Plymouth Argyle 2 Brentford 0

Last updated : 28 December 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Plymouth Argyle eased to their sixth successive win as they remain top of the Nationwide Division Two table.

Second-half goals from Tony Capaldi and Nathan Lowndes sent Argyle's biggest crowd for nearly two years - 17,882 - home happy.

The Pilgrims were helped when Brentford defender Leo Roget was dismissed - he was also sent off in this season's earlier meeting between the two sides – that left the Bees with only ten men for the entire second half.

Roget was red-carded after receiving yellows for encroaching at a free-kick and then fouling David Friio, to leave the Bees with an uphill task.

Capaldi took advantage immediately after the break, picking up a short corner from Buster Phillips - who was making his first senior appearance since March - and cracking home a 25-yard shot which Brentford goalkeeper Paul Smith spilled into his net.

It was left-winger Capaldi's sixth goal of the season, but, strangely, his first in front of Argyle's home supporters.

Lowndes scored his fifth of the campaign and effectively sealed the match just after the hour when he reacted quickest to pick up the loose ball after Smith had parried Micky Evans' close-range header. Again, Phillips had caused the concern by going past Matt Somner to send over a telling cross.

The Second Division leaders were good value for their win. Earlier, Evans had headed the ball against Smith's crossbar, and centre-back Graham Coughlan also hit the post when he tried to nod home a Capaldi corner.

Brentford's best opportunity came the way of Roget, whose close-range header from Steve Hunt's corner was deflected out by Argyle's 20-year-old goalkeeper, Luke McCormick, who maintained his third successive clean sheet.