In-form Mansfield piled more misery on Plymouth with a 2-0 home win.
Stags, now five unbeaten in League One, scored in each half as Argyle slumped to a third successive defeat.
Will Evans put Mansfield ahead after just six minutes.
A long Liam Roberts clearance that skimmed off the head of Mathias Ross looked set to be swept up by Brendan Wiredu or Brendan Galloway.
But both failed to clear and Evans made them pay as he muscled past them to beat goalkeeper Conor Hazard.
Tyler Roberts should have done better with his free header from eight yards from a Nathan Moriah-Welsh cross while Lorent Tolaj curled a 25-yard free-kick narrowly wide for the visitors.
Deji Oshilaja’s through ball sent Rhys Oates clear on goal after 48 minutes but Hazard saved with his legs and then saw Oates place his follow-up into the side-netting.
Moriah-Welsh then headed wide unmarked from six yards from an Evans cross after 61 minutes.
Argyle almost levelled after 77 minutes when Jamie Paterson robbed Oshilaja on the by-line but Liam Roberts crucially blocked Tegan Finn’s close-range effort.
Instead, Stags went 2-0 up with six minutes left, Joe Gardner crossing low from the left and, after Moriah-Welsh miskicked his finish, the ball ran nicely for Jordan Bowery to tuck home from five yards.
Cleverley: ‘Plymouth in relegation battle’
Tom Cleverley admitted Plymouth are in a relegation battle after a third successive defeat in a 2-0 loss at Mansfield left them third-bottom of League One.
“We are in a relegation battle. I don’t think there is any part of our performances or consistency to suggest otherwise, so let’s face the situation we’re in head on,” Cleverley said.
“This is not something that is going to fix itself overnight. No one has a magic wand to make this issue go away. We are putting in performances that mean we deserve to be where we are at. It’s never been a sacking club and it’s been hurt by managers leaving at the first bit of success.
“However, that does not give me the right to have nine lives and I have to turn things round really quickly. have never seen a team concede so many from direct play and it’s worrying.”
“The fans have a right to be frustrated – it’s their club. We have to acknowledge how far they travel and how much money they spend to support us. I have told the players what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger – I have been there as a player when your own fans turn and I will certainly help the players through that. I can take it – I have thick skin.”
Clough: ‘A professional Mansfield performance’
Mansfield manager Nigel Clough:
“I thought it was a very good, professional, solid performance more than anything. We worked hard without the ball and restricted Plymouth to very few opportunities and the only thing was we didn’t score more goals.
“We had three incredibly good chances to double our lead and we should be taking one of them to have a bit more comfort before Deji, unlike him, made an error and Liam Roberts has got us out the cart again with a brilliant save.
“He has done that a few times this season and deserved his clean sheet. Moments like that are fine margins. If that goes in it could have been a different game. We can’t afford to give people these chances.
“Our work-rate was outstanding and there are relationships developing on the pitch.”
