Plymouth Argyle 3-2 Bristol City
Adam Baker reports from Home Park

Ten-man City suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat at Plymouth Argyle in stoppage time after an amazing Nicky Maynard-inspired comeback at Home Park.

Stunning first half strikes from Chris Clark and Bradley Wright-Phillips had the Pilgrims in command, but after half-time Maynard bagged a superb brace to level the scores.

Jamal Campbell-Ryce was dimissed with six minutes left for a second bookable offence, and Plymouth utilised their man advantage to net a last-gasp winner through Carl Fletcher.

City made four changes from the side beaten 2-0 by Reading three days earlier and switched to a 4-4-2 formation.

The departed Wolves loanee Chris Iwelumo was replaced in attack by his club team-mate Austrian forward Stefan Maierhofer. Jamie McAllister earned a recall at the back in place of Lewin Nyatanga. In midfield both Lee Johnson and Paul Hartley dropped to the bench, with Marvin Elliott and Ivan Sproule recalled.

The first half hour was a quiet affair which City shaded. Maynard and Elliott both took aim from distance but couldn't find the target.

On 22 minutes good work down the right saw Elliott pick out Ivan Sproule in the box. The Northern Irishman's cutback found Cole Skuse on the edge of the box and his low shot forced David Stockdale into a parried. Debutant Maierhofer was handily placed to slot in the rebound but the offside flag cut short visiting celebrations.

Then, on 31 minutes, the Pilgrims snatched the lead out of nothing. Elliott's sliding challenge on Mackie near the touchline looked to have brought City some respite only for the ball to drop towards Chris Barker. The defender launched a first-time, inch-perfect cross into the box for the onrushing Clark to send a crisp volley under Dean Gerken for the opener.

Jamie Mackie warmed the gloves of Gerken with a swerving 30-yard drive, but it got worse for City on the brink of half-time.

A long throw-in from Kari Arnason was allowed to bounce in the box and Wright-Phillips pounced with an audacious overhead kick past Gerken for 2-0.

Bradley Wright-Phillips nets Plymouth's second goal

Maynard tested Stockdale with an angled drive in first half stoppage time.

Sproule was withdrawn at half-time for Danny Haynes in a like-for-like swap on the right flank.

Haynes sent Maynard chasing on to a through ball ten minutes after his arrival but Stockdale won a foot race with City's top scorer to make a goal-saving clearance.

City desperately needed a route back into the game and a foul by Reda Johnson on Maynard on the edge of the box afforded that chance. McAllister stepped over the set-piece to confuse the Plymouth defensive which split to allow Maynard to lash a low shot into the bottom corner of the goal.

Boosted by Maynard's lifeline strike, another free kick moments later was this time struck by McAllister powerfully over the wall. Stockdale had no chance with Maynard's goal, but he leapt to his left to deny McAllister's attempt with a brilliant two-handed save.

Carey did well to react and block when Yala Bolasie found room in the box to fire a shot towards goal.

A slip by McAllister allowed Mackie to advance on goal with 15 minutes left but his shot flashed horribly wide of the far post from a good position.

And City made the Pilgrims pay when Maierhofer's flick on put Maynard away from the home defence. The striker advanced on goal with perfect control and sent a low shot past Stockdale for a brilliant equaliser.

Seconds later Maynard could have secured his hat-trick as Haynes burst clear down the right and cut a cross back towards the centre. Maynard was left unmarked an angled a shot inches wide of the near post.

Just when City were trying to build up a steam of attack, they were reduced to ten men with Campbell-Ryce ordered off for a second bookable offence. Cautioned midway through the second half for dissent, the former Barnsley winger caught Clark late on the touchline and was soon heading for an early bath.

And the drama wasn't done as, in the first minute of stoppage time, a free kick was half-cleared towards Fletcher on the edge of the box and his low, placed shot found the bottom right corner of Gerken's net.

From the restart Elliott almost made it 3-3 from the restart by sending a 50-yard over Stockdale - not concentrating and still celebrating the goal - but the ball dropped inches wide.

A late penalty claim when Clarkson hit the deck in the area was waved away as City lost in heartbreaking fashion.