NEWPORT County AFC’s first outing in the Checkatrade Trophy this season was one they will want to forget in a hurry.

Warren Feeney’s men took a 1-0 lead into half-time at Home Park, before the Pilgrims hit back with four goals after the break.

The competition, now into its 34th season, probably hasn’t been under the microscope as much as it is now and those pleased the revamp it has been given are few and far between.

The decision to include academy sides from Premier League and Championship clubs in the tournament previously exclusive to League One and League Two teams has come in for a huge amount of criticism.

On top of the ‘category one’ clubs’ inclusion, this season’s trophy is starting off with 16 regionalised pools with four teams in each – if you can call Cheltenham and Blackpool being in the same group regionalised.

Last night’s crowd of 2,349, including 89 County fans, was perhaps more than most thought there would be at Home Park for the southern section Group B clash.

Both managers made half-a-dozen or so changes from the weekend’s League Two fixtures.

Exiles boss Feeney brought Jazzi Barnum-Bobb, Liam Angel, Tom Owen-Evans, Jack Compton, Ben Tozer and Jordan Green into his starting line-up.

Out went Darren Jones, Dan Butler, Joss Labadie, Mark Randall, Marlon Jackson and Sean Rigg.

Joe Day continued in goal and had very little to do throughout the whole of the first half, although Argyle did have the majority of possession.

The hosts did have the first chance early on but Jordan Slew’s effort was weak and went straight to Day.

The deadlock was broken 19 minutes in and the opening goal of the tie went to the visitors.

Jennison Myrie-Williams pulled the ball back from the by-line and Green, in need of a confidence boost, coolly slotted his shot past Vincent Dorel.

Plymouth got back on the front foot after going behind and only a couple of crucial interventions from Owen-Evans prevented the Pilgrims levelling things up.

On the other hand, Angel had a slightly shaky night at left-back before the break and then a centre-half when Dan Butler replaced captain Scot Bennett in the second period.

Nevertheless, County survived until the interval, though Paul Bignot, returning to one of his former clubs, escaped with just a yellow card when he clattered into Craig Tanner.

However, the game turned on its head in the second half as County folded.

First, Slew planted a textbook header past Day from a right-wing cross on 51 minutes, and soon after it was 2-1 to Plymouth when Jake Jervis ran onto a through ball and clipped a shot over Day with the help of a deflection off Tozer.

And it was 3-1 with 20 minutes left, this time defender Nauris Bulvitis stole in at close range to head in a free-kick that had been flicked on by Sonny Bradley.

If it hadn’t been for Day then the Exiles would have been on the end of a much heavier defeat, as Plymouth could quite easily have found the net several more times before the final whistle.

They did add one more with Tanner getting on the scoresheet in injury time.

County: Day, Bignot, Barnum-Bobb, Angel, Bennett (capt) (Butler 66), Myrie-Williams, Tozer, Owen-Evans, Compton (Rigg 74), Green, Parkin (Jackson 59). Subs not used: Dar Jones, Labadie, Daf Jones, Bittner.

Bookings: Bignot

Referee: Andy Davies

Attendance: 2,349 (89 County fans)