Bim Pepple netted a last-gasp winner in a seven-goal thriller against Bristol Rovers in the Vertu Trophy.
The Greens took an early lead through Caleb Watts before Rovers pegged them back, Shaq Forde the scorer.
Fabrizio Cavegn finished well to give his side the lead, before a quick-fire Argyle double at the start of the second-half, courtesy of Brendan Galloway and Lorent Tolaj, flipped the game on its head.
Luke Thomas levelled the game once again just after the hour mark; however, it would be substitute Bim Pepple that would steal the show, netting a stoppage-time winner to send Argyle into the quarter-finals.
Tom Cleverley opted to make a multitude of changes to the side that beat Burton Albion comfortably at Home Park just over a week ago.
These included a change in goal; Luca Ashby-Hammond started between the sticks, as he has done in all but one of Argyle’s Vertu Trophy fixtures this season.
Elsewhere, Ronan Curtis made his debut for the Greens, having permanently transferred from Port Vale just three days prior.
Watts made his first start since mid-September’s victory away at Luton Town, having been sidelined for months with a hamstring issue.
In addition, Mathias Ross returned to the side, fresh from scoring against Burton last time out. Matty Sorinola and Brendan Wiredu were also given starts.
That meant that, for the Pilgrims, it was Ashby-Hammond in goal, with a back four ahead containing Joe Edwards on the right, Sorinola on the left, and Ross partnered with Alex Mitchell in the centre.
The two holding midfielders were Malachi Boateng and Wiredu; they were flanked by Xavier Amaechi on the right and debutant Curtis on the left.
Leading the line was Pilgrims’ top scorer Tolaj, who was supported in attack by Watts, playing just off him.
It took only two minutes for Argyle to find the opening goal, Watts scoring for the first time in over four months.
The goal came after Tom Lockyer got the ball caught under his feet during Rovers’ build-up play, resulting in a panicked, misplaced pass to Tolaj in a dangerous area. Taylor Moore was unable to prod the ball away from the Argyle striker, who was advancing toward the byline.
Tolaj cut it back to the onrushing Amaechi, whose scuffed shot turned into a great assist for Watts; he was able to just pass the ball beyond Luke Southwood to give the Pilgrims the lead.
It did not take long for the hosts to respond with a chance of their own. Thomas burst down the left flank and sent a teasing low ball across the Greens’ penalty area.
Thomas continued to be involved in everything good that Rovers did, this time coming in-field to receive the ball, and then spraying it wide to Jack Sparkes, who saw a driven effort flash just wide of the far post.
It was an end-to-end game, which the hosts would be the next to profit from, Forde finishing off an impressive Rovers move.
Sparkes received the ball in his left-back position and curled it down the line to Cavegn, who had pulled wide to fill the space once again vacated by Thomas.
The Swiss striker looked up and sent in an excellent low cross beyond both Mitchell and Sorinola to find Forde, who was ready to tap it in at the back post, levelling the game.
Argyle were too pedestrian on the ball in their own half, and Rovers were capitalising, Cavegn twice having chances, which he did not take, to test Ashby-Hammond in goal.
On his third chance, he did not hesitate, lashing the ball from the edge of the area beyond Ashby-Hammond at his near post.
Sorinola’s pocket was picked far too easily by Kamil Conteh in the centre of the pitch. The Rovers midfielder progressed the ball up the pitch and slid it across to Cavegn on the edge of the box.
The forward took a step inside on his right foot before finishing well, a goal the hosts’ pressing efforts had probably warranted.
Things got worse for Argyle just before the interval when Head Coach Cleverley was sent-off. It came after a decision which saw the referee award the Pilgrims a free-kick at the same time the linesman judged it the other way.
After some debate, referee Andrew Humphries agreed with his assistant and awarded Rovers a free-kick, much to the disapproval of Cleverley, who was dismissed for his protests.
As the second-half got underway, Argyle made their first change of the evening, Galloway coming on at left-back to replace Sorinola.
It was an immediate impact for the substitute, netting the leveller just a minute into the second half.
