Shrewsbury Town 0-3 Plymouth Argyle

Ryan Hardie's second goal at the Montgomery Waters Meadow - and Plymouth's third - came in front of the 892 travelling Argyle fans

Two-goal Ryan Hardie and Luke Jephcott got the goals as Plymouth Argyle won comfortably to maintain bottom club Shrewsbury Town's poor start to the League One season.

Steve Cotterill's side are now the only side in the division without a point, having failed to manage even a single goal in their first four matches.

Argyle were missing centre-back James Wilson, whose booking in Tuesday's 1-1 home draw with Cambridge United was upgraded to a red card violent conduct offence at a hearing on Friday, earning him a three-game ban.

But they always looked in control from the game's turning point midway through the first half.

Argyle had to be rescued by a brave last-ditch double tackle from Brendan Galloway to deny Sam Cosgrove when the Birmingham City loan signing seemed set to score on his home debut. And within two minutes the visitors were ahead.

Town defender Matthew Pennington, drawn out of position, tried to shove Ryan Hardie in the back but the Argyle striker recovered his balance, raced back into the middle, received a neat pass from Luke Jephcott and expertly curled home a right-foot finish from 15 yards.

Five minutes into the second half Argyle doubled their lead when Jordan Houghton fed Hardie down the left and he created the opening for Jephcott in space to finish coolly from 12 yards.

Argyle then made it 3-0 on 65 minutes when, from Jephcott's through ball down the middle, Hardie evaded home skipper Elliott Bennett's weak challenge, wriggled clear to continue into the box, drew the keeper and dinked a neat right-foot angled finish.

The excellent Hardie was close to completing his hat-trick late on but his fierce shot was tipped over by Marko Marosi.

The closest Shrewsbury came to opening their account for the season was a second-half Luke Leahy free-kick which clipped the angle of post and crossbar.