Argyle 2
Fletcher 49, Gallagher 70

Sheffield United 2
Webber 63, Halford 72

YOUR heart goes out to the Pilgrims. It is not only points that have deserted them lately - Lady Luck, with whom Luggy has enjoyed an on-off affair for much of his career, also seems to have walked out on them.

They bust a gut to a man against former assistant-manager Kevin Blackwell's promotion-chasing side; they should have had a penalty after 20 minutes; they hit the woodwork; they had a goal chalked off.

Still they took the lead through new signing Carl Fletcher, who made a huge impact on debut and not just because he scored either, before a defensive cock-up allowed Sheffield United to level.

They bounced back to again take the lead with a sumptuous strike from Paul Gallagher, only to be pegged back within three minutes through Greg Halford's header.

You could, if you wanted, call into question many things about the club this campaign: what you cannot deny is that they clearly have the stomach for the relegation scrap they are in. It will serve them well for the remainder of this season.

Luggy had made four changes to his starting line-up, two in defence and two to the midfield, and those changes brought about a performance which, although not perfect, was not that of a side in the wrong half of the table.

Right-back David Gray's long-awaited home debut after his injury-interrupted loan move from Manchester United seven weeks earlier was overshadowed by the recall of fellow defender Chris Barker.

Barker was deployed, not at left-back, his position in 31 games this season, but as Craig Cathcart's partner in the centre, meaning Krisztián Timár and Mat Kouo-Doumbe were dropped.

Fletcher, borrowed from Crystal Palace after his club had beaten the Pilgrims 3-1 the previous Tuesday, was selected alongside Karl Duguid in a four-man central midfield bolstered by Jamie Mackie falling back from a forward role and usurping Jim Paterson.

Up front, Gallagher, architect of the Pilgrims' midweek goal, returned to partner Rory Fallon in place of Steve MacLean.

Sheffield United recalled Kyle Naughton to the defence, allowing the versatile Halford - he of the throw-in bombs - to move forward to the right side of a forward three.

There was no place for Chinese international Sun Jihai, who was replaced by the Italian Arturo Lupoli, one of five forwards in the United squad: three, loan signing from West Bromwich Albion Craig Beattie, former Torquay player Jamie Ward, and Billy Sharp, were on the substitutes' bench.

Captain Chris Morgan, who had been thought to be out for three games, made a surprise appearance in the centre of defence.

Argyle were certainly up for the fight and did not look like a team down on their luck, but referee Andy Woolmer soon reminded them that they were.

Woolmer, the man who sent Timár off earlier this season, waved away claims for one of the most obvious penalties ever seen at Home Park, denying the Pilgrims an early opportunity for a nerve-settler.

Woolmer was perhaps the only person inside Home Park who saw nothing amiss with Nick Montgomery's tackle from behind - and I use the word 'tackle' only in its loosest sense - that dragged Mackie to the floor as he raced on to Gallagher's pass.

Home Park was outraged and Luggy, sometimes unfairly criticised for lacking emotion, slung the bottle from which he had been sipping water on to the pitch in disgust.

Goodness knows what he would what he would have done had Arturo Lupoli's subsequent free header from Gary Naysmith's free-kick not been pouched by Romain Larrieu.

The slight felt by Pilgrims on and off the pitch had two immediately noticeable affects. It fired up the home crowd and players, and it ensured Woolmer looked favourably on Argyle's appeals in the next dozen or so 50-50 challenges. Small consolation.

He seemed reluctant to make the big calls, however. Having decided that Stephen Quinn had dived in the penalty box, he declined to bring forth a card. Instead, Fletcher, who had already looked more than capable of putting himself about, was obliged to point out to Quinn the error of his ways.

Having ridden their luck, United proceeded to ask questions of Argyle.

Webber was at the centre of three attacks, any of which, on another day, might have seen the Pilgrims fall behind for the fourth consecutive home game.

The first were shots from medium range that Larrieu dealt with fairly comfortably, but the Frenchman would have been well beaten if the former Manchester United man had got a stronger foot on Quinn's low driven cross from the left.

The Pilgrims, with Fletcher again much to the fore, responded positively, and, following a couple of long-range attempts, came within inches of taking the lead.

Fletcher found Alan Judge on the right flank with a superb crossfield pass and the Irish Under-21 captain, aided by Gray's defence-dragging run, cut inside and fired off a low shot that beat Paddy Kenny but rebounded back into play from the foot of the post.

If Argyle's incredible run of bad luck had followed its pattern of late, Sheffield United would have nipped down the other end and scored...with a low shot that went in off the foot of a post.

As it was, they negotiated their way to half-time without mishap.

They began the second in determined mood and already had a net-bulging strike from Mackie ruled out, for a foul by Fallon as he knocked the ball down, when they took the lead.

It came from a Gallagher corner on the left, swung in and helped on by Gary Sawyer, Tuesday's scorer becoming Saturday's provider with a header that Fletcher larruped home from a tightish angle.

Three question-marks followed: would Argyle, as has been their wont, sit back in defence of their golden goal? Would Fletcher, without a regular 90 minutes for so long, last much longer on a calf-sapping surface? Would Beattie, introduced as a substitute, have the same impact on debut as Fletcher?

United came back fighting, but were handed their equaliser when Larrieu, a contender for player of the season if ever there was one, and Barker, a contender for man of the match, combined to present Webber with free run on goal.

Larrieu's free-kick from his own churned-up penalty area was scuffed only as far as the centre-circle, where last-man Barker was caught by surprise. Webber nipped in for the ball, took it on, and ran in to slip it past Larrieu.

It would be wrong to say that heads did not go down. They did, however, stay that way for only a few seconds as Fletcher exhorted his new team-mates to re-group.

They did and soon led again. Sawyer was again involved, getting the ball in for Fallon to nod down for Gallagher to slam it home.

The lead lasted two minutes before Halford headed home from close range following Naysmith's deep cross.

This time, the Pilgrims did not falter, but took the match to their opposition right until the end, even to the point of throwing on non-league finds Ashley Barnes and Craig Noone.

Barnes went close to making a name for himself beyond the environs of Paulton when he just could not get a meaningful touch on the ball as it dropped to him in the six-yard box.

The Greens' shoots of recovery? It looked extremely like it.

Rick Cowdery

Argyle (4-4-2): 1 Romain Larrieu; 33 David Gray, 22 Craig Cathcart, 15 Chris Barker, 18 Gary Sawyer; 23 Alan Judge (3 Jim Paterson 73), 28 Carl Fletcher, 2 Karl Duguid (capt), 25 Jamie Mackie (24 Ashley Barnes 86); 14 Rory Fallon, 11 Paul Gallagher (17 Craig Noone 86). Substitutes (not used): 5 Krisztián Timár, 9 Steve MacLean.

Booked: Sawyer 15.

Sheffield United (4-4-2): 1 Paddy Kenny; 30 Kyle Naughton, 5 Chris Morgan (capt), 6 Matthew Kilgallon, 3 Gary Naysmith;4 David Cotterill, 17 Nick Montgomery, 28 Stephen Quinn; 2 Greg Halford, 9 Arturo Lupoli (19 Craig Beattie 55), 10 Danny Webber (18 Jamie Ward 73). Substitutes (not used): 11 Lee Hendrie, 24 Billy Sharp, 32 Leigh Bromby.

Booked: Webber 64, Morgan 87, Beattie 90.

Referee: Andy Woolmer (Northamptonshire).

Attendance: 10,044 (668 away).