YOUTH Alliance League leaders Plymouth Argyle signed off this year's fixtures with a 7-3 victory over Newport County at the Millennium Fields, which increased their lead over second-placed Portsmouth to eight points, writes Mike Sampson.

Argyle started the game well, deservely taking an 18th-minute lead with Joe Hatch converting Cole Gibbings' cross.

The lead was doubled, two minutes later, with the impressive Hatch flicking the ball on for Josh Bernard to curl his shot into the far right-hand corner of the visitors' goal.

A hectic four minutes was completed by Newport pulling a goal back, but it was back to normal service on 34 minutes with Hatch notching his second of the game.

The first-half scoring was completed when Caleb Roberts intercepted an attempted clearance to place his shot into the corner of the goal.

Argyle needed just six minutes of the second period for Sam Lord to spectacularly hook the ball over his shoulder and the advancing 'keeper.

To their credit, bottom club Newport hit back with two goals from Noah Preston-Watkins, but that was to be the closest they came to the Argyle score.

The young Greens simply went up a gear, with substitute Henry Donovan setting up Roberts for his second of the game before top scorer Freddie Issaka waded in with a seventh two minutes from time.

Argyle: Dan Holman, Lewis Colwell (capt), Cole Gibbings (Joel Sullivan ht), Cole Fisher, Jack Matthews, Jensen Ireland, Freddie Issaka, Caleb Roberts, Joe Hatch (Henry Donovan ht), Sam Lord, Josh Bernard. Substitute not used: Toby Haley.