Muhamed Tijani's strike was his second goal in nine league appearances for Plymouth
Muhamed Tijani's 88th-minute volley capped a stunning late victory to move Plymouth Argyle to within two points of safety and leave stuttering Sheffield United five points adrift of the Championship's top two.
The Blades seemed set to get their promotion bid back on track after consecutive defeats, with Jesurun Rak-Sakyi's superb first-half strike giving them a 1-0 lead going into the final 10 minutes.
But Ryan Hardie pounced from close range to level for the hosts following a half-cleared corner.
And substitute Tijani's brilliantly controlled volley earned all the points and provoked scenes of wild joy at a packed Home Park.
The Argyle celebrations were understandable, given the desperate need for a win that still sees them remain bottom of the table with just four games remaining.
Blades boss Chris Wilder was riled by the scenes, which saw the Plymouth players savouring their victory as they passed near the travelling away supporters - and the tension continued as both teams went down the tunnel.
The angry United reaction followed a third defeat in a row which has seen them drop well behind leaders Leeds United - who beat Preston North End - and Burnley, who were Friday night victors over Norwich City.
Rak-Sakyi's breathtaking curled effort two minutes before the end of a forgettable first half seemed like being the crucial moment and a worthy way to settle a nervy, dull match.
The on-loan Crystal Palace's winger's pace and trickery provided what little excitement there was and his quality shone through with his exceptional strike after collecting Ben Hamer's pass, cutting inside Nathanael Ogbeta and finding the far corner.
Argyle's threat was negligible, with several Szucs long throws causing minor alarm and their only attempt on target coming from a harmless Hardie shot that went into the arms of keeper Michael Cooper from a tight angle.
Rak-Sakyi's seventh goal of the season was just one of two attempts on target in the first half
Rak-Sakyi could, and should, have made it 2-0 just after the restart, but this time his strike was nowhere near as clean and keeper Conor Hazard got down quickly to make the save.
Chances continued to elude both sides but Argyle, buoyed by the introduction of Tijani, and the growing influence of Joe Edwards, went for a more direct route in the final quarter of the game.
Hardie almost levelled but snatched at a strike from 15 yards with the ball bouncing down into the turf and off the top of the bar.
But he was soon celebrating. Plymouth kept the ball in the danger zone from a corner, Edwards hooked the ball towards goal and Hardie netted his 11th goal of the seasons from six yards.
Substitute Tyrese Campbell should have restored the away side's lead but swiped a shot into the side netting after a poor first touch and the miss proved costly as Tijani grabbed the winner.
Plymouth boss Miron Muslic:
"The message at half-time was 'we are in this game and we must believe we can turn this, it's important to start strong but more important to finish strong'.
"I knew if we had to do something extraordinary Joe (Edwards) can help us. Joe's first action without touching the ball was to lift the crowd and that was massive. Joe did it today, like a skipper. Magnificent.
"I think Joe himself would have been frustrated at not starting but I think today's decision was the right one. And he will start the next game.
"I went with (Muhamed) Tijani because for the last 30 (minutes) because I thought we could win the game. He flicked-on four, five, six headers then rewarded himself with a brilliant goal.
"After the Swansea defeat I predicted the unpredictability of Argyle. It drives me crazy and costs me lots of lost sleep at night.
"The almost impossible is possible again."
Miron Muslic : "Everything worked out"
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder:
"The biggest message was to go and be clinical. We did what we needed to do in getting the first goal. We dealt with the throw-ins and set pieces.
"The first goal goes in, and that quietens the home crowd. But to go and get the second goal would have killed the game.
"We never really showed the quality we should be showing at the top end of the pitch.
"We couldn't have had a worse week in terms of results. The players have to pick themselves up and that's what I was talking about in the huddle afterwards.
"We have not been good enough in the last three games. I don't think it's pressure or nerves. We are just not finding big enough moments. We need a big week now."
