Ryan Hardie's two goals tripled his league tally for the season
Championship bottom club Plymouth Argyle stunned promotion hopefuls West Bromwich Albion as they came from behind to win for the first time in 16 matches.
Albion looked on course for a second straight win under returning boss Tony Mowbray when substitute Jayson Molumby fired them ahead from close range on 74 minutes.
But Argyle turned it around with two controversial goals from their own sub Ryan Hardie.
Having come on after Albion's goal, he equalised within three minutes following the harsh award for a penalty against Callum Styles, then got the winner on 88 minutes after a move that Albion claimed had been offside.
Hardie had not scored since 14 September but his two goals in 14 minutes brought to an end Argyle's 15-game winless run to earn their first victory since 1 November, their first under boss Miron Muslic, lifting them back to within four points of safety.
Mowbray's Albion remain sixth, but under threat of being overtaken by Monday if the Baggies boss' boyhood club Middlesbrough avoid defeat in the local derby at home to another of his former clubs Sunderland.
Argyle announced during the game that on-loan winger Ibrahim Cissoko, who only returned to the team in early January after injury, has signed for Sheffield Wednesday.
- Published31 January
- Published31 January
Off the back of a 2-2 draw at high-riding Sunderland the week before, Argyle gave a debut to new record signing Maksym Talovierov, as well as fellow central defender Nikola Katic in a new-look back five - and they had an immediate effect.
Chances were few and far between in a poor first half, other than a close-range effort from Mason Holgate at the far post which came at an awkward height, not allowing him to get a proper connection. And Albion, who endured six goalless draws in their team's first 17 games, looked on course for another.
But the unchanged Baggies, warmed by their 5-1 win over Portsmouth a week earlier, gradually got closer to breaking the deadlock, especially amid a double save from Argyle keeper Conor Hazard to keep out Torbjorn Heggem's attempted overhead from Holgate's knockback and Mikey Johnston's effort.
The breakthrough finally came when Jed Wallace got to the near post byeline and squared for Molumby to slide in for his third goal of the season. But, just three minutes later, Argyle were awarded their penalty to level.
Hardie's shot cannoned into Styles' arm via his chest from close range, but referee Dean Whitestone was convinced and the spot-kick was given.
Hardie made no mistake to find the bottom left corner and there was more to follow when he evaded the linesman's flag to strike again on 88 minutes.
Who's next?
Argyle are not in Championship action again until Wednesday, 12 February when they host Alex Neil's Millwall.
But before then they have another even bigger home date - the FA Cup fourth-round clash with Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday week (9 February, 15:00 GMT).
Albion are in Championship action next weekend, hosting Sheffield Wednesday, the first of two home games in five days, with yet another of Tony Mowbray's former clubs Blackburn Rovers to follow on the Wednesday night.
Ryan Hardie's penalty was his first goal since 14 September - but his next arrived just 11 minutes later
'It's amazing we lost that game' - Mowbray
Plymouth Argyle boss Miron Muslic told BBC Radio Devon:
"I am very proud and very happy for the lads. Not being able to win a game in three months does something to your mind, to your heart, to your legs. Everything becomes heavy. More difficult.
"I said last week against Sunderland was proof of life and this was another step forward.
"Not only in terms of the new players, I spoke about having to change the mentality in the locker room. You can't change 15 players.
"It's about signing the right players. I was very pleased with our defensive structure. We need to stabilise the team and I think we did that."
West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Mowbray told BBC Radio WM:
"We found a way to lose a game we should never have lost. It is quite remarkable really. It's amazing we lost that game. We had such control. They didn't threaten that much and I couldn't see how they were going to score.
"But it was a really, really controversial decision. It was never a penalty kick, from someone who played the game for 20 years and has managed for 20 years.
"Referees don't have to come out and talk to people after games. No doubt he would defend the decision and say it was right but I would find difficult to understand how he would condone it.
"The ref's decision to give a pen I cannot understand. Even if it does hit his hand, he couldn't do anything about it. The boy is two yards away and smashes it straight at him."
