A VITAL VICTORY

WIN OVER WEDNESDAY TRUMPS ANY PERFORMANCE DOUBT

- CHRIS ERRINGTON

STEVEN Schumacher admitted picking up three Championship points was all important after seeing his Plymouth Argyle side beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 at a sold-out and soaked Home Park.

The Pilgrims were not at their best in the first half as the bottom-of-thetable visitors created a couple of good chances to take the lead. However, it was Argyle who broke the deadlock in the 44th minute with a terrific 20-yard free-kick from Mustapha Bundu on his full debut, and Morgan Whittaker then doubled their lead in added time.

Wednesday, without a league win all season, could not recover from those two quickfire goals and substitute Ryan Hardie added a third in the 76th minute to put the hosts home and dry on a miserably wet Wednesday night.

The Pilgrims had lost their previous two home Championship matches, and four out of their last seven in the Championship overall, so this was a much-needed victory for them.

Schumacher said: "I'm delighted with the result, that's the all important thing. We have actually played loads better the majority of this season and not won, or haven't got anything from the game.

"I didn't feel as though we passed the ball anywhere near as well as we usually do. It's probably credit to the opposition. I thought Sheffield Wednesday were really good, especially in the first half but we were clinical with our two chances late on and somehow managed to get ourselves into a two-nil lead.

"It gave us something to hold onto and build from in the second half and I thought we were professional, we did well. I'm delighted to have three points."