Relegation-threatened Plymouth came from behind to upset promotion hopefuls West Brom with a 2-1 win at Home Park.
Substitute striker Ryan Hardie’s late double snatched a first victory under new boss Miron Muslic and ended a 15-match winless league streak stretching back to November 1.
Plymouth gave debuts to new record signing Maksym Talovierov and fellow central defender Nikola Katic in a new-look back five.
Talovierov made an immediate impact, playing a superb cross-field pass to Tymoteusz Puchacz, whose thumping cross sped across the face of the West Brom goalmouth.
West Brom midfielder Alex Mowatt, latching onto a pass from Darnell Furlong, had the first shot on goal with a dipping drive from 20 yards that cleared the crossbar.
Argyle’s best effort of the opening half-an-hour came from Mustapha Bundu’s cross from the right which was headed goalwards by Callum Wright but the ball was deflected to safety by West Brom defender Mason Holgate.
A goalmouth scramble, eventually cleared by Talovierov, led to the ball falling to Albion winger Mikey Johnston, who forced the first save of the match from Conor Hazard, who needed two attempts to gather the ball.
With Albion applying pressure as the half ended, John Swift tried his luck from 20 yards but the ball flew wide.
Hazard made a double save to deny Torbjorn Heggem and Johnston after Mowatt’s 55th-minute corner was headed back from the far post by Holgate.
Hazard could only parry Heggem’s audacious bicycle-kick attempt but was able to hold onto Johnston’s point-blank follow-up shot.
Albion thought they had taken a 62nd-minute lead but Grady Diangana’s header following a corner was ruled out for offside.
West Brom substitute Issac Price smashed a first-time volley just over after the ball dropped to him on the edge of the Plymouth penalty area.
Substitute Jayson Molumby’s first meaningful contribution was turning skipper Jed Wallace’s cross past Hazard after he beat Katic to a loose ball down the right to open the scoring.
Callum Styles handled Plymouth sub Hardie’s shot from inside the box and referee Dean Whitestone immediately pointed to the spot.
Scottish striker Hardie sent Alex Palmer the wrong way to equalise.
Hardie doubled his tally with the winning goal in the 88th minute after latching onto a brilliant curling pass from Poland international Puchacz.
Hardie’s first attempt was charged down by Heggem, but the Scot made no mistake with his follow-up, planting the ball past Palmer and into the far corner from an acute angle on the right side of the penalty area.
