Ryan Lowe’s Preston reignited their play-off hopes with a 1-0 win at his former club Plymouth.

Substitute Liam Millar scored the decisive goal in the 43rd minute after a sweeping move down the left.

The victory lifted North End up to ninth, five points off sixth-placed Norwich with a game in hand, and condemned Ian Foster’s struggling Argyle to a fourth successive home defeat.

The hosts started well, with Ryan Hardie firing wide after latching on to a superb through-ball down the left by Mickel Miller.

Preston boss Lowe was forced to shuffle his line-up early on as Milutin Osmajic was forced off injured after only seven minutes, Millar coming on.

The visitors also lost Brad Potts in the 19th minute, with Layton Stewart taking his place.

But the two changes did little to disrupt Preston’s intent and they forced the pace of the game for much of the first half

Millar should have scored in the 20th minute when he latched on to a pass along the edge of the box by Mads Frokjaer-Jensen and raced into the area, chesting the ball down but then firing wide with only goalkeeper Michael Cooper to beat from close range.

But he made no mistake shortly before half-time as Liam Lindsay’s deep cross was flicked on by Will Keane and Millar at the far post smashed a volley back across goal and into the corner.

Argyle’s best chances came late in the half as they forced a succession of corners, with North End keeper Freddie Woodman at full stretch to tip away Adam Randell’s inswinging set-piece before Mustapha Bundu’s header from another ball in flew high and wide.

Millar forced a good diving save from Cooper in the 52nd minute as Preston began the second half on the front foot.

Cooper made an even better stop to keep out Jordan Storey’s far-post header from a 59th-minute corner.

Argyle’s top-scorer Morgan Whittaker then swept his shot wide when well-placed in the box.

Keane’s long throw from the left was then gathered 20 yards from goal by an unmarked Stewart, who let fly with a fierce, dipping shot which beat Cooper but smashed off the foot of a post.

Adam Randell went close for Plymouth with a 20-yard strike, but the hosts could not find a leveller.

Morgan Whittaker’s 19th goal of the season gave Plymouth a valuable 1-1 draw at 10-man Blackburn in the Sky Bet Championship.

The struggling duo both went into this game knowing they could be in the bottom three by the end of the day and the early signs were good for Rovers, who led through Sammie Szmodics’ 27th goal of the season.

But the hosts elected to sit in and protect their lead, with that approach yielding chances to the impressive Pilgrims who created numerous opportunities in the first half, with Ryan Hardie and Bali Mumba both fluffing their lines with just the goalkeeper to beat.

Plymouth’s chances improved when Kyle McFadzean was sent off early in the second half and they rescued a point their performance deserved when Whittaker slammed home at the far post in the 74th minute.

Both sides are three points clear of danger but where they would be without two of the Championship’s leading marksmen is anyone’s guess.

The wait for a first win under John Eustace goes on for Blackburn who are winless in seven and although Argyle have won once in that time, there was plenty to be encouraged by at Ewood Park.

Blackburn settled quickest and clinically took the lead in the seventh minute when Yasin Ayari found Szmodics 20 yards out, who stepped inside and curled the ball superbly into the right corner.

But Plymouth settled and Hardie, having already stung Leo Wahlstedt’s palms, missed a gilt-edged chance when a long clearance fooled the Rovers defence but, with just the goalkeeper to beat, he slotted wide.

They should have immediately paid the price when Szmodics found Arnor Sigurdsson 12 yards out but he struck the outside of the post with the goal at his mercy.

Plymouth opened Blackburn up once again in the 32nd minute but Mumba’s touch was poor, allowing Wahlstedt to gather.

The chances continued and Lewis Gibson’s ball found Mickel Miller, who skidded a shot past the far post as the onslaught continued.

Blackburn’s vulnerability to the long ball was exploited when McFadzean was dismissed after hauling Hardie down when he was through on goal.

The visitors came close again just after the hour when Hardie evaded a tackle before rolling the ball wide.

