Tottenham Hotspur loan signing Oliver Irow scored on his debut for Argyle in the Carabao Cup second round tie at Home Park
Oliver Irow celebrates after scoring for Argyle in the Carabao Cup second round tie against Coventry City at Home Park on 25 August 2026 - Photo: Dave Rowntree/PPAUK
Oliver Irow celebrates after scoring for Argyle in the Carabao Cup second round tie against Coventry City at Home Park on 25 August 2026 - Photo: Dave Rowntree/PPAUK
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Tom Cleverley took a lot of positives out of Plymouth Argyle's 4-2 Carabao Cup second round defeat by Premier League side Coventry City at Home Park, not least the performance of his side's debutants.
Seventeen-year-old academy product Joe Mwaro made his first senior competitive appearance for the Pilgrims, starting at right-back before later switching to left-back as he played the full game.
Cleverley thought Mwaro was 'brilliant' and belied his young age with the assured way that he went about performing in front of the 14,000 fans inside the Theatre of Greens.
Read More:Argyle emerge with credit in defeat against Coventry
Read More: Argyle vs Coventry Recap: Greens beaten in six-goal Carabao Cup tie
There was also a debut for 20-year-old left-winger Oliver Irow, signed on loan from Tottenham Hotspur on Monday, and he marked it by scoring a well-taken goal.
Cleverley called Irow 'excellent' and highlighted the directness he brought to the team, while he was also pleased with back-up goalkeeper James Storer in his first game after Murphy Cooper had started the previous three matches this term.
Midfielder Tyreeq Bakinson also went straight into the side after joining from Leyton Orient as he began his second loan stint with Argyle, after his previous one in 2020.
The resilience of all the Pilgrims' players was put to the test as they fell 2-0 behind inside five minutes and it could have turned into a rout, but they dug deep and were able to make it a very competitive match.
They were able to battle back to 2-2 by early in the second half, only for Coventry to regain control with goals from Ephron Mason-Clark and a Victor Torp penalty.
Cleverley said about the game: "Entertaining. It's never the plan to concede two goals in the first four minutes, and that's something we need to address as a team.
"We showed a real solidity and resilience in pre-season when teams were in and around our goal, which we have not managed to take into the season.
"That's something we had to address last season, and we will do it because like I always say defensive records are what you can build success on.
"The reaction to that, and the quality we showed to make sure it was still a competitive game, we gave as good as we got for the next 85 minutes. I couldn't be happier with the players."
Irow cut Coventry's lead to 2-1 in the 21st minute when he was released down the left by a pass from Harvey White and cut inside Joel Latibeaudiere before shooting low into the net.
Joe Mwaro of Plymouth Argyle during the Carabao Cup second round match between Plymouth Argyle and Coventry City on 25th August 2026, Home Park, Plymouth, Devon - Photo: Dave Rowntree/PPAUK
Joe Mwaro of Plymouth Argyle during the Carabao Cup second round match between Plymouth Argyle and Coventry City on 25th August 2026, Home Park, Plymouth, Devon - Photo: Dave Rowntree/PPAUK
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Cleverley said: "I thought he was excellent on his debut. All the debutants I thought were really good - James in goal, Joe Mwaro and Tyreeq making his second debut for the football club.
"Oli gives us something different. He has got good pace, he's direct, he wants to take people on inside or out from that position and I was really pleased with his performance, like a lot of the lads."
Cleverley added about Irow: "In my opinion, he brings us something we have not got in the squad in terms of that directness and that pace. I have got good options now.
"Ronan (Curtis) was unused this evening. I thought Bim (Pepple) and Evo (Will Evans) had a real good impact, Caleb Watts first start of the season, Oli, Bradley (Ibrahim).
"In these forward areas, going from absolutely bare bones and four for four positions, now it's six or seven for four positions at the weekend (at home to Bradford City in League One on Saturday), and it's a nice problem to have."
Mwaro gained some exposure to the first team environment by travelling with the senior squad to their pre-season training camp in Spain and also played some of the warm-up matches ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
Instead of captaining Argyle under-18s in a 2-1 EFL Youth Alliance Cup defeat to Exeter City earlier in the day, Mwaro played against Premier League opposition in the evening.
Cleverley said: "I thought he was brilliant. You would never say that was his debut. How assured he looked, how physically ready he looked.
"I was really pleased with his calmness and quality on the ball as well. I thought as a team we showed more personality on the ball, moved for one another a little bit more.
"We played like a team who didn't have a little bit of tension in it, where against Stockport and Wycombe I felt we looked like there was a little bit of tension.
Tyreeq Bakinson of Plymouth Argyle after the final whistle of the Carabao Cup second round match between Plymouth Argyle and Coventry City on 25th August 2026, Home Park, Plymouth, Devon - Photo: Dave Rowntree/PPAUK
Tyreeq Bakinson of Plymouth Argyle after the final whistle of the Carabao Cup second round match between Plymouth Argyle and Coventry City on 25th August 2026, Home Park, Plymouth, Devon - Photo: Dave Rowntree/PPAUK
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"So that's the mentality we have to take forward into Saturday, take the handbrake off. I was pleased with a lot of things with the ball."
Bakinson had not played any first team football for Orient over the first couple of weeks of the season but but got in the first 74 minutes for Argyle against Coventry before he was substituted.
Cleverley said: "Tyreeq coming straight in and looking as assured as he did, I thought his performance was very good. He's going to be a key signing for us."
Like Irow, Bakinson had only one training session with his new team-mates ahead of the Carabao Cup tie but Cleverley had no hesitation in playing him at the first opportunity.
Cleverley said: "I think my experiences of doing that myself, sometimes you have no time to build up any nerves or 'I have got to impress on my debut'.
"You are in, you are thrust in at the deep end and the guys did great tonight. We are a little bit frustrated that we lost the game but a lot of positives to take."
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