Argyle, now striking out ambitiously for the top spot in Division Two, will inevitably face many tough, seemingly impossible hurdles of the kind presented by powerful Manchester City.

Predictably Argyle approached the hurdle with due caution. But they did not shirk it, fairly leaping over with another all-action display.

A near-20,000 crowd went home singing Argyle's praises and with this brand of fast, attacking, enterprising soccer  they will be back again and again.

Argyle and Manchester City provided a thrill a minute. Forwards of both sides moved with purpose and speed, triggering off raids with long, raking passes to their wing men.

Argyle were just that shade more accurate with their quick passes. The rearguard underwent a tricky first half, gaining in confidence and stature as the interval approached.

Surviving some heated pressure near his own goal, Argyle skipper John Newman organised his defence by his own cool example, and he and his colleagues plied the front line men with streamlined service.

Dave Maclaren performed brilliantly when Manchester should have drawn first blood, and Tony Book brought an air of tranquility when danger lurked.

Frank Lord, answering his critics with another beautifully-directed glancing header to bring Argyle back into the game in the second half, prodded passes inside and out, and with inside men Mike Trebilcock and Keith Sanderson running intelligently, more goals had to follow.

The first stemmed from a deftly-controlled header from Sanderson, who nodded the ball back from the dead-ball line for Trebilcock to do the rest.

Trebilcock often outpaces opposing defences with his bursts down the middle without actually receiving the expected pass.

That changed in this game when, more often than not, he ran and collected the through ball, though perhaps not always using it wisely.

It needed a hotly-disputed penalty to set the fans buzzing and even more so following its bizarre execution when Johnny Newman amusingly repeated a move that gave Wilf Carter a similar goal in a previous season.

He dispensed with the orthodox run-up and placement and left the crowd gasping by merely flicking the ball forward a couple of feet. Trebilcock galloped into the box to steer the ultimate shot wide of a baffled Alan Ogley.

City players argued with referee Mr. D. F. C. Wells (Luton) who afterwards explained that the award was for "hands", and not for a charge on Lord as many had imagined.

City appealed again after the goal but, of course, it was all perfectly legal.

Said Mr. Wells: " As the ball was kicked forward there can be no doubt about it, because the player coming from behind could not possibly be offside, as was claimed.

Attendance: 19,468