A poor first half performance from Exeter City saw them crash to a 3-0 defeat away at Home Park in the Devon derby.
The Grecians were 2-0 down at the break having failed to create a single shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.
At the other end City looked nervous as they struggled to deal with the height, pace and strength of Argyle's Jason Banton and Reuben Reid.
Plymouth threatened as early as the second minute as Lewis Alessandra headed an Ollie Norburn corner against the crossbar.
Liam Sercombe responded by working a yard of space, on the edge of the box, and hitting a right-footed effort a yard over the top. However, that was one of only two chances City managed in the first half as they failed to get their passing game going.
Plymouth took the lead on 14 minutes as Banton won a cheap free-kick on the edge of the area. It was City captain Scot Bennett who caught him, but the Argyle striker went down very easily.
However, Tyler Harvey made the most official Roger East's decision to award a foul as he whipped a shot over the three-man wall and inside the near post.
Pym, who was at fault for the final goal of the game, perhaps should have done better with the save as he managed to get a hand to the ball but couldn't keep it out of the net.
Harvey then had a great chance to make it 2-0 ten minutes later as he picked the ball up on the edge of the box and fired over.
Further chances came Argyle's way as Banton almost set up Reid for a tap-in and then Harvey had a close-range effort deflected inches wide of the right-hand post.
However, just as it looked as though City might manage to get to half-time only trailing by a single strike, Plymouth got a second.
City will again feel aggrieved with the referee East though as Liam Sercombe appeared to be bundled over in Plymouth's half just as the home side were looking to counter-attack. As a result the visitors were short on midfield cover as Argyle broke down the left hand side of the pitch, before Harvey fed a perfectly weighted pass into Reid and he hit a shot past the advancing Pym.
Displeased with the first half performance, City boss Paul Tisdale made two attack-minded changes at the break bringing on new signing Graham Cummins, for Jordan Tillson, and David Wheeler for Danny Butterfield.
It seemed to have the desired effect as City looked the better side in the opening quarter of an hour of the second half.
First Matt Grimes warmed the gloves of Argyle keeper Luke McCormick, with a free-kick from the right, and then Sercombe was close to feeding a ball into Cummins in the area.
A few minutes later Wheeler hit a right-foot shot from the edge of the box that flashed just wide of the right hand post.
However it was Cummins, playing in a 4-2-4 formation at times, who impressed the most.
He had the best chance of the half for City as he controlled a long ball into the box before hitting a shot on target that McCormick stood up well to block.
Had that gone in the comeback might have been on.
However, at the other end Plymouth showed they were still dangerous on the break as Reid shrugged off the challenges of Matt Oakley and Pat Baldwin to strike a shot inches wide.
The home side began to grow into the game again as Harvey lofted a shot horribly off target when well placed.
Cummins did have another chance as he hit a first-time shot past the near post from a low Bennett cross.
However, City's fate was confirmed seven minutes before the end as another cheap free-kick was conceded by Craig Woodman on the right side of the pitch. The ball was crossed into the centre, where Pym fumbled under pressure and Curtis Nelson picked up the ball, turned and smashed a shot into the roof of the net.
Exeter City: Pym, Butterfield (Wheeler, 45), Woodman, Bennett, Baldwin, Sercombe, Oakley, Keohane, Grimes, Nichols (Watkins, 75), Tillson (Cummins, 45). Subs: Davies, Dawson, Hamon, Jay.
Booked: Bennett (44)
Plymouth Argyle: McCormick, Mellor, Nelson, Norburn, Alessandra, Banton (Thomas, 84), Reid (Morgan, 71), Harvey (Allen, 76), McHugh, O'Connor, Hartley. Subs: Bittner, Purrington, Blizzard, Smalley.
Booked: Morgan (79).
Attendance 11,148. Away. 943
