Jake Jervis scored a brace of goals against Plymouth

Blues under 18's FA Youth Cup campaign was disappointingly brought to an end for another season after they were beaten 3-2 away at Plymouth Argyle.

Jake Jervis hit a brace of goals for Blues, but a hat-trick from Argyle's Jarred Stevens was enough to give the home side their fifth round victory.

Blues were immediately on the back foot when Argyle took the lead through Stevens with their first attack of the game after just two minutes.

It then became 2-0 midway through the first half when Stevens doubled his own and his team's goal tally with a well-taken low shot.

But Blues were soon back in contention when schoolboy Jake Jervis reduced the deficit just after the half hour mark with an angled effort.

Blues started the second half positively and their play was finally rewarded just after the hour mark when they were awarded a penalty after Jervis was tripped in the Argyle box.

The referee pointed straight to the penalty spot and the Blues youngster coolly stepped up and fired the ball home to notch his second goal and bring the scores level.

Unfortunately the parity lasted just a matter of minutes before the referee adjudged that Blues keeper Dean Lyness had hauled down Ashley Barnes and he awarded his second penalty of the evening.

With two goals already two his name Stevens was given the task of taking the kick and he made no mistake in sending the ball low past Lyness's right hand to win the tie for the home side.

Argyle will now host either Bristol City or Manchester City in the quarter final of the competition.

Academy manager Terry Westley

"It was a disappointing result to say the least," said Academy manager Terry Westley.

"We lost a marvellous opportunity to go through to the last eight of a great competition, because maybe because we didn't quite have the focus.

"If I looked at the two teams in comparison we should have won, but on the night Plymouth were better than us and they deserved to be in the last eight.

"It's not easy to travel the distance we did and play a game on the same day and I wouldn't use that as an excuse, but we know it's not easy even at first team level."

Turning to the mechanics of the game, Westley said: "We got off to the worst possible start after going a goal down within two minutes and then 2-0 down within 15 minutes and we've given ourselves a mountain to climb.

"We rallied and got back to some sort of organisation and what we were good at and got a goal back through Jake Jervis being put through by Dean Lea.

"It was 2-1 at half time and we knew if we defended well and were solid that we would make enough chances to get back in the game.

"After the break it panned out as we thought and we scored a penalty to make it 2-2 and looked like we'd be the only winner, because we were on top and in charge of the match.

"But after we scored we took a step backwards and relaxed for a five minute period a ball over the top wasn't dealt.

"Dean Lea has made a terrific save when he was one-on-one with their player but then in a moment of madness he's pulled the boy's leg back and it's a penalty and it's 3-2 to them.

"We've thrown everything at them in the last 20 minutes but their goalkeeper has made a couple of great saves for them and we've missed a wonderful chance right near the end and it wasn't to be."

Full time: Plymouth Argyle U18's 3 Blues U18's 2

Blues: Lyness, Rutter, Pearce, Joyce, Timmins, Moses-Garvey, Mutch, Ashley Sammons (O'Brien), Lea (Gradwell); Jervis, Sheldon (Hubbins).
Subs not used: Rowe, Preston.

Goals: Jervis 32, pen 63

Booked: Rutter, Lyness, Moses-Garvey.