Plymouth’s pressure finally paid off 16 minutes from time when Miller’s cross found substitute Alfie Devine, whose left-foot shot was brilliantly saved by Wahlstedt. Although Hardie’s rebound was blocked on the line, there was no denying Whittaker who slotted home at the far post.

To their credit, Blackburn pushed for a winner and only a save from sprawling goalkeeper Michael Cooper denied Harry Pickering just minutes later.

Whittaker almost won it with a piledriver that flew past the post but Plymouth had to settle for a point.

Some half-time truths helped to spark a dramatic Sunderland improvement as the Black Cats came from behind to beat Plymouth 3-1 and climb into the Sky Bet Championship’s top six.

Michael Beale’s side trailed at the break after Ryan Hardie’s opener for Plymouth, but Sunderland were transformed after the restart and extended their unbeaten Championship stretch to three games with three “special” goals.

Pierre Ekwah levelled for the home side seven minutes after half-time before Jack Clarke’s stunning 14th goal of the season just before the hour mark. Substitute Jobe Bellingham then wrapped up the points just two minutes after coming off the bench with a fine third.

“We only played in one half, to be honest,” said Beale, whose side have now won successive games at the Stadium of Light.

“We started the game well, but we really fell away and there were too many individual errors.

“We went really bold with our line-up and it certainly impacted our cohesion early in the game, I wasn’t pleased with our pressing.

“We had honest words at half-time, got out there early and I thought from the moment we kicked off, we were much much better.

“We scored three excellent goals and we’re mixing around the goalscorers now as well. It was three special goals.”

Beale endured a difficult start to life at Sunderland, but is excited by what his youthful side are capable of.

He said: “We’re a young team and so we always can get better. In that first half, there weren’t too many in a Sunderland shirt who did themselves justice and we spoke about that.

“We spoke about wanting to excite our fans at home, to run, play front-foot football and for people to express themselves.

“I could have made five subs, but I told the players that I thought it was the right team and they had to put it right.

“We didn’t want any regrets and I expected more. The second half was fantastic and we have to stay at that level.”

For Plymouth boss Ian Foster, it was a first Championship defeat since replacing Steven Schumacher as Argyle head coach.

He congratulated Sunderland on a “wonderful second-half performance”, but was critical of referee Anthony Backhouse.

Foster was frustrated at the fact his side were down to 10 men when Jack Clarke scored the home side’s second goal, with midfielder Adam Forshaw having received treatment for an injury.

He said: “My understanding is a player has to spend 30 seconds off the pitch, which he did, and they won’t allow him on.

“I got told then the fourth official must get a signal from the referee to allow him back on, which he does straight after they score, which is disappointing.

“In that moment, it’s become very costly for us. He’s got injured, he’s received treatment, I don’t understand why it’s a punishment.

“I’ll try and choose my words carefully here, if I was the referee I’d go home disappointed tonight having watched the game back. I thought it was a very one-sided decision-making process from him.”

Three extra-time goals fired Leeds into the FA Cup fifth round with a 4-1 win at Championship rivals Plymouth.

Substitutes Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter combined to put United 3-1 up before a 117th-minute own goal by Argyle striker Ryan Hardie capped a comprehensive United win.

Leeds will now travel to Premier League Aston Villa or Chelsea on Wednesday February 28.

The replay sparked to life in the 13th minute when a brilliant through-ball from Sam Byram found Mateo Joseph on the run. Joseph beat marker Lewis Gibson in a tussle for the ball but Northern Ireland keeper Conor Hazard got enough glove on a rising shot to turn the ball onto the frame of the goal.

Leeds hit the woodwork again in the 20th minute as Glen Kamara teed up Joel Piroe on the edge of the box. Piroe’s thundering drive took enough of a deflection off Argyle central defender Brendan Galloway to take the ball on to the face of the bar.

Plymouth responded on the counter, with skipper Joe Edwards forcing a routine save from Illan Meslier after being set up by Morgan Whittaker.

Defender Byram made a superb clearance to keep the ball away from Callum Wright as Hardie’s pacy ball from the right beat Meslier in the 25th minute and skimmed across the six-yard box.

