Stoke manager Tony Pulis celebrated his new contract by watching the Potters end their wretched run of form with a comfortable Coca-Cola Championship victory against Plymouth.

First-half strikes from Kenwyne Jones and Darel Russell ended a morale-sapping sequence of results which had seen Stoke collect just one point from their previous five matches.

The run has all but destroyed their hopes of a top-six finish, but victory against Argyle widened the smile on the face of Pulis, who this week put pen to paper on a new 12-month rolling contract at the Britannia Stadium.

Stoke began brightly during a lively opening period and came close to opening the scoring after barely 20 seconds.

Clive Clarke delivered a superb cross which Jones connected with from just six yards out.

However, Plymouth defender David Worrell blocked bravely to prevent a certain goal before Argyle began to gain a foothold on the game.

On-loan Southampton striker Dexter Blackstock drilled a fierce effort narrowly wide from the edge of the box to serve notice of the visitors' threat.

Blackstock notched a fine brace during Plymouth's resounding 3-0 victory at Nottingham Forest last week - a success which saw Bobby Williamson's side take a giant stride towards safety - and was clearly in the mood for more goals.

After six minutes, the striker connected with a cross from defender Jason Dodd, also on loan from Southampton, but failed to beat Stoke goalkeeper Steve Simonsen.

As the visitors began to dominate, on-loan Porto midfielder Akos Buzsaky was desperately unlucky to see his 25-yard effort strike the woodwork.

Having soaked up the visitors' early pressure, Stoke hit back with a sucker-punch shortly before the half hour mark when Jones, another player on loan from Southampton, nodded in Dave Brammer's superbly-flighted cross.

Plymouth immediately piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser, but Russell's deflected 25-yard strike four minutes before the interval gave the Potters further breathing space.

In the shape of Blackstock, however, Plymouth possessed a lingering threat and Simonsen was again on hand to deny the striker on the stroke of half-time after he had headed Worrell's cross goalwards.

The Potters almost stretched their advantage on the hour when Jones crossed the ball into the danger zone and Chris Greenacre fired in a right-footed effort which drew a fine stop from Plymouth goalkeeper Luke McCormick.

Pilgrims midfielder Paul Wotton then drilled in a right-footed effort which Brammer was forced to block as the visitors sought to force their way back into the game.

However, with Stoke having rediscovered the defensive mean streak which has seen them boast the second best defensive record in the Championship, despite leaking eight goals in their last three games, there was little chance of Plymouth breaching the home rearguard.

Teams

Stoke Simonsen, Buxton, Duberry, Taggart, Hill, Greenacre (Paterson 87), Brammer, Russell, Clarke (Neal 83), Noel-Williams, Jones (Henry 78).

Subs Not Used: de Goey, Ricketts.

Booked: Taggart, Russell.

Goals: Jones 28, Russell 41.

Plymouth McCormick, Worrell, Aljofree, Coughlan, Dodd, Taylor (Capaldi 70), Buzsaky, Wotton (Lasley 81), Norris, Blackstock, Evans (Chadwick 70).

Subs Not Used: Larrieu, Doumbe.

Booked: Blackstock.

Att: 13,017

Ref: C Boyeson (E Yorkshire).