Argyle got their first Vertu Trophy points of the season, and Lorent Tolaj grabbed his first two Argyle goals, on a satisfactory Tuesday evening at Home Park. 

Goals from the Swiss striker book-ended the first half, and the Greens cruised to victory to win the first of three group-stage games. 

Head Coach Tom Cleverley, seeking a victory to give a boost to his squad, only changed four of the side that started Saturday’s 4-0 loss against Cardiff. Into the team came Joe Edwards, Owen Oseni, Joe Hatch and, making his Argyle debut, Mathias Ross. 

Thirty seconds into the game, Hatch latched onto a ball 45 yards or so out, and was hacked down by Cam Walters, who earned that rarest of beasts, a first-minute booking. From the resultant free-kick, Hatch headed onto the roof of the net. 

Sometimes, in these games, patience is a Vertu, but Argyle took the lead inside five minutes and the result was never in any subsequent doubt.

Some patient build-up play, Argyle keeping the ball deep into Cheltenham territory for an extended period, eventually saw Tolaj drive into the box and strike low and hard, through the goalkeeper, and into the net for his first goal in green. 

Goal two came bang on the 45-minute mark, to the second. Ibrahim played a part in starting an attack, which saw Sorinola thread a ball for Tolaj to run on to. From just inside the area, on the left, Tolaj put his left foot through it, and the power of the shot, plus a healthy deflection, took the ball past Diallo, with the aesthetic of the ball going in via the crossbar giving the goal an extra gloss. 

In between, Argyle dominated in almost complete totality. Their full backs, Matty Sorinola and Edwards, had six first-half shots between them. Sorinola’s first was deflected not far wide, and Edwards pinged one of his not too far off target from range, before Hatch started an attack that ended when he picked out Sorinola, who saw his low, on-target effort shovelled wide.  

Hatch had a busy half. He probably should have scored when following up on a Tolaj shot that was parried out, but he was a constant presence, full of running, playing on the left side of Argyle’s attack. 

For all of Argyle’s dominance in the first period, the Robins had the best two chances of the first ten minutes following the half-time interval, both falling to Josh Martin, who whistled just over and just wide, in turn. 

Largely, the second half was a non-event. Argyle pretty much had things in the bag, and other than another Sorinola long-range effort, and a Bali Mumba shot saved by Diallo at his near post, the game seemed to be petering out. 

Former Exeter City defender Scot Bennett came on as a 77th-minute substitution, and in the 79th minute he was hauling down Bim Pepple in the penalty area, and earning a red card for his troubles. Pepple, though, had his spot-kick saved by Diallo who, while at fault for the first goal, had grown in confidence as the evening went on. 

Sorinola had a shot saved at the near post as Argyle looked for a late one to round of the scoring, and substitute Kornel Szucs blocked a Tom King effort at the other end to ensure the sheet stayed clean. 

Argyle: 21 Luca Ashby-Hammond, 2 Mathias Ross (6 Kornel Szucs, 63), 4 Brendan Wiredu, 8 Joe Edwards (capt, 14 Ayman Benarous, 63), 9 Lorent Tolaj (27 Bim Pepple, 55), 11 Bali Mumba, 18 Owen Oseni, 19 Malachi Boateng (24 Caleb Roberts, half-time), 23 Bradley Ibrahim, 29 Matty Sorinola, 38 Joe Hatch (39 Tegan Finn, 68). Substitutes: 13 Zak Baker (gk), 17 Caleb Watts. 

Goals: Tolaj 5, 45

Booked: Edwards 49, Wiredu 84

Cheltenham Town: 41 Mamadou Diallo, 3 George Harmon, 14 Ryan Broom (capt), 16 Josh Martin (2 Arkell Jude-Boyd, 74), 20 Jake Bickerstaff (10 George Miller, 73), 24 Sam Sherring (8 Luke Young, 64), 28 Tommy Backwell, 30 Freddie Willcox (29 Tom King, 64), 38 Harry Tustin, 39 Cam Walters (17 Scot Bennett, 77), 42 Mark Barber. Substitutes: 1 Joe Day (gk), 9 Lee Angol. 

Sent off: Bennett 79

Booked: Walters 1, Tustin 68

Attendance: 3,726 (64 away)

Referee: Ross Martin