The Pilgrims are into the quarter-finals of the Vertu Trophy after a 4-3 victory at the Memorial Stadium
21:52, 13 Jan 2026Updated 01:26, 14 Jan 2026
Bim Pepple celebrates scoring Argyle’s late winning goal in their 4-3 Vertu Trophy round of 16 tie against Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium on January 13, 2026 – Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK(Image: )
An exciting action-packed Vertu Trophy tie ended in a 4-3 victory for Plymouth Argyle over Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium after a dramatic added time winning goal from substitute Bim Pepple.
It leaves the Pilgrims only two more wins away from reaching the final at Wembley, just as they did the last time they took part in the competition in the 2022/23 season.
Argyle took the lead on three occasions during the round of 16 clash against Rovers but a penalty shoot-out was on the cards to decide the winning side until Pepple scored in the fourth minute of added time.
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It was also a night which saw head coach Tom Cleverley sent-off for the second time this season, as he received a red card from referee Alex Chilowicz on the stroke of half-time.
Argyle had opened the scoring in only the second minute through Cale Watts but Rovers led 2-1 at the break after hitting back with goals from Shaq Forde and Fabrizio Cavegn.
The Pilgrims then surged back into the lead with two goals inside the opening four minutes of the second period as substitute Brendan Galloway and top scorer Lorent Tolaj were both on target.
However, the drama was far from over as Luke Thomas equalised for Rovers in the 61st minute and it stayed at 3-3, despite further chances at both ends, until Pepple struck to send Argyle into the quarter-finals.
Argyle’s newest signing Ronan Curtis went straight into the starting line-up for the Vertu Trophy tie, after completing a transfer from Port Vale at the weekend.
Curtis was one of six changes for the Pilgrims from their previous game, the 3-0 League One win against Burton Albion at Home Park on January 4.
Also coming into the side were goalkeeper Luca Ashby-Hammond, centre-back Mathias Ross, left-back Matty Sorinola, midfielder Brendan Wiredu and Watts, who was paired up front with Tolaj.
Curtis slotted into the team in the wide left midfield role vacated by Bali Mumba, who was on the verge of completing a transfer to Huddersfield Town for a fee in the region of £1 million.
Julio Pleguezuelo was ruled out by a calf injury while the quartet of Conor Hazard, Galloway, Joe Ralls and Pepple dropped down to the substitutes’ bench.
It was the first Argyle appearance for Ashby-Hammond since their previous meeting with Rovers in the Vertu Trophy this season.
That was a Southern Section Group B game, also at the Memorial Stadium, nine weeks earlier, when Rovers won 1-0 after a last-gasp goal from Kamil Conteh after Ashby-Hammond could not hold onto the ball from a corner.
Rovers replaced Darrell Clarke as their head coach in December with the very experienced Steve Evans, with the game against Argyle his fifth since taking charge.
The Pilgrims wasted little time in getting the opening goal of the game as Watts netted in just the second minute.
Tolaj got on the ball inside the Rovers box and played it back to Xavier Amechi, who miscued his shot but it went straight to Watts and he slotted home.
The Rovers’ bench were loud and vocal in claiming that Watts should have been flagged offside but the goal stood and Argyle had a very early advantage.
There was a threatening break from Rovers soon afterwards and a low cross-shot from Jack Sparkes flashed across the face of goal, just out of the reach of Cavegn.
Argyle had the next chance when Amaechi curled a free-kick into the Rovers penalty area but the ball hit the Swiss striker on the shoulder rather than his head and it went wide of the goal.
Argyle striker Lorent Tolaj battles for the ball with Bristol Rovers defender Taylor Moore during the Vertu Trophy tie at the Memorial Stadium on January 13, 2026 -. Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK(Image: )
Sparkes was proving to be a good attacking outlet for the hosts at left-back and he went close to an equaliser when he broke forward and sent a low strike just past the outside of the far post.
Tolaj had a shot on the turn blocked behind for a corner by Rovers captain Kilgour, and moments later a looping header from Wiredu was easily caught by goalkeeper Luke Southwood.
Rovers then drew level in the 21st minute after a good break down the left from Cavegn and his low cross was placed to perfection as Forde arrived at the far post to slot home.
