In-form Plymouth Argyle chase EFL Trophy semi-final with tough test away at Luton

Plymouth Argyle travel to Luton Town on Tuesday night with a place in the Vertu Trophy semi-finals at stake, and the chance to edge one step closer to Wembley.

It is Argyle’s first season back in the competition since reaching the 2022-23 final, where their hopes of lifting the cup were ended in emphatic fashion by Bolton Wanderers.

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The EFL Trophy, known as the Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is designed to give League One and League Two clubs the opportunity to compete for silverware and a Wembley appearance. 

Since 2017, the competition has controversially included Premier League academy sides.

The furthest any have progressed was in 2018, when Chelsea U21s reached the semi-finals before losing on penalties to Lincoln City.

Argyle themselves have never won the competition, coming closest in the aforementioned 2023 final before suffering a 4-0 defeat to the Wanderers. 

For head coach Tom Cleverley and his squad, the motivation to go one better remains clear.

The Pilgrims booked their place in this season’s quarter-final with a dramatic 3-4 victory over Bristol Rovers, sealed in the final minute by in-form forward Bim Pepple. 

The last time Argyle appeared at this stage, they won 0-2 away, also at Bristol Rovers, thanks to goals from Ryan Hardie and Ben Waine.

Standing in their way this time are familiar opponents Luton Town, with the sides having met four times in the past 18 months - Argyle winning three of those encounters.

The most recent meeting came exactly a month ago, on 24 January at Home Park, when Brendan Galloway scored the only goal against his former club.

Luton’s recent form has been mixed. The Hatters won back-to-back home games against Blackpool and Bradford but are now winless in three, including away defeats to Cardiff and Wigan, and a 1-1 draw with Burton at the weekend.

Their route to this tie was not without controversy. Swindon Town initially beat Luton 1-2 in the previous round, but were later removed from the competition for fielding an ineligible player, reinstating the Hatters and delaying this fixture by two weeks while the EFL completed its investigation.

With Northampton Town awaiting tonight’s winners in the semi-finals, the prize is already clear.

Cleverley has made no secret of his desire to take the competition seriously.

“I think the history behind the club not winning a national cup, and the motivation to be the first group to do that, is very motivating, but one step at a time,” he said.

“We’ve got a very tough opponent, who are a strong side at home, and we know the challenges that Tuesday will bring.

A final question for Argyle supporters, then, is tonight’s team selection.

The competition is often used to rotate squads and hand opportunities to younger players. 

With Argyle enjoying an impressive run of league form, Cleverley must decide whether to maintain momentum or shuffle his pack.

Goalkeeper Luca Ashby-Hammond has started all but one of this season’s Trophy fixtures, with Conor Hazard featuring only in the group-stage win over Tottenham Hotspur U21s.

There is also speculation over whether the four players who made appearances from the bench during Saturday’s victory against Cardiff (Sorinola, Ibrahim, Amaechi and Dale) could be handed starts.

What is certain is that Argyle will not approach the tie lightly. With Wembley now two matches away and history within touching distance, this is a night that could define their season.