Owen Garvan scored twice and Kevin Lisbie once as the Blues defeated Plymouth 3-1 at Home Park. Craig Cathcart scored for the Pilgrims, while David Norris was shown the softest of soft red cards in the closing moments.

Norris returned to the side having been rested at Forest on Tuesday, coming into midfield for Tommy Miller. Kevin Lisbie replaced Pablo Counago with Jon Walters joining the former Colchester man as the Blues started 4-4-2.

Walters went close to putting Town in front in the third minute when the Town striker was inadvertently sent in on goal on the left of the area by a Plymouth defender. Walters struck a shot across Larrieu but off the post, the second time he had hit the woodwork in a week.

Plymouth's first effort came a minute later, Luke Summerfield hitting an effort which Richard Wright gathered comfortably.

Argyle ought to have gone in front in the ninth minute which Rory Fallon escaped down the left and sent in a low ball to the in-rushing Paul Gallagher. A goal looked certain but Richard Wright somehow managed to scramble across to block and then grab the ball.

On 12 referee Pat Miller showed the first of many yellow cards after Karl Duguid went in late on David Norris, much to the annoyance of a number of Town players who remonstrated with the ex-Colchester man.

Gareth McAuley joined Duguid in the book in the 20th minute for a foul on Fallon, although the Plymouth man appeared to have committed the initial offence as the pair tussled on the halfway line. From the resultant freekick, Fallon found himself unmarked but headed wide when he should have done better.

In the 24th minute, Volz was added to referee Miller's increasingly long list of cautions for a relatively innocuous foul, the official seeming to punish virtually any indiscretion with a card and appearing no happier than when he was awarding a freekick.

The Blues went ahead on 27. Walters backheeled the ball to Volz on the Town right, the full-back sent in a cross which bounced around the edge of the area until Owen Garvan unleashed a low right-foot shot which beat Larrieu to his left.

Craig Cathcart was cautioned for a foul on Alan Quinn on the half hour, then Walters played in Lisbie on the right of the Plymouth area but Larrieu was out quickly to save.

Town switched to 4-5-1 with Jon Walters taking on his wide right role before Rory Fallon was shown referee Miller's increasingly worn yellow card for a foul on former team-mate Norris.

Plymouth felt they should have been awarded a penalty in the 39th minute when Gareth McAuley was adjudged to have pushed Rory Fallon. Referee Miller decided the foul had taken place just outside the area, something which the Plymouth players and fans felt was very much not the case. Gallagher struck a low freekick past the wall but Wright made a fine save.

The referee's failure to award the penalty looked all the more important two minutes later when the Blues added to their lead. Lisbie laid he ball back from inside the area to Garvan on the edge of the box and the midfielder unleashed another right-foot strike which this time beat Larrieu to his right.

Just before referee Miller blew his whistle for half-time, Alan Quinn struck a shot which Larrieu did well to save.

Town were good for their lead at the break. Early on they were fortunate not to concede when Gallagher and Fallon missed good chances and later with the penalty decision, but overall the Blues were in control throughout, looking increasingly full of belief after scoring the second goal. The penalty incident saw the home fans boo off referee Miller, who had been unnecessarily generous with his yellow cards.

The Blues switched back to 4-4-2 for the start of the second half. Within four minutes of the restart they had added to their lead. Gareth McAuley sent in a freekick from deep, Jon Walters flicked on into the area where David Norris picked up the loose ball. The ex-Plymouth man cut in and was only prevented from scoring against his old club by a Larrieu save, the loose ball running to Lisbie, who stroked into the empty net.

The home side looked rattled by the third goal coming so soon after the break. On 51 Lisbie broke quickly and played the ball to Walters on his right on the edge of the area, the former Chester man slicing over the bar.

Owen Garvan picked up what was up to then the harshest yellow card shown by the referee when he took a freekick too quickly for the official. Veliche Shumulikoski sent the ball wide from 30 yards when the kick was taken to Mr Miller's liking.

Walters chipped over from 18 yards, then Marcel Seip was yellow-carded for the latest foul on David Norris by his old team-mates. Garvan whipped in a cross-shot, Larrieu doing well to push the ball out for a corner.

Jon Stead and Tommy Miller replaced Kevin Lisbie and Owen Garvan, Miller hitting a low effort through to Larrieu within moments of his introduction.

The home side pulled a goal back in the 80th minute when a freekick from the right was headed past Richard Wright by an unmarked Craig Cathcart.

Pablo Counago replaced Jon Walters for the final six minutes, prior to Craig Noone picking up his side's fifth booking for kicking the ball away in frustration.

David Norris joined him in the book on 85 for a foul on Duguid, perhaps revenge for the Plymouth player's earlier challenge, then David McNamee saw his side to six yellow cards and a £5,000 fine for a foul on Alan Quinn.

Referee Miller finally got round to the red card which had been inevitable in injury time when Norris was harshly penalised by the linesman for holding off a Plymouth player as he saw out time in the corner. The midfielder, back at Home Park for the first time since his move, appeared to kick the ball no more than a few feet away but referee Miller deemed this worthy of a second yellow card and a thoroughly unimpressed Norris was on his way.

But overall, the red card and the referee's generally woeful display - was the only negative in what was a hugely positive afternoon for Town. The Blues controlled the game from start to finish and deserved their victory.

There were a few moments of early nervousness when the home side had a couple of chances, but once the 2-0 lead was established the belief seemed to grow. After the third, Town largely sat back but always looked dangerous on the break and might have added to their lead.

Garvan will get most of the plaudits for his goals, but his central midfield partner Velice Shumulikoski put in what was probably his best display in a Town shirt, breaking down innumerable Plymouth attacks in their early stages and starting much of Town's best attacking play.

The Blues have now suffered only one defeat in their last nine games and today's victory helps gives a platform on which a climb up the table can now be built, starting on Tuesday when Charlton were at Portman Road.

Town: R Wright, Volz, D Wright, McAuley, Naylor, Shumulikoski, Garvan (Miller 73), Norris, Quinn, Walters (Counago 82), Lisbie (Stead 73). Unused: Supple, Bruce. Att: 12,294.

Photo: Action Images

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