Former Sheffield Wednesday fans' favourite Steve MacLean netted Plymouth's winner at Hillsborough.
Striker scores against run of play to condemn Owls to first home league loss
Former Sheffield Wednesday fans' favourite Steve MacLean returned to haunt his old side by netting Plymouth's winner at Hillsborough.
The striker struck against the run of play with a neat turn and finish after 23 minutes to condemn the Owls to their first home defeat of the Championship this term.
It was harsh on a Wednesday side who had begun brightly, but a lack of cutting edge meant they never seriously threatened an equaliser, despite controlling possession.
MacLean's goal was the first Wednesday had conceded at home in over two months and it ended a 12-game unbeaten record at Hillsborough dating back to May of last season.
More importantly it was the Owls' third consecutive league defeat that has seen them lose touch with the play-off places.
For Argyle, the win was their third away from Home Park this term and keeps them firmly in the top half of the table.
Plymouth boss Paul Sturrock, also making a return to his former club, made two changes to team that lost 3-1 at home to Ipswich on Saturday, recalling MacLean while Jim Paterson replaced flu-ridden midfielder Jamie Mackie.
Enforced change
The home side made one enforced change with Francis Jeffers drafted in to make just his second start of the season in place of Jimmy Smith after his appeal against his red card in the weekend's 3-1 defeat to Birmingham was rejected earlier in the day.
The Owls were by far the more inventive in the opening stages with Leon Clarke at the heart of all they did well. The 23-year-old headed a ball down for Jeffers to shoot over after 15 minutes while he could have scored himself shortly after when he drilled a shot just wide of the left-hand post after the ball broke to him on the edge of the area.
Jermaine Johnson then shot weakly after Clarke's neat control and pass played him in.
Despite Wednesday's dominance they went behind after 23 minutes, after the home side cleared a corner only as far as David McNamee who headed the ball back to the top of the six-yard box where MacLean lurked to chest the ball down before shooting back across his body.
The home side protested, claiming MacLean was offside, although replays suggested he was played onside by Johnson.
For his part, MacLean did not celebrate his first goal of the campaign against the club he had scored 34 times for in three seasons.
The goal rattled the home side who, while maintaining the majority of possession, were wasteful thereafter.
Goal offside
They did have the ball in the net just before the break, but Clarke was ruled offside, to go into the break a goal down.
After the interval Clarke's bustling forward play continued to trouble the Argyle defence, although the tall striker's touch let him down when he shinned an attempted shot when one-on-one with goalkeeper Romain Larrieu.
Owls boss Brian Laws made a double substitution after 55 minutes with Frank Simek making a return from an eight-month injury lay-off to replace captain Richard Wood, while Deon Burton replaced Jeffers who had faded after a bright start.
By this stage Plymouth were content to defend their advantage and the hosts' lack of a cutting edge made their job easier.
Johnson twice ran into the area only to be crowded out while substitute Akpo Sodje headed wide.
And Johnson wasted the Owls best chance deep into injury time when he shot wide from the centre of the area with the goal gaping.
