The Pilgrims conceded two first half goals and another one late on as they lost 3-0 to Stevenage in League One

It was simply nowhere near good enough from Plymouth Argyle as they were beaten 3-0 away to Stevenage for a second successive League One defeat.

The talk before the match had been of the Pilgrims looking to bounce back from losing 2-0 to Huddersfield Town at Home Park on Saturday but they fell a long way short of doing that.

Apart from a 20-minute spell at the start of the second half, when they were already trailing by two goals, Argyle did not pose any real attacking threat.

Stevenage were then able to regain control of the game and a third goal from substitute Phoenix Patterson sealed the deal for the hosts.

With another away game to come on Saturday against Cambridge United, there was much for head coach Tom Cleverley to dwell upon after a dismal result and performance.

Joe Edwards returned to captain Argyle as one of three changes to the team from the defeat by Huddersfield after missing that match due to a hamstring injury.

Tyreeq Bakinson was back in the side instead of Bradley Ibrahim in central midfield, alongside former Stevenage player Harvey White.

There was also a return for Oli Irow in place of Caleb Watts after the on-loan Tottenham Hotspur had played as a second half substitute against Huddersfield.

Edwards played at right-back for the visitors, with Wes Harding moving across to the left side of the defence and Jack MacKenzie dropped to the bench, which also included Ibrahim and Watts.

Argyle goalkeeper Murphy White was another former Stevenage player returning to Broadhall Way. He spent the 2024/25 season as a team-mate of White on loan from Queens Park Rangers.

Ronan Curtis got in a couple of early crosses for Argyle as they made a positive start to the match but Stevenage were able to clear with them before he was yellow-carded in only the fourth minute for a foul on Dan Phillips.

Stevenage had a decent early opportunity when Ben Broggio, on loan from Aston Villa, sliced a left-foot shot wide from inside the Pilgrims’ penalty area.

After a few fouls committed by the away side in the opening stages of the game referee Thomas Parsons called over Edwards to have words with him about that.

Argyle striker Will Evans cut inside after receiving a cross-field pass from White and sent his low shot wide of Stevenage goalkeeper Tommy Setford’s left post.

It had been an even game until, in the 18th minute, Stevenage opened the scoring with an emphatic low finish by Michael Mellon from inside the Pilgrims’ box after he was set up by Magennis.

Soon afterwards, Broggio had a shot deflected over the bar for a corner after he drifted inside from the Stevenage left, before the hosts doubled their lead in the 28th minute.

Bakinson could not get to the ball in the centre circle because the referee was in his way and Stevenage then broke forward, with a cross from left being parried out by Cooper and Josh Magennis fired home.

Argyle tried to come up with an immediate response to that second goal as White had a shot blocked on the edge of the Stevenage box.

Stevenage boss Alex Revell was then shown a yellow card by Parsons for protesting too vehemently at a decision to award a foul by Terence Vancooten on Bim Pepple.

Argyle had a great chance to reduce their deficit when Irow delivered an excellent deep cross from the left and Curtis soared into the air to meet it but sent his header a fraction too high.

There was no further threat from the Pilgrims before the interval, though, after a first half where Stevenage came up with some clinical finishing to take control.

Tom Cleverley made a double substitution for the start of the second period with Xavier Amaechi and Watts sent on for Curtis and Irow respectively.

Amaechi was soon involved in the action, making one driving run inside from the right across the Stevenage penalty area but he did not get a shot away and eventually the attacking move broke down.

Moments later, Amaechi played the ball back to Bakinson, whose 20-yard strike was straight at Setford and although the Arsenal loanee did not hold onto it at the first attempt he did at the second.

There was more attacking threat coming from the Pilgrims after the double half-time change, and Evans went close to scoring with a flicked header from a White corner which was cleared away by Phillips.

People and Evans both then had attempts blocked inside the penalty area from the same attack as Argyle pushed hard for the goal they needed to get back into the game.

Stevenage had not threatened at all since half-time until a rasping shot from Phillips flew over the bar after a headed clearance by centre-back Alex Mitchell following a free-kick from Patterson, who later had a tame low shot easily saved by Cooper.

The home side were then gifted an excellent chance to put the match beyond Argyle when Bakinson’s under-hit pass was intercepted by Dan Kemp but his shot was partially blocked by Cooper and White was behind the ‘keeper to head the ball away.

Next, Magennis spun away from a lunging challenge from Hartridge and had a fierce drive pushed away by Cooper, with Stevenage now in the ascendancy after Argyle’s good spell earlier on.

Ibrahim and Matty Sorinola were sent on as 76th minute Argyle substitutes for Bakinson and Edwards but the momentum had been lost for the away side and they could not get it back.

The third goal that Stevenage had been threatening came in the 83rd minute when Kemp weaved his way forward and then slipped a pass to Patterson, who fired past Cooper.

Julio Plegeuzuelo was an 87th minute substitute for Hartridge, with Argyle now a well-beaten side, and the seven extra minutes added on by Parsons were an irrelevance given the state of the game.

ARGYLE: Murphy Cooper; Joe Edwards (Matty Sorinola 76 mins), Alex Mitchell, Alex Hartridge (Julio Pleguezuelo 87 mins), Wes Harding; Ronan Curtis (Xavier Amaechi h/t), Tyreeq Bakinson (Bradley Ibrahim 76 mins), Harvey White, Oli Irow (Caleb Watts h/t); Will Evans, Bim Pepple.

Substitutes (not used): James Storer, Jack MacKenzie.

STEVENAGE: Tommy Setford; Luther James-Wildin, Terence Vancooten, Carl Piergianni, Saxon Earley; Dan Kemp, Louis Thompson (Terry Taylor 74 mins), Dan Phillips, Ben Broggio (Phoenix Patterson 64 mins); Michael Mellon (Olly Sanderson 64 mins); Josh Magennis.

Substitutes (not used): Daniel Barden, Kaelan Casey, Tugra Turhan, Chem Campbell.

REFEREE: Thomas Parsons