Bim Pepple sends Exeter City dig after Plymouth Argyle win | OneFootball

The Plymouth Argyle striker made sure to bask in the Devon Derby victory in the EFL Cup

Plymouth Argyle became the final side to book their place in the EFL Cup second round on Monday night, as they saw off Devon Derby rivals Exeter City at Home Park, with goalscorer, Bim Pepple, keen to remind the Grecians that Devon was green.

The Pilgrims had the better of things through 90 minutes, albeit in a game that lacked real quality, and heading into added time, the only real highlight was a red card for Exeter debutant Ethan Sutherland, 22 minutes after coming off the bench.

But two late goals, one from ex-Grecian Alex Hartridge and another minutes later from Bim Pepple, saw Tom Cleverley's side through, where they'll take on reigning Championship champions Coventry City at Home Park.

Bim Pepple sends Exeter City message after Plymouth Argyle win Devon Derby

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It was set to be quite a frustrating evening for Pepple, who, despite Plymouth's relative dominance in the game, didn't have any real clear-cut chances. The one he did fashion, which he finished well, was ruled out for a handball in the build-up.

Therefore, it was quite ironic that his goal at the end was one of the more peculiar ones seen in the EFL Cup's first round, as a comedy of errors from Luca Woodhouse and keeper Jack Bycroft gave Pepple an open goal to aim at. Even then, Woodhouse got back on the line, but swung and missed a rather tame effort from the Canadian from the edge of the box.

Taking to Instagram after the game, the Argyle frontman saw the funny side to the goal, but then couldn't stop himself from taking a dig at the Grecians with a caption that will delight Plymouth fans.

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"They all count 🤣🤣," he said. "Bizarre goal 😅. But another note...Devon is 💚💚💚💚"

Devon Derby win against Exeter City meant a lot to Bim Pepple

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You could tell during the game that Pepple was full of emotion, and the way he celebrated both his goal and the win after the game showcased that, too.

Despite Exeter being relegated from League One last season and Argyle finishing just two points off the play-offs, the Grecians took four points off Tom Cleverley's side, including a 2-2 draw at Home Park in April which, looking back, was vital in Plymouth missing out on the top six.

The 23-year-old spoke following the game about how he and his teammates saw this EFL Cup matchup as a way to get one back over their rivals after last season, with them being in different leagues.

With that chip off their shoulder, Plymouth can look forward to the League One campaign with hope and optimism that they can go one better than their play-off near-miss and secure a Championship return.

Bim Pepple's Plymouth Argyle loyalty will give Pilgrims fans hope heading into the new season

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Plymouth were left wounded when marksman Lorent Tolaj made what seemed to be an inevitable Championship move, signing for Bristol City. The focus between now and September 1 is to make sure that Pepple doesn't follow suit.

Pepple excelled in Tolaj's absence last season when the Swissman was injured in the early stages of 2026, and combined well with him once he returned. The Canadian ended the campaign with 16 league goals in just 23 starts.

It's clear that the 23-year-old has been earmarked to take the main scoring mantle from Tolaj this season, and his passion and energy for the derby, plus his comments after the game, will have given Argyle fans hope that he'll be sticking around past the summer window.

"It's a huge club, man, it's never a League One club," Pepple said in his interview with Sky following the game. "You come out here, it's sold out for a Carabao Cup tie.

"We just want to get the club back to where it belongs — Championship, minimum."

Pepple is a clear fan favourite at Home Park, and if he can make good on his goals to bring Argyle back to the second tier, he'll be even more adored in the stands than he already is.