Alessandra sends Swindon out

League One high-flyers Swindon crashed out of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy following a surprise 3-2 defeat at Plymouth Argyle.

Lewis Alessandra top and tailed a superb first-half performance from John Sheridan's League Two side with goals in the fourth and 45th minutes at Home Park on Tuesday night. Alessandra raced through to slot home from 20 yards past Town goalkeeper Tyrell Belford as Argyle flew out of the blocks. Plymouth pounced on a poor clearance from Belford to double their lead in the 23rd minute as teenage midfielder Tyler Harvey's inch-perfect pass enabled Dean Smalley to beat the offside trap and slot home. Argyle surged 3-0 ahead just before half time when Alessandra - playing alongside Smalley in the front two of a 4-4-2 formation - dribbled past Swindon skipper Nathan Thompson and cleverly beat Belford from an acute angle with a brilliant near-post finish. Swindon substitute Michael Smith pulled a goal back for Mark Cooper's side with a successful 72nd-minute penalty, conceded by Argyle right-back Kelvin Mellor when he fouled substitute George Barker. Another Swindon sub, Ben Gladwin, made it 3-2 in the 87th minute as Town piled on late pressure. In stoppage time, Luke McCormick made a sensational point-blank stop to deny Gladwin and former Pilgrim Jack Stephens smashed the rebound off a post as the Pilgrims progressed.