NIALL QUINN'S managerial baptism of fire continued with a third straight defeat for his defensively inept side.

Two awful errors accounted for the pair of Plymouth goals that sealed the game.

Sunderland had made the perfect start, taking the lead inside a minute as the Argyle defence failed miserably to deal with Tommy Miller's lofted through ball, allowing Daryl Murphy to slot home from a tight angle on the left.

Argyle were back on terms in the eighth minute, however, as Lee Hodges' cross-field ball was collected by David Norris, who lobbed a stunning equaliser from the right angle of the area over a stranded Ben Alnwick.

Clive Clarke's Sunderland debut ended prematurely in the 20th minute as he exited holding his groin, to be replaced by Stephen Wright.

And the away side then stormed into the lead in the 39th minute, when Kenny Cunningham's woefully short back-pass was picked up by Barry Hayles, who rounded Alnwick before firing home.

Quinn's men left the pitch at half-time to a chorus of jeers, but they nearly levelled matters in the 51st minute, when Danny Collins headed a Liam Lawrence long throw goalwards, only for Paul Connolly to head off the line.

Hayles had a glorious chance to make it three for Argyle four minutes later when the hapless Cunningham failed to deal with a routine through ball, but the former Fulham man shot limply into Alnwick's midriff.

Norris burst through a statuesque home defence in the 59th minute, but the Sunderland keeper again proved up to the task, as he parried a piledriver from 10 yards.

The majority of supporters at the Stadium of Light were starting to get edgy, but they were brought to life by an equaliser in the 66th minute, when Murphy got to the byline and crossed perfectly for Elliott to nod into an empty net from two yards.

Matters almost got even better three minutes later, but substitute Chris Brown's header came back off the bar and rebounded to safety.

Suddenly the Black Cats were purring and they again almost netted in the 75th minute, but Grant Leadbitter fired across the face of goal from a narrow angle.

But against the run of play Argyle retook the lead on the 82nd minute, when Collins made a hash of clearing an aerial through ball, allowing sub Nick Chadwick a free run on goal to slot home.

More boos greeted the final whistle on another depressing day for Quinn.