Joseph went close with a 55th-minute shot which took the faintest of deflections off central defender Gibson’s heel and flew just past the post, covered by a diving Hazard.

Leeds pressure eventually told as Wilfried Gnonto fired them ahead in the 66th minute with a superb, measured right-foot strike from the edge of the box to beat Hazard at full stretch. Gnonto benefitted from a superb pass from playmaker Kamara from the right.

Substitute Archie Gray announced his arrival with a stinging shot which flew just wide from 20 yards on 73 minutes.

Argyle levelled from a 78th-minute Whittaker free-kick from the left as teenage central defender Ashley Phillips looped the far-post ball over Meslier to Galloway, who chested the ball home.

Substitute Joe Gelhardt smashed a half-volley off the post in stoppage time, while Hardie forced a last-minute save from Meslier as Argyle responded positively.

Seven minutes into extra time Rutter put Summerville on his way to a brilliant individual goal as he cut in from the left before beating Hazard with a soaring strike.

As Plymouth pressed for an extra-time leveller, Summerville teed up Rutter to sweep home Leeds’ third goal in the 111th minute.

Argyle’s misery was completed when Ilia Gruev’s corner glanced off Hardie and skidded past his own keeper.

Ian Foster urged Plymouth to look up the table after claiming his first Championship win as Argyle head coach with a 3-1 win over Cardiff at Home Park.

Argyle soared to 15th on the back of two goals by Scottish striker Ryan Hardie, who also set up top scorer Morgan Whittaker for his 15th Championship goal of the season, after Cardiff had taken a 10th-minute lead through Perry Ng.

Foster said: “We expected a difficult game and they always are, they are tight at this level. You have seen the results in the league today. There is never an easy game.

“The message to the players was to claw these (Cardiff) back. I think they were six places and seven points above us. If it becomes 10 it’s almost impossible. It’s four now.

“I am really pleased with the players because there was evidence again today that they are taking on the information we are giving to them.

“I have been (in post) two weeks yesterday so we have not had that many sessions, four players very new to the football club on the pitch today and two of them have only had very limited time with the group.

“A lot of positives today but a game I thoroughly thought we deserved to win.

“We don’t want to be looking over our shoulders, we want to be looking up at the next team and that’s how we did it today.

“We looked at these and said ‘let’s get these back’ and that’s our challenge.

“Cardiff are the next team above us, four points, and we have got to bridge that gap as soon as possible.

“I am happy. It’s really challenging, I knew it would be. I am really enjoying it.”

Cardiff boss Erol Bulut said his side stopped playing after taking the lead.

Bulut said: “It is not the first time that I have been disappointed, the fans are disappointed.

“They are right because today we had the game in our hands, we started well and were leading 1-0 but after that the game is not finished.

“We stopped playing and the result was we lost 3-1. We had some changes but we didn’t score again, there was too many individual mistakes in different situations and they (Plymouth) scored from those mistakes.

“The game is not only 31 minutes, it is 95 minutes.

“We can speak about having only 15/16 players available, we had 11 players on the pitch so we have to do everything. We stopped after scoring the goal and it is not easy after that.

“We had similar problems in other games, we have to be more aggressive, we have been more aggressive and won games and the last two games – Leeds and today – was not like that.

“I don’t have players outside to replace them and they are getting tired, I don’t have anyone on the bench to make that change in defence. My players are doing their best and it is not enough.”

Che Adams and Carlos Alcaraz netted as Southampton continued their assault on the Sky Bet Championship automatic places by beating Plymouth 2-1 at St Mary’s.

Alcaraz’s and Adams’ second-half strikes were also given an official seal of approval as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – a Southampton fan – celebrated them from the stands.

Ryan Hardie pulled one back in stoppage time but Saints are now on a 17-league match unbeaten run – two off their 102-year club record – and have scored 12 goals in their last four fixtures to turn up the pressure on Ipswich and Leicester.

The first half was summed up by Southampton having 81 per cent of possession but not legally finding the back of the net.

Striker Adams did roll the ball past Conor Hazard and into the goal in the fifth minute only to see the offside flag raised.

