West Bromwich Albion 2
Kamara pen 42, 49
Argyle 1
Fallon 70
ARGYLE suffered a first defeat of 2007 when they fell under the spell of Diomansy Kamara at the Hawthorns.
They were, however, mightily unlucky not to come away with at least a point as referee Mike Thorpe ignored two blatantly clear fouls by the home side in the West Brom penalty area as the Pilgrims poured on the pressure in the last ten minutes.
Kamara's individual talents bewitched the Pilgrims and it was perhaps fitting that the main difference between the two sides gave the Baggies' only a second victory over Argyle in the last 13 meetings between the two sides.
The Senegal international converted a penalty late in the first half after Ákos Buzsáky had indisputably handled, and quickly doubled that with a splendid solo goal just after half-time to ensure the Pilgrims had no joy at what is traditionally a happy hunting-ground.
Even a finely-taken debut goal from Rory Fallon in his second Argyle appearance since his move from Swansea could not sweeten the bitter pill of defeat in the first leg of their Blackcountry double-header.
Argyle manager Ian Holloway had stayed faithful to the starting 11 that had progressed the Pilgrims to the relatively uncharted waters of the FA Cup fifth round four days' earlier.
That meant cup-tied record signing Fallon was included only as a substitute, alongside fellow forward Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, who had been suspended at Underhill.
Albion made only one change to the team that had won the Battle of the Blackcountry cup clash the previous Sunday, beating Wolves 3-0 at Molineux to also take the Baggies into the last 16.
Despite keeping a clean sheet, Swiss international goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbuhler was unceremoniously dropped from the squad. His place in the team went to Dean Kiely, signed on a free transfer from Portsmouth on the eve of the transfer-window closure.
Otherwise, the Baggies' formidable line-up included the bulk of the team that had done duty in the Premiership last season, including former England international striker Kevin Phillips.
Kiely was the busier of the two goalkeepers in the opening exchanges but, given the to-and-fro combativeness of both midfield banks of four, that is a purely relative usage of the word.
It took a marvellous piece of individual skill to break the monotony. Kamara left Paul Connolly, Marcel Seip and Hasney Aljofree sprawling in his slipstream as he cut in from the left, bamboozling the last to such good effect that he was booked for a lunge that missed the ball by several feet.
The indiscretion earned Aljofree a tenth yellow card of the season, which rules him out of the prestige FA Cup fifth-round tie against Derby as well as next weekend's visit of Sunderland to Home Park.
Given such disappointment so early on, it was to Aljofree's credit that his head did not drop, and his interception of a dangerous cross from the right by Jason Koumas was one of many vital pieces of good work he handed in during the home side's subsequent surge.
Koumas had earlier served notice, if any was needed, of his prowess by slinging in a similar low cross that hit Kamara - rather than vice versa - but still went too close to Luke McCormick's left-hand post for comfort.
Argyle, though, were the first to get a shot on target, when Hungarian international midfielder Péter Halmosi managed to get a pacy left-footed long-range free-kick up and over the defensive wall, and force Kiely into a fairly comfortable save.
The game then entered its second cagey stage. Argyle patiently played their way up to Barry Hayles and Kevin Gallen, who, despite their considerable efforts, found the Baggies' centre-back pairing of Neil Clement and £10m-rated Curtis Davies impassable.
Albion's build-ups were not so careful and, with Koumas and Jonathan Greening playing overambitious and largely inaccurate Hollywood passes, the Pilgrims' back-four remained a place of calm.
That peace was shattered just before the interval, when Thorpe issued an uncontented penalty against Buzsáky after Albion defender Paul McShane had flicked on a long throw-in on the Albion right from Clement.
Buzsáky, who had moved towards the ball after McShane's touch, certainly looked guilty as Thorpe whistled. Not the way to impress watching Hungarian head coach Péter Várhidi.
Kamara was not for looking this particular gift-horse in the mouth and dispatched a low firmly-struck spot-kick past McCormick on the Argyle goalkeeper's right-hand side for his 16th goal of the season.
The second half began at a huge lick with attack and counter producing chances at either end.
For Argyle, Hayles will regret not making more of Lilian Nalis's perceptive pass over the top of Paul Robinson that sent him clear. With Gallen charging in at the far post, Hayles' final effort was disappointingly neither a cross nor a shot.
That missed opportunity was made to look more costly when Kamara added his second almost straightaway, splitting Aljofree and Tony Capladi as he ran on to a long ball and teasing McCormick before cutely squeezing the ball home from an acute angle.
Holloway introduced impact player Scott Sinclair from the bench, seeking a second successive miracle from the Chelsea tyro, after Halmosi had been kicked out of the game by Richard Chaplow, who then nearly added insult to injury by just failing to finish off Robert Koren's cross.
Fallon - wearing green-flashed boots, note - was then sent on for Gallen, and the big New Zealander made an immediate impact, falling away backwards to volley home Aljofree's left-wing cross low past Kiely's left-hand side.
Ebanks-Blake also joined the fray as Argyle, typically, kept at it, but a brave save by Kiely at the former Manchester United man's feet ensured lightning did not strike twice.
Thorpe twice in quick succession denied Argyle clear-cut penalties, first when Kiely prevented Ebanks-Blake from following up his strike, and then when Capaldi was flattened by Dutch substitute Sherjill MacDonald.
Shame. The very least Argyle's spirited second-half showing deserved was a chance to get even.
West Bromwich Albion (4-4-2): 31 Dean Kiely; 20 Paul McShane, 5 Neil Clement, 6 Curtis Davies (capt), 3 Paul Robinson; 19 Jason Koumas (11 Zoltan Gera 65), 12 Richard Chaplow, 8 Jonathan Greening, 15 Diomansy Kamara (32 Sherjill MacDonald 76); 16 Robert Koren, 21 Kevin Phillips (17 Darren Carter 86). Substitutes (not used): 28 Jared Hodgkiss, 30 Luke Daniels (gk).
Booked: Robinson 33, Chaplow 53.
Argyle (4-4-2): 23 Luke McCormick; 22 Paul Connolly, 19 Marcel Seip, 6 Hasney Aljofree, 14 Tony Capaldi; 7 David Norris, 4 Lilian Nalis, 8 Ákos Buzsáky, 16 Péter Halmosi (26 Scott Sinclair 53); 17 Kevin Gallen (33 Rory Fallon 65), 10 Barry Hayles (capt, 9 Sylvan Ebanks-Blake 73). Substitutes (not used): 5 Krisztián Timár, 29 Luke Summerfield.
Booked: Aljofree 12, Capaldi 69.
Referee: Mike Thorpe (Suffolk).
Attendance: 19,894 (1,200 away, est.).
