Zak Rudden will still be disappointed after scoring his first goal for Plymouth, says manager Ryan Lowe

Plymouth Argyle boss Ryan Lowe reckons on-loan striker Zak Rudden will be disappointed with his performance albeit getting on the score sheet and notching his first goal for the club in the EFL Trophy match against Swindon Town on Tuesday.

The teenager joined Plymouth on a temporary deal from Scottish side Rangers during the summer with the aim of getting meaningful minutes on the pitch and convincing Steven Gerrard he deserves a spot in his first team. Rudden's season has been bothered by niggling injuries and he had struggled to give a good account of himself before playing Swindon this week, going scoreless in his first five games for Plymouth.

On Tuesday, though, he opened his account for the South Coast outfit, getting his head to Gary Sawyer’s cross to register his first Pilgrims goal and help the side to a 3-0 win. Despite making an impact on the game, the 19-year-old missed several other opportunities to find the back of the net, which is why his manager has claimed that he must be a bit displeased with his performance in spite of the goal.

“I’m pleased for Zak. He came down from Rangers after an injury and we threw him in at the deep end,” Lowe said (via HITC). “Then he got another little niggle. He deserved that goal tonight, he probably could have had a couple. I think he was disappointed with that.”

Rudden would do well to make the most of his Plymouth loan as Alfredo Morelos has made no secret of his desire to move to the Premier League while the seemingly indestructible Jermain Defoe just turned 37 and could be considering retirement. A spot could open up soon enough and impressing Gerrard is likely the prevailing thought on the young forward’s mind.

On the bright side, he’s off the mark and that’s also likely to inspire confidence for the future.

Meanwhile, the Pilgrims are currently 12th on the League Two standings after 12 games, having taken 16 points from their outings in the division. They will be facing Swindon in League action on Saturday and are 23/10 to win with Skybet, who have 21/20 odds on a Swindon win and 5/2 on a draw.

Fans can find a list of New UK online bookmakers for 2019 at Freebets.com if they’re looking to place punts on various sports this season and there are plenty of those to go around if League Two betting is the aim. Bet365 are offering 14/1 odds on Plymouth winning the league, with Crew at 9/2 and Swindon at 5/1. Exeter City’s chances stand at 6/1 with Ladbrokes and William Hill has Bradford City at 7/1.

With regards to promotion, Plymouth is 5/2 with Bet365, who have Crewe at 1/1 and Swindon at 11/10. Paddy Power has Exeter at 6/4, Bradford at 11/10 and Newport County at 9/4.

Lowe’s side aren’t considered relegation candidates, with Betvictor offering 40/1 on the possibility. The bookmakers have Morecambe listed as the favourites at 11/8 while Stevenage is at 7/4.