Crystal Palace piled more pressure on under-fire Plymouth boss Paul Sturrock by easing to victory in tonight's Coca-Cola Championship clash at Home Park.
Argyle have not won a match this year and have now slumped to 19th, only three points off the relegation zone.
The hosts began positively but Neil Danns, on his return to the starting line-up after an ankle injury, put Palace ahead in the 21st minute and Alan Lee doubled the lead seven minutes later.
The game was all but settled two minutes from the break when John Oster broke away to net the third.
To their credit, Argyle kept pressing in the second half and got a consolation when Gary Sawyer found the top corner in the 68th minute.
Sturrock made five changes from the side that lost 2-0 to Charlton on Saturday, with Mathias Doumbe returning from suspension and Gary Sawyer, James Paterson, Steven MacLean and Rory Fallon promoted into the starting line-up.
Palace were playing their first match for more than two weeks and boss Neil Warnock rang the changes from their defeat by Blackpool at the end of January.
Claude Davis made his debut following his loan move from Derby while Danns returned in place of the suspended Nick Carle.
Plymouth had the first sight of goal, Krisztian Timar heading Paterson's corner just part the post.
The hosts started the stronger, Palace maybe a little rusty after their recent inactivity, but Warnock's side gradually came back into it with Lee firing in a shot from 12 yards that was blocked by Sawyer.
And moments later the visitors were ahead. Oster swung in a cross from the right and Danns powered a header into the bottom corner.
It was two after 28 minutes as Sean Scannell's shot cannoned back off the post and Lee tapped in the rebound.
Shaun Derry and Danns tried their luck for Palace but Plymouth could have pulled one back when Timar got his head to another corner only to send it wide again.
And Palace hit Plymouth with a sucker punch just before the break when Paul Ifill found Oster and the skilful midfielder deservedly got on the scoresheet with a breakaway goal.
The hosts' luck did not show any signs of changing at the start of the second half as a penalty shout for handball after MacLean fired in an effort was turned down by referee Rob Shoebridge.
Jamie Mackie then caused a scuffle with a late challenge on Palace keeper Julian Speroni, MacLean booked for his reaction.
Sturrock made three changes with an hour gone, Ashley Barnes, Paul Gallagher and Craig Noone replacing Alan Judge, Fallon and MacLean.
And Gallagher made the difference straight away with a cross that was backheeled by Karl Duguid into the path of Sawyer, who smashed the ball into the top corner.
Argyle were certainly not giving up and Doumbe had a sight of goal with a header from Noone's free-kick but he could not direct it on target.
Barnes tested Speroni with another header but the hosts had given themselves too much to do and Palace comfortably held on.
Teams
Plymouth Larrieu, Doumbe, Cathcart, Timar, Sawyer,Judge (Barnes 64), Duguid, Paterson, MacLean (Noone 61),Fallon (Gallagher 64), Mackie.
Subs Not Used: Clark, Summerfield.
Booked: MacLean.
Goals: Sawyer 68.
Crystal Palace Speroni, Clyne, Jose Fonte, Davis, Hill,Oster (Butterfield 80), Derry, Danns, Scannell (Hills 71),Lee (Kuqi 71), Ifill.
Subs Not Used: Lawrence, Moses.
Goals: Danns 21, Lee 28, Oster 43.
Att: 10,710
Ref: Rob Shoebridge (Derbyshire).
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