Gritty Pilgrims dig deep to eke out a much-needed win

HERE are the player ratings of Herald Sport's Argyle reporter Chris Errington from the Pilgrims' 1-0 Vertu Trophy round of 32 win away to Leyton Orient at Betwright Stadium.

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Luca Ashby-Hammond 7 - Argyle's backup goalkeeper was given the chance to get some more game time in the Vertu Trophy and he took the opportunity well. He made one terrific save late in the second half after pushing out an initial shot. His distribution of the ball with his feet over both short and long distances was very good.

Joe Edwards 7 - It has been such a stop-start time of late for the 35-year-old club captain due to injuries. Hopefully, this return to the team - and it was a good one at that, full of commitment and energy - will see Edwards kick on from now for the rest of the season.

Julio Pleguezuelo 7 - A long-awaited first appearance of the campaign for the Spaniard after his recovery from a knee operation in the summer. The plan was always for him to just to play the first half and that is what he did, coming through it without any issues, which is great news for Argyle.

Mathias Ross 7 - Has had a bit of an up and down time of it lately, much like the rest of the team to be fair, but in this match he was strong and decisive with his defending, and composed on the ball. More of the same from him would be a massive benefit for the Pilgrims.