Argyle had been warned earlier about Rovers’ threat on that side of the pitch but they had not taken heed of that and their lead had gone.
It continued to be an evenly-contested game, with an offside flag coming to the rescue of the Pilgrims after Curtis lost possession in a very dangerous defensive position but Rovers did not make the most of the opening.
Rovers did take the lead in the 39th minute, though, after a swift break from inside their own half after Sorinola was tackled close to the touchline and lost the ball.
The move ended with Kamil Conteh playing the ball across to Cavegn, who checked back inside and beat Ashby-Hammond with a low right-foot shot from 20 yards out.
There was controversy in the closing seconds of the first half when Chilowicz initially awarded a free-kick to Argyle after Tolaj challenged for the ball with Kilgour.
The referee was about to produce a yellow card for Kilgour but after consulting with his assistant a few yards away he changed his decision and gave the free-kick to Roberts instead.
Chilowicz gave a lengthy explanation to Argyle captain Joe Edwards but before play resumed the referee went across to the away technical area and showed a yellow card to Cleverley.
That was followed only a few seconds later by a red card for the Pilgrims’ boss, who was sent-off for the second time this season after his previous dismissal in the 3-2 League One win at Luton Town in September.
Galloway was a half-time substitute for Argyle as he took over from Sorinola at left-back and, almost immediately, the Zimbabwe international equalised with a far post finish after a well-flighted 46th minute corner from Curtis.
Rovers’ Luke Thomas had a strike from inside the Pilgrims’ well blocked by Wiredu before Argyle took a 3-2 lead in the 49th minute.
Curtis came up with his second assist as his cross from the left was steered into the net by Tolaj for his 15th Pilgrims’ goal of the season and the fourth in the Vertu Trophy.
Isaac Hutchinson sent a shot just over the bar from 20 yards as Rovers tried to come up with a response to Argyle’s blistering start to the second half.
Pepple was sent on as a 59th minute substitute for Watts before the home side drew level again at 3-3 just after the hour mark.
A challenge on Galloway inside the Argyle penalty area went unpunished as the defender ended up on the ground and the ball broke to Thomas, who drilled a left-foot shot into the net.
Argyle midfielder Malachi Boateng was yellow-carded a short while later for a foul on Thomas and the resulting free-kick almost led to a fourth goal for Rovers.
The ball was played into the penalty area by Sparkes and his powerful close range header was parried away by Ashby-Hammond.
Argyle made a third substitution in the 72nd minute when Ralls replaced Wiredu in central midfield before Ashby-Hammond made a good low save at his near post after an angled drive from Cavegn.
The tie hung in the balance as it went into the closing stages, with one threatening break from Tolaj into the Rovers box being halted by an excellent tackle by Thomas.
Former Bristol City attacker Jamie Paterson was an 82nd minute substitute for Amaechi, and Pepple sent a late diving header off target after Ralls curled a free-kick into the Rovers’ box.
A penalty shoot-out looked likely to be needed to decide the outcome of the tie until Argyle regained the lead in the fourth minute of added time.
Curtis came up with his third assist of the second half when he raced clear down the right and put in an excellent low cross which was slotted home by Pepple.
ARGYLE: Luca Ashby-Hammond; Joe Edwards, Mathias Ross, Alex Mitchell, Matty Sorinola (Brendan Galloway h/t); Xavier Amechi (Jamie Paterson 82 mins), Malachi Boateng, Brendan Wiredu (Joe Ralls 72 mins), Ronan Curtis; Caleb Watts (Bim Pepple 59 mins), Lorent Tolaj.
Substitutes (not used): Conor Hazard, Kornel Szucs, Tegan Finn.
BRISTOL ROVERS: Luke Southwood; Joel Senior (Kofi Balmer 82 mins), Taylor Moore, Alfie Kilgour, Jack Sparkes; Kamil Conteh, Tom Lockyer, Isaac Hutchinson (Ryan De Havilland 75 mins); Shaq Forde, Fabrizio Cavegn, Luke Thomas (Ellis Harrison 82 mins) .
Substitutes (not used): Brad Young, Clinton Mola.
REFEREE: Alex ChilowiczATTENDANCE: 2,548 (945)
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