Curtis’ in-swinging corner was a wicked one, finding Galloway, who had peeled away at the far-post, who was able to volley the ball beyond Southwood relatively unopposed.
The Greens sensed the pendulum shifting and took the initiative, finding another goal to retake the lead just three minutes later.
Caleb Watts dropped into midfield, as he did on many occasions in the game, and skipped away from Lockyer before laying the ball wide to Curtis.
The debutant looked up and curled a cross beyond Moore to Tolaj, who didn’t make the cleanest of connections with the ball but still managed to divert it into the back of the Rovers’ net.
In the aftermath, Watts was taken off with his return to fitness still being managed, Pepple his replacement.
The Gas looked shellshocked after the Argyle equaliser, Cleverley’s side did well to take the initiative, flipping the game on its head just minutes into the second period.
However, Steve Evans’ side rallied well, continued to attack effectively, and found a way back into the game just after the hour mark.
It was no shock that it came down the Rovers left, Sparkes pushing on as he threatened to do so many times. The left-back crossed well towards Conteh, who had a coming together with Galloway, the ball then finding its way to Thomas on the edge of the area.
The winger managed to gain control of the ball before firing goalwards and finding the back of the net, levelling the game at three apiece.
The game continued in its end-to-end nature, Ashby-Hammond was called into action when Tom Lockyer headed goalwards, before Pepple was just ushered away from the ball when he looked destined to tap it in.
Joe Ralls and Jamie Paterson were brought on in the places of Wiredu and Paterson, perhaps in an attempt to add some experience with a penalty shootout looming.
Cavegn nearly caught Ashby-Hammond out when he shrugged off Edwards and raced in-behind the Pilgrims’ defence. Fortunately for Argyle, the 'keeper was alert to the danger and managed to make a decisive save with his legs to keep the scores level.
The game was sure to have one final twist, and it came in the fourth minute of stoppage time, when Pepple fired the ball beyond a helpless Southwood to win the game for Argyle.
Curtis received the ball on the halfway line and burst with all his might down the right wing, floating a cross beyond Kofi Balmer to Pepple, who had found a pocket of space in the Rovers penalty area.
After a good touch, the Canadian powered the ball goalwards, it took a slight deflection of Balmer, which helped it into the bottom-right corner, prompting wild celebrations in the sold-out away end.
Argyle emerged the victors in this end-to-end showcase of attacking football, winning the seven-goal thriller under the Memorial Stadium lights.
The Greens are next in action when they travel to Peterborough United on Saturday, hoping to make it three consecutive wins in all competitions.
Bristol Rovers: 1 Luke Southwood, 2 Joel Senior (17 Kofi Balmer, 83), 3 Jack Sparkes, 4 Taylor Moore, 5 Alfie Kilgour (capt), 7 Shaq Forde, 8 Isaac Hutchinson (15 Ryan De Havilland, 75), 11 Luke Thomas (19 Ellis Harrison, 83), 12 Tom Lockyer, 22 Kamil Conteh, 29 Fabrizio Cavegn. Substitutes: 13 Brad Young (gk), 6 Clinton Mola.
Goals: Forde 21, Cavegn 39, Thomas 61
Booked: Hutchinson 62, Balmer 89, Lockyer 90+6
Argyle: 21 Luca Ashby-Hammond, 2 Mathias Ross, 4 Brendan Wiredu (32 Joe Ralls, 72), 8 Joe Edwards (capt), 9 Lorent Tolaj, 10 Xavier Amaechi (7 Jamie Paterson, 82), 15 Alex Mitchell, 17 Caleb Watts (27 Bim Pepple, 59), 19 Malachi Boateng, 28 Ronan Curtis, 29 Matty Sorinola (22 Brendan Galloway, 46). Substitutes: 1 Conor Hazard (gk), 6 Kornel Szucs, 39 Tegan Finn.
Goals: Watts 2, Galloway 46, Tolaj 49, Pepple 90+4
Booked: Boateng 65, Galloway 90+1
Referee: Andrew Humphries
