Sierra Leone International Mustapha Bundu recorded his sixth of the season as ten-man Plymouth held on to defeat Portsmouth, securing their first away win of the season and moving within three points of safety.

Argyle deserved the points against their hosts, who had recently beaten league leaders Leeds. Fit-again Ryan Hardie’s brilliant backheel set up Mustapha Bundu to score the opener just before halftime. Hardie then doubled the lead four minutes after the break, racing from halfway and drilling the ball inside the near post.

Plymouth finished the match with 10 players after Matthew Sorinola received a second yellow card in the 86th minute. Adil Aouchiche later netted a stunning consolation goal for Portsmouth three minutes later.

Although the Greens remain at the bottom of the league, this win represents their first victory on the road since last April and places them three points away from safety. Portsmouth, on the other hand, is still seven points clear of the drop zone despite suffering just their second home defeat in 13 games.

Unsurprisingly, John Mousinho kept the same Portsmouth starting XI that played well in their 1-0 victory over Leeds on Sunday. In contrast, Argyle boss Miron Muslic made four changes from their disappointing 3-0 loss to Sheffield Wednesday.

There were 11 minutes of added time at the end of the match, during which Bramall had a shot charged down in the box as Portsmouth pressed for an equalizer. However, they couldn’t find the goal, and Plymouth extended their unbeaten streak against Portsmouth to eight matches, ending a 41-year record of 20 consecutive away games without a win.