Argyle returned to winning ways, scoring three against AFC Wimbledon to secure a massive three points in the race for the play-offs in Sky Bet League One.
Alex Mitchell opened the scoring for Argyle in the first few minutes, before Alistair Smith levelled just after the interval.
Lorent Tolaj was on the scoresheet again, putting the Greens back ahead on 68 minutes.
Substitute Bim Pepple sealed the result just six minutes later when he converted from close range, making it 3-1.
Tom Cleverley opted to make a double change to the side that drew with Exeter City in the Devon Derby last weekend.
The first of which saw the return of Brendan Wiredu, the central midfielder’s first involvement in over a month, having been sidelined with an abdominal issue.
Jamie Paterson was the player to make way, along with Owen Oseni. Cleverley opted to change the forward line.
In came Caleb Watts, the versatile attacker featured just behind Tolaj at the top of the pitch.
This meant that it was Conor Hazard in goal, with an unchanged back four ahead of them containing Joe Edwards, Mathias Ross, Mitchell, and Wes Harding, from right to left.
Malachi Boateng started in midfield, extending his record of featuring in every league game for Argyle this season; he was alongside Wiredu.
Ronan Curtis flanked to the right, and Owen Dale played the same role on the left.
Lorent Tolaj made it three consecutive starts for the Pilgrims and was in search of his third goal in as many games. Watts played in support of the Swiss striker.
Within the first minute of play getting underway, Watts flashed a header just wide. This served as a warning to the hosts’ defence; Argyle were on the front foot from the off.
This early pressure told, the Greens took the lead after just five minutes, Mitchell converting a corner at the far post.
Curtis’ delivery caused chaos, with the ball bouncing off Boateng and through a crowd of bodies towards both Mitchell and Isaac Ogundere, who were wrestling.
The Argyle defender managed to just swing his leg around Ogundere and stab the ball goalwards, putting the Pilgrims ahead, a goal that their early play had deserved.
Wimbledon fought back with a chance of their own; Smith probably should have scored when Nathan Asiimwe picked him out in the box.
The midfielder had ventured forward and beat Mitchell in the air, but was unable to hit the target with his header.
Despite this, it was Argyle that was having the better of the play. Watts’ positioning and movement caused Wimbledon lots of issues; he often found himself on the ball with time and space to orchestrate attacking moves for the Greens.
To their credit, Wimbledon offered a threat on the counter, but lacked cutting edge in the final third. It was becoming increasingly obvious as to why Johnnie Jackson’s side had failed to score in any of their previous five games.
The threat was starting to become more prevalent as the half drew on; Johnson had a decent chance from a well-worked set-play that flashed narrowly wide of Hazard’s goal.
Argyle rode out a period of Wimbledon pressure and regained control of the match towards the end of the first period. Edwards thrashed a shot over the crossbar before Curtis and Watts had strikes saved by Nathan Bishop.
When referee Elliot Swallow blew for half-time, Argyle had the advantage, but there was certainly still work to be done in the second half. Despite falling behind early on, the hosts were battling hard to find a way back into the game, and did not look defeated yet.
There was a big chance for the Pilgrims to double their lead just minutes into the second-half. Dale burst forward, having been fed through by Tolaj, and did well to remain composed.
He slid a pass to Watts, who sat Bishop down but was unable to get the ball out of his feet in time to get a shot away, a golden chance spurred.
Wimbledon did not wait to make Argyle rue this missed chance; within moments, Smith had the ball in the back of the net to level the game.
The equaliser came courtesy of a James Tilley cross, which beat both Harding and Mitchell.
As they could not deviate the ball's path, it fell kindly to Smith on the edge of the six-yard box; he was on hand to just pass the ball beyond Hazard, into the bottom-right corner.
This goal was against the run of play, so the belief was still in Cleverley’s side that they just needed to continue as they were to find the back of the net once again.
Watts responded by thrashing the crossbar in the minutes that followed the goal; Dale also continued to look lively and cause problems down the left.
Cleverley turned to his bench in an attempt to try and alter the course of the game. Pepple was brought on for Watts, Matty Sorinola for Wiredu, who was potentially having his minutes managed.
The momentum that Argyle had eventually led to a goal; it was no surprise to see Tolaj back on the scoresheet.
It was quite an improvised finish from the striker; he lobbed Bishop with a volleyed toe-poke, an unconventional finish that perhaps caught the Wimbledon goalkeeper by surprise.
Credit must go to Harding, too, who did well to chip a pass into the goalscorer from a tricky angle on the edge of the box.
Just like that, the Greens were back in the lead. There was now just over 20 minutes between the goal and a potentially massive three points.
In the aftermath, Xavier Amaechi was introduced for Curtis, fresh legs on the right flank.
This goal had stung the hosts; they struggled to get back going and it looked as though if anyone were to score next, it would be Argyle.
Therefore, it was not a shock when the Pilgrims made it three just six minutes later.
Tolaj was scorer turned creator; he fed Dale down the left, who had found space in behind Smith. With the goal at his mercy, the winger did well to look up and spot Pepple in space at the far post.
The pass was well weighted and precise, carving its way through the recovering Wimbledon defenders to the Canadian. He had the simplest job of all, firing the ball into the back of the net and leading the celebrations with the jubilant Green Army behind the goal.
With his work for the day done, Tolaj was taken off to great applause. Julio Pleguezuelo came on to make his return from injury, his first involvement since late February.
Wimbledon did have a better spell towards the end of the game, but were unable to muster anything that really troubled Hazard in goal.
In fact, it was Argyle who had the better of the late chances; Pepple probably should have scored a header at the far post when he was well picked out by Amaechi.
The game ended 1-3; Argyle had responded exactly how Cleverley would have wanted them to after the Devon Derby, by picking up all three points in South-West London.
Results elsewhere went in the Pilgrims’ favour, as they ended the day in seventh, just two points behind Stevenage in the final play-off place.
This means that Tuesday night’s trip to Bradford City is even bigger than it already was; there is no room for error in the race for promotion back to the Championship.
AFC Wimbledon: 1 Nathan Bishop, 2 Nathan Asiimwe (29 Aron Sasu, 71),3 Steve Seddon, 4 Jake Reeves (capt) (37 Zack Nelson, 71), 6 Ryan Johnson, 7 James Tilley, 8 Callum Maycock (19 Osman Foyo, 80), 12 Alistair Smith, 30 Junior Nkeng, 33 Issac Ogundere, 36 Layton Stewart (16 Antwoine Hackford, 65). Substitutes: 20 Joe McDonnell (gk), 22 Riley Horan, 32 Kai Jennings.
Goals: Smith 51
Booked: Johnson 25, Seddon 75
Argyle: 1 Conor Hazard, 2 Mathias Ross, 4 Brendan Wiredu (29 Matty Sorinola, 61), 8 Joe Edwards (capt), 9 Lorent Tolaj (5 Julio Pleguezuelo, 85), 15 Alex Mitchell, 17 Caleb Watts (27 Bim Pepple, 61), 19 Malachi Boateng, 28 Ronan Curtis (10 Xavier Amaechi, 69), 45 Wes Harding. Substitutes: 21 Luca Ashby-Hammond (gk), 7 Jamie Paterson, 18 Owen Oseni.
Goals: Mitchell 6, Tolaj 68, Pepple 76
Booked: Tolaj 25, Ross 45+3, Wiredu 55
Referee: Elliot Swallow
Attendance: 8,736 (939 away)
