Mid table-rivals Port Vale and Plymouth met with Vale trying to kick-start a late push for promotion.
Plymouth went straight for goal after 44 seconds when a free-kick floated in from the right by Lee Hodges was fumbled by Mark Goodlad under pressure from Graham Coughlan and lashed home by Micky Evans from 12 yards.
Vale managed to pull it back after 26 minutes when John Durnin crossed and found the head of Billy Paynter, who knocked it down for Steve Brooker to give the keeper no chance by putting it just inside the post Plymouth took the lead again in the 40th minute when a looping corner from the right by Paul Wotton was flicked on at the near post and fired into the net by Marino Keith from six yards The half time score didnÂ’t particularly reflect the the ValiantsÂ’ efforts but Plymouth took their chances and reaped the benefits.
After a long period of Vale possession Plymouth eventually managed to break towards goal in the 62nd minute, with David Norris collecting the ball on the edge of the area before striking a solid right-foot shot that Goodlad had to palm away.
Top scorer Wotton nearly made it 3-1 in the 84th minute when his corner almost curled into Goodlad's top right corner, if the keeper hadnÂ’t fingertipped the ball around the post Despite the ValiantsÂ’ best efforts they still couldnÂ’t claw a goal back even when Brooker looked to have lobbed Romain Larrieu from the right by-line in the 88th minute, but the ball bounced off the crossbar.
Paul Sturrock ,manager of Plymouth, didnÂ’t think it was a classy match, saying: "I was pretty disappointed, even though we got a early goal, however, I'm pleased weÂ’ve got the right frame of mind, having five games in 15 days coming up."