Town got back to winning ways as Plymouth were comfortably defeated 3-1. Jay McEveley opened the scoring with his first goal for the Blues, Jimmy Juan adding a second before the break. In the second half, Akos Buzsaky pulled one back from a freekick before Matt Richards settled it with a penalty.
Joe Royle made a number of changes from the side which drew 3-3 at Derby. As expected Dean McDonald dropped out as Town moved to a 4-4-2 formation with Nicky Forster returning alongside Sam Parkin.
Kevin Horlock was back in the centre of midfield alongside Jimmy Juan with Matt Richards moving to the left and Darren Currie coming into the side on the right. At the back, Jay McEveley took over from Fabian Wilnis who, after his poor display at Pride Park, wasn't even on the bench.
Town almost went ahead in the third minute. A corner was cleared to Matt Richards on the edge of the box from where he struck a shot which Sam Parkin flicked on towards goal, only for the ball to get caught under Nicky Forster's feet, a defender clearing before the former Reading man could gain control.
Plymouth's first strike of the game came three minutes later, Northern Irish international Tony Capaldi lashing a freekick from the right of the penalty area over the bar.
Micky Evans headed a Buzsaky cross weakly to Lewis Price on eight and two minutes later the Hungarian made a strong run through from halfway before hitting a shot which deflected wide. From the corner, Paul Wotton headed a good chance into Price's arms.
On 23 Kevin Horlock came close to finally opening his Town goals account. Jason De Vos flicked on a throw-in from the left and the former Swindon and Manchester City player hit a shot from a tight angle which Romain Larrieu pushed out of play.
From the resultant corner, the Blues went in front. Currie's kick was cleared to the edge of the box and Jay McEveley hit a low, first time shot which flew through a crowd of players and into the net. The goal, very much like Owen Garvan's against Southampton earlier in the season, was McEveley's first for Town and only the second of his career.
The Blues were holding on to possession and passing the ball around well with Jimmy Juan playing a key role. The Frenchman added Town's second goal in the 32nd minute, stooping to head home another whipped-in Currie corner at the far post and doing well to react to Jason De Vos's near-post flick.
Price saved from Buzsaky's edge of the area effort, then Parkin went wide from 25 yards on the left. The Town striker, booed by some fans during recent home games, was given the firm backing of the majority in the North Stand who sung his old Swindon "Super Sammy Parkin" song as well as another tune about his habit of scoring away and hoping he'd get his first at Portman Road at some point during the match.
In injury time, Buzsaky's corner from the left went over Lewis Price and hit the bar, but a goal would have flattered the visitors, Town thoroughly deserving their half-time lead, confidence clearly growing as the game progressed.
The third goal very nearly came in the opening minute of the second half. Matt Richards played in Nicky Forster, the striker taking the ball wide and losing out to a last ditch challenge when he might have got in an earlier shot.
The Pilgrims pulled a goal back in the 51st minute after one of innumerable perplexing refereeing decisions by Martin Atkinson. Kevin Horlock appeared to cleanly win the ball from David Norris five yards outside the penalty area but a freekick was awarded. Buzsaky, Plymouth's best player on the day by some distance, stepped up and got the ball up and over the wall and into the net to Price's right.
Four minutes later, Town restored their two-goal lead. Jimmy Juan battled with a number of defenders just outside the Plymouth area, eventually getting the ball to Sam Parkin who headed it into the path of Nicky Forster. The former England U21 international ran through on goal until he was upended by the advancing Larrieu.
Referee Atkinson took his time before pointing to the spot and booked Paul Connolly for his overzealous complaints at the decision. Perhaps surprisingly, the ball was handed to Matt Richards, but the midfielder made no mistake from the spot, putting his left-foot shot low to Larrieu's right, the keeper going the wrong way.
The Town support felt referee Atkinson might have reached for his cards again on the hour when Micky Evans went in very late, knees first on Lewis Price who required treatment for a rib injury. Typically, the referee failed to even regard the incident as a foul when a more competent official might have shown Evans a red card. While Price was receiving attention, Dean Bowditch replaced Nicky Forster.
A number of the Plymouth players were losing their cool with Buzsaky taking a kick at Sito as the Spaniard played a ball back to Price and Chadwick going in late on Richards. Currie was on the end of another late tackle soon after and required treatment for an ankle knock.
Buzsaky volleyed over from 30 yards, before Parkin received a yellow card for an innocuous foul, a challenge certainly less deserving of a booking than a number of earlier fouls, particularly Evans's on Price. On 76 Ian Westlake replaced Matt Richards, both players receiving warm ovations from the crowd.
Norris shot across the face of goal after Evans had taken another wrongly awarded freekick quickly, the Plymouth striker having very evidently slipped to the ground without any intervention from Horlock.
The ex-Northern Ireland international became the second Town player to enter referee Atkinson's book for a foul on Buzsaky. Decisions had regularly appeared to go against the Blues and the award of a Town freekick in the 85th minute was greeted by wild ironic cheering from the home support.
As time ran out, Sito shot over from 25 yards, then Dean Bowditch miscued wide. Plymouth's final chance fell to Capaldi, Lewis Price parrying his 25-yard effort before claiming at the second attempt.
A much better home display from the Blues, with the improvement seen in the second half at Brighton and at Derby continuing. Town passed the ball around very slickly at times with Jimmy Juan and Matt Richards again amongst the key performers, while the returning Kevin Horlock did well in the holding role.
Richard Naylor and Sito were once again the pick of the defenders, while Jay McEveley's distribution was less wayward than in previous games and he took his goal well.
Sam Parkin looks to be getting to grips with Championship football and a home goal can't be too far away. Nicky Forster's intelligent runs and pace gave the Plymouth defence trouble, while Darren Currie's set-pieces and crossing continue to be Town's biggest goal threat.
Plymouth were amongst the poorer sides Town have met this season, but the Blues rarely looked in danger of dropping points and were well worth their win.
Town: Price, Sito, McEveley, Naylor, De Vos, Horlock, Juan, Richards (Westlake 76), Currie, Parkin, Forster (Bowditch 60). Unused: Supple, Magilton, Proudlock. Att: 23,083.