And then Adam Armstrong had the net rippling as he took aim from inside the centre circle but the ball landed on the roof of the goal with a scrambling Hazard beaten.

Saints continued to push. Kyle Walker-Peters twisted and turned in the box but his shot was weak, Alcaraz swivelled on the edge of the area but struck wide and Ryan Manning dragged wide.

They even hit a post as Manchester City loanee Taylor Harwood-Bellis glanced a header from a corner onto the upright.

Argyle had little attacking threat, but Morgan Whittaker was chased down by Samuel Edozie when clean through and their only shot of note saw Ben Waine slice high over the goal.

The visitors thought they had scored 10 minutes into the second period but Bali Mumba was offside before nodding in – moments later Alcaraz had opened the scoring for real and they stared down the barrel of continuing their 100 per cent winless away record.

The Argentinian had already gone close twice since the restart before receiving the ball from Edozie just outside the area before curling sumptuously into the top corner for his fourth goal of the season.

The goal opened the visitors up and after Will Smallbone had glanced a header wide, Adams made it two with some fine strength.

Harwood-Bellis spotted his run and unleashed him with a perfectly clipped ball down the middle, which allowed Adams to hold off his defender and finish past Hazard.

Joe Aribo crashed just wide, Adam Armstrong forced a save out of Hazard while Sekou Mara and Jack Stephens were both blocked on the line.

The Pilgrims did score the first away goal at St Mary’s since November 11 when keeper Gavin Bazunu had the ball pinched off him on his own goalline by Hardie – who tapped in.

Ryan Fraser squandered a one-on-one and Whittaker curled over in a breathless finale but Saints made it seven home victories on the spin.

Ryan Hardie took his Championship goal tally to six as Plymouth kept bottom-placed Sheffield Wednesday winless with a 3-0 victory at Home Park.

Mustapha Bundu and Morgan Whittaker scored within a four-minute spell at the end of the first half to put Argyle 2-0 up and 70th-minute substitute Hardie added the gloss.

Winless Wednesday have now lost 10 of their opening 13 league games, with their new boss Danny Rohl suffering back-to-back defeats.

Whittaker came closest to putting Argyle ahead in the eighth minute when his delightful curling chip from outside the box from the right came back off the far post, having beaten diving keeper Cameron Dawson.

Wednesday responded well and should have scored when Josh Windass sent Anthony Musaba away down the right wing with a defence-splitting pass in the 27th minute.

Musaba raced into the Argyle penalty area and sent a thumping cross across the six-yard box but none of the Wednesday strikers could add a finishing touch.

Musaba’s next cross into the box, again from the right, was met by striker Lee Gregory, whose first time 31st-minute strike flew over, before Windass let fly with a 25-yard free-kick which fit-again keeper Michael Cooper took into his midriff.

Argyle countered with Bundu putting Whittaker in on goal. The Argyle playmaker was fouled just outside the area by Dominic Iorfa. From the free-kick Bundu let fly with an unstoppable shot that gave Dawson no chance as it flew into the top corner off the underside of the bar after 44 minutes.

Four minutes later Whittaker doubled Argyle’s advantage latching on to a back pass from Wednesday defender Pol Valentin before driving forward and then calmly slotting past stranded Dawson.

Argyle started the second half much as they had finished the first, on the front foot, with Kaine Kesler-Hayden teeing up Finn Azaz, whose shot on the run was well saved by Dawson in the 53rd minute.

From the corner the ball was passed to Whittaker, whose shot from outside the box flew just over.

At the other end Cooper did well to save from Windass, from the left hand-side of the penalty area, following a superb pass from Wednesday’s midfield lynchpin Barry Bannan.

As Argyle grew in confidence, Azaz let fly from distance, hitting a bouncing ball on the rise and producing another good save from Dawson.

Azaz was again denied by Dawson in the 67th minute as he tried to place the ball past the keeper, who made a superb one-handed stop, diving to his left to keep out the goal-bound shot.

Argyle surged further ahead following a lightning counter with Azaz drawing defenders before sliding a pass to Hardie, who finished with a low, first-time strike from just inside the box after 76 minutes.