Steve MacLean seemed likely to be the outsider when it came to winning the race to become one of Plymouth Argyle's first-choice strikers this season. That may no longer be the case.

The Scotsman is the Pilgrims' record signing, having cost £500,000 when he was bought from Cardiff City in January 2008, but he has rarely been seen at his best in an Argyle shirt and he spent the second half of last season away on loan to Aberdeen.

Plymouth have too many players for their financial comfort as they go into the new npower League One campaign, which starts tomorrow week, and they need to shed staff. MacLean was expected to be a prime candidate for another outbound transfer – especially after manager Peter Reid made public criticisms of his work-rate during Argyle's first pre-season friendly this summer – but he did his chances of finding favour with the Pilgrims no harm on Wednesday evening.

The 27-year-old was sent on as a substitute in place of Rory Fallon at the start of the second half of Argyle's pre- season friendly at Hereford United. In his first 15 minutes on the Edgar Street pitch, he was denied by goalkeeper Dan Connor when he met a cross by Onismor Bhasera with a firm downward header – and he scored the only goal of the game with a close-range header after Connor had parried a shot by the lively Bhasera.

Reid was glad to see Fallon gain his first taste of Argyle match practice this summer, after his World Cup exploits for New Zealand, and to see MacLean prove his worth.

"I'm glad Fallon got 45 minutes and, to be fair, I thought MacLean did all right. He retained the ball, and he looked dangerous," the Argyle manager said.

"Strikers are paid to get goals, and to get in the box. It was a good save [to thwart Bhasera], but he [MacLean] was on the move. That's the sign of a decent striker. It was an opportunist's goal, and he took it well."

According to Reid, MacLean has responded to the advice he was given earlier this month. The Pilgrims' boss did not rule out picking the Scotsman to play at Southampton in the League One opener tomorrow week. "I think he has lost a bit of weight, I've got to say that," Reid added. "If he keeps sticking it in the back of the net, he's got a chance, hasn't he? He's knocking on the door."

MacLean has form when it comes to doing well in League One. Reid said: "He has been prolific at this level in the past for Sheffield Wednesday, and we didn't score enough goals last season."

The Argyle manager cannot afford to ignore approaches for any of his players. Reid added: "If people come in with offers, I've got to look at them. I know I've got to get the wage-bill down so I can bring in other people. That's the nature of football.

"At the moment, though, nobody has come in for Steve, and I'm certainly not ruling him – or anybody else – out of my plans."

Bhasera also boosted his chances of starting at St Mary's in the League One opener. The Zimbabwean thrived at left-back in the first half at Hereford, and on the left of midfield in the second half. "I was pleased with Bhasera down the left-hand side," Reid added. "I thought he was smashing. I thought Luke Summerfield [a half-time substitute in midfield] did well when he came on as well. I wanted a bit more support for the front men in the second half, and we got that. I was pleased with Krisztian Timar, too."

The Hungary international centre-back was another half-time substitute at Edgar Street. "He looked good," Reid added. "We're looking particularly strong at the back, I've got to say that.

"Any team with a decent defence that doesn't concede many goals has got a chance. We need a bit more quality on the ball, and we need to support the front men a bit more, but we're improving."

Striker George Donnelly will play no part in Argyle's squad in the first half of the season. Having scored four goals in 19 League One games for Stockport County at the end of last term, he started another loan stay with the Edgeley Park outfit yesterday. The 22-year-old will spend six months with the Hatters, who are now in League Two.

Argyle's first home game of the season will be against Notts County in the first round of the Carling Cup on August 10. They will not be able to pick Rory Patterson or Joe Mason that evening.

Patterson will be part of Northern Ireland's squad for an international friendly away to Montenegro the following evening. Mason is in the Republic of Ireland squad for a European Under-21 Championship qualifier against Estonia in Dublin on August 10.