Argyle 0

Sheffield United 1
Beattie 64

ARGYLE'S promotion credentials failed a stern test by Sheffield United, a Premier League side last season, as James Beattie's second-half header condemned them to a first home defeat in four matches.

In a game hampered by lousy weather, the Pilgrims threw three valuable points into the wind. They were not without their chances, but their efforts tended to fall into the too little, too late category.

United rode their luck, three times clearing from off or around their own goal-line from Péter Halmosi alone, and goalkeeper Paddy Kenny was their man of the match, but Argyle were not about the game enough in the early stages.

Argyle manager Paul Sturrock had selected the same starting 11 that he had for the Pilgrims' previous three matches, two big home wins against Barnsley and Colchester United and the 3-0 reverse at West Bromwich in between.

Jermaine Easter and Steve MacLean, who both scored in Tuesday's 4-1 ripping of Colchester, led the line, with Gary Teale and Halmosi on right and left flank, respectively, to provide the bullets.

Halmosi's compatriot Krisztián Timár made his last appearance for a fortnight, with a two-match ban (Scunthorpe and Bristol City) due to kick in after the final whistle, while former Blade Lilian Nalis skippered the side. When he later went off, the big Hungarian took the armband.

Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell, who began his management career at Home Park with the Argyle youth team, made just one change to the side that drew 1-1 at Ipswich in midweek.

That was on the left side of midfield, where David Carney replaced Chris Armstrong on a like-for-like basis. Lee Martin, the Manchester United winger who was on loan at Home Park earlier in the season, was an injury absentee.

A swirling wind - largely Devonport to Barn Park, with the Pilgrims in the first half - and a pitch which redefined the word 'bobbly' made for an error-strewn opening, although none of the faux pas led to a significant early opening.

Argyle had to be grateful for a trademark Timár sit-down, foot-in, tackle to stop Billy Sharp's run, and the Blades needed to be sharp to cut down Easter as he shaped to shoot from the edge of the box.

Whether it was the conditions or not, Argyle certainly did not bring their A game with them. In fact, you would have had to go a long way down the alphabet to unearth which game they had brought.

Sheffield United were unable to take advantage of the Pilgrims' profligacy, however, and Argyle got away with some horrific pieces of individual play. It seems unfair to isolate any particular cock-up, but Russell Anderson's defensive header under no pressure that went straight to David Cotterill was symptomatic of a below-par opening.

When Gary Naysmith was booked for time-wasting at a 25th-minute throw-in, it rather summed up the first quarter of the game. What watching Scottish (as in 'employed by Scotland') assistant manager Terry Butcher made of his countrymen's contribution was anyone's guess.

In spite of this, the crowd was as vociferously partisan as they have been all season in their welcome attempts to lift their team.

They were rewarded when Jimmy Abdou tried a pot-shot from range that was easily saved, and then when Easter, who had looked the keenest of a fairly blunt set of tools, drove into the box on the left, and cut the ball back into the danger area to bring about a desperate clearance from the opposition defence.

Sheffield responded with their first serious raid, as Gary Speed's little downward header forced Luke McCormick to scramble the ball away for a corner at the foot of his post.

As driving rain added to the general gloom, Argyle suddenly came alive and put the United goal under pressure from both sides.

First, Halmosi linked with MacLean to cut in off his left wing and send in a shot which Naysmith wasted no time in clearing off his own goal-line.

Then Teale got in on the act, again freed by MacLean's link-play, for a cross which went all the way to Halmosi at the far post. This time, his on-target shot was knocked away from danger by Chris Morgan.

From wanting the half to end as quickly as possible, the Green Army now did not want referee Andy Hall to find his whistle, but even though the Pilgrims were able to reprise the free-kick that brought MacLean joy on Tuesday, the teams went in deadlocked.

Argyle came out, now playing into the teeth of a rain-filled gale, and with a determination to work the ball wide. Free-kicks from left and right both fell within Timar's sphere but the big Hungarian could not find the touch the deliveries deserved.

In a game of few chances, Nalis, who could barely put a foot right in the first half, released Easter behind the Sheffield defence with a perfect pass.

Easter had the time, perhaps too much time, to choose how to finish, but never looked totally confident of beating Kenny, who parried his shot away for a corner.

Argyle forced the play and were caught on the break just after the hour when Speed initiated an attack that saw the Pilgrims stretched.

Cotterill made time for himself to measure the perfect cross for Beattie to head home, unmarked, from a couple of yards.

Luggy sent on Jamie Mackie and Chris Clark to pep up his side, and they helped open up the match, Clark allowing Halmosi to try his luck on the right flank and to help Gary Sawyer defensively.

It was not until Rory Fallon came on, and Argyle went 4-3-3, that the Sheffield goal came under threat. The big Kiwi set up Anderson, of all people, for a shot that hit Jimmy on its way through and was going in before Kenny snaked out a hand to claw it away.

Then Matthew Kilgallon completed a hat-trick of goal-line clearances from Halmosi when Mackie slipped a pass inside for a stinging shot from the Hungarian.

As Argyle chased the game, McCormick kept the scores level with a one-handed tip-over from Cotterill's long-range drive, but, with the game entering injury-time, Kenny was at it again, thwarting Mackie from close range.

Argyle (4-4-2): 23 Luke McCormick; 2 Paul Connolly, 5 Krisztián Timár, 21 Russell Anderson, 18 Gary Sawyer; 7 Gary Teale (6 Chris Clark 68), 26 Nadjim Abdou, 4 Lilian Nalis (capt, 14 Rory Fallon 75), 16 Péter Halmosi; 9 Steve MacLean, 36 Jermaine Easter (25 Jamie Mackie 65). Substitutes (not used): 15 Paul Wotton, 19 Marcel Seip.

Booked: Abdou 88, Sawyer 88.

Sheffield United (4-4-2): 1 Paddy Kenny; 26 Derek Geary, 5 Chris Morgan (capt), 16 Matthew Kilgallon, 3 Gary Naysmith; 12 David Cotterill, 15 Gary Speed, 18 Michael Tonge, 14 David Carney (19 Keith Gillespie 71); 6 James Beattie (9 Rob Hulse 82), 24 Billy Sharp (33 Ugu Ehiogu 90). Substitutes (not used): 8 Jon Stead, 13 Ian Bennett (gk).

Booked: Naysmith 25, Morgan 61, Hulse 88.

Referee: Andy Hall (West Midlands).

Attendance: 13,699 (away 671).