Plymouth Argyle 2 Barnsley 4: Devaney delights Barnsley's faithful

Two exquisitely taken goals by Martin Devaney cheered up Barnsley's five-hour return trip to Yorkshire but it left the Plymouth manager, Ian Holloway, feeling utterly depressed.

Devaney stunned the Home Park faithful with a fine volley in the first half before hitting a sublime 40-yard effort in the second to lift The Tykes four points clear of the drop zone.

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The Barnsley manager, Simon Davey, said: "It was a massive three points for us. My lads are dying for the cause, which is great to see. I've never seen a goal like Martin's second but he's capable of doing that. That talent - it's natural."

Plymouth looked good value for their 15th-minute lead when Lilian Nalis steered home a superb shot into the top corner. Then it all went horribly wrong for the Pilgrims. Lewin Nyatanga equalised with a header before Devaney scored on 31 minutes.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake equalised just before half-time but that did not paint over the cracks that had appeared in the home side's performance. Devaney restored the visitors' lead with that ludicrously struck long-range effort before Istvan Ferenczi raced clear to make it 4-2 in added time.

Holloway was more incensed with his players' performance than with the referee, Lee Probert, who dismissed his assistant Tim Breaker for clashing with Davey.

"We were absolute rubbish," Holloway said. "We'll be lucky to stay in the Championship if we carry on playing like that. Tim ran out of the technical area to get the ball and he was sent off, which I can't believe. [But] the referee didn't cost us the game - my team did."

Plymouth (4-4-2): McCormick; Connolly, Timar, Seip, Capaldi (Djodjic, 74); Sinclair, Norris, Nalis, Halmosi; Gallen (Fallon, 64), Ebanks-Blake (Hayles, 64). Substitutes not used: Sawyer, Gosling.

Barnsley (4-5-1): Colgan; Austin, P Reid, Nyatanga, Heckingbottom; Rajczi, Togwell, McCann, Howard, Devaney; Ferenczi. Substitutes not used: Hassell, Eckersley, K Reid, Nardiello, Lucas (gk).

Referee: L Probert (Gloucestershire).