"I am a little bit shocked because our early play did not suggest that and people will look at that score and say we got a drubbing," said Laws.

"But in reflection, the first and third goals came from errors. Those goals were pretty poor defending and it was always going to be an uphill battle, but having said that we still passed the ball well, we created and in the second half I said the next goal was going to be key whether we got back into the game, or not."

Argyle went 1-0 ahead after 15 minutes, when visiting goalkeeper Lee Grant could only palm away Paul Gallagher's wind-assisted drive from outside the box.

The ball fell to winger Jamie Mackie, who ended up scrambling the ball off marker Tommy Spurr and then recalled central defender Mark Beevers and in.

Mackie also provided the second goal, for Gallagher, on 25 minutes.

The winger met Chris Clark's pacy crossfield pass with a first-time strike that flew in off on-loan Blackburn forward Gallagher as he was first to the low cross from the right.

Mackie then profited when Grant could only block target man Rory Fallon's spectacular bicycle kick from Luke Summerfield's corner from the left.

Half-time substitute Francis Jeffers missed a golden opportunity to pull a goal back for Wednesday after breaching the offside trap in the 49th minute, firing wide.

"Frannie was alert, he was clever, showed good movement, created a great opportunity, slipped through – and should have scored," lamented Laws.

"He missed the target and we have had another two or three opportunities to score and it would have been a lot closer game – it's just been the way it's going away from home."

Laws's opposite number and predecessor at Hillsborough, Paul Sturrock, was delighted with his side's discipline as they soared to fifth.

Sturrock remained faithful to the starting line-up which had begun the previous three games.

Argyle dropped deep, inviting their opponents to use the wind at their backs to full effect in the second half – a point that disappointed Sturrock.

Jeffers almost profited, producing a defence-splitting pass to put James O'Connor in on goal.

Home goalkeeper Romain Larrieu saved, but as the ball spun up it required an off-the-line header from on-loan Manchester United central defender Craig Cathcart to clear the danger.

On 75 minutes, the ball fell invitingly to substitute Jimmy Smith, who arrowed his volley wide from 12 yards.

With their chance gone and having seen Spurr suffer a later ankle injury, 10-man Wednesday conceded a fourth when central defender Marcel Seip powered home a last-minute header from Summerfield's corner from the left.

Plymouth Argyle: Larrieu, Doumbe, Cathcart, Seip, Barker, Mackie (Paterson 83), Summerfield, Duguid, Clark (Marin 88), Gallagher (Mpenza 90), Fallon. Unused substitutes: Timar, Folly.

Sheffield Wednesday: Grant, McMahon, Beevers, Watson, Spurr, Small (Jeffers 46), O'Connor, McAllister, Esajas (Johnson 46), Burton (Smith 56), Tudgay. Unused substitutes: O'Donnell, Clarke.

Referee: R East (Wiltshire).