19:20Chris Errington

Difficult playing conditions

The rain has eased for now but there is a strong wind swirling around the Memorial Stadium.

19:14Chris Errington

Argyle have plenty of fans tonight

19:10Chris Errington

Chance for Rovers

Luke Thomas has a fierce left-foot shot from the edge of the box which is tipped over the bar by Luca Ashby-Hammond.

19:09Chris Errington

How Argyle have reshuffled

After the red card for Kornel Szucs it is a 4-4-1 formation for Argyle

Ashby-Hammond

Sorinola, Mitchell, Ross, Dale

Finn, Roberts, Boateng, Mumba

Tolaj

19:03KEY EVENT

Red card

Argyle have defender Kornel Szucs less than 90 seconds into the game after he pulls back Bryant Bilongo around 25 yards out from goal and is shown a red card by referee Aaron Farmer for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Jack Sparkes takes the resulting free-kick and curls the ball over the bar.

19:00Chris Errington

Kick-Off

Referee Aaron Farmer gets the game underway.

18:54Chris Errington

'We are top of the league'

A good number of Argyle fans have made the trip to Bristol and they sing 'We are top of the league' as both teams walk out onto the pitch.

The Pilgrims are, of course, top of Southern Group B in the Vertu Trophy going into this final game.

18:52Chris Errington

The teams

ARGYLE: Luca Ashby-Hammond; Kornel Szucs, Mathias Ross, Alex Mitchell; Matty Sorinola, Malachi Boateng, Caleb Roberts, Bali Mumba; Tegan Finn, Owen Dale; Lorent Tolaj

Substitutes: Zak Baker, Jamie Paterson, Owen Oseni, Bradley Ibrahim, Bim Pepple, Joe Hatch, Sam Hayman

BRISTOL ROVERS: Brad Young; Macaulay Southam-Hales, Clinton Mola, Taylor Moore, Stephan Negru, Jack Sparkes; Kamil Conteh, Ryan Howley; Ruel Sotiriou, Bryant Bilongo, Luke Thomas.

Substitutes: Shaq Forde, Alfie Chang, Fabrizio Cavegn, Henry De-Long, Kian Hill, Tom English, Excel Iwhiwhu.

18:41Chris Errington

Hayman among Argyle substitutes

In the matchday squad for Argyle for the first time is first-year apprentice Sam Hayman. The central defender has been a part of the Greens’ youth setup since the under-14 level. The former Plympton Academy student featured for Ocean City before joining Argyle.

18:36Chris Errington

Setting the scene

18:18Chris Errington

Bristol Rovers team to play Argyle

More On

Plymouth Argyle

Derek Adams

Click here to read article