PLYMOUTH Argyle's hopes of playing Coca-Cola Championship football next season appear increasingly remote, after an emphatic defeat in west London last night.

The struggling Pilgrims were well beaten by Queen's Park Rangers, who thoroughly deserved their 2-0 win. The capital outfit outplayed the Westcountry team from start to finish, and their margin of victory could have been much greater.

Plymouth, as has been the case far too often for their own good lately, were partly the architects of their downfall. They gave away a needless penalty which allowed the Hoops to open the scoring late in the first half, and there was no sign of an Argyle comeback after that. For the Pilgrims, escape from the division's bottom three looks unlikely.

For two Argyle players, last night's match gave them the opportunity to play Championship football for the first time in a month. Gary Sawyer and Alan Judge, neither of whom had played for the Pilgrims since the 2-1 defeat at Reading on February 9, were both recalled.

Sawyer slotted into the visitors' side at left-back, to allow Chris Barker to move from that position to the centre of defence. Carl Fletcher, who had filled in for the injured Réda Johnson in the middle of Argyle's rearguard in last Saturday's 1-1 home draw against Preston North End, reverted to his usual central midfield role.

Luke Summerfield, who had been Damien Johnson's partner in central midfield against the Lancashire outfit at the weekend, dropped down to the substitutes' bench. He had Joe Mason for company, because Rory Fallon made a predictable return to Argyle's starting XI. The New Zealander had been deployed as a substitute last Saturday, when Mason had been given a game as Jamie Mackie's strike partner.

With Chris Clark and Craig Noone joining Réda Johnson on the list of unfit absentees, Judge was given a game on the left side of midfield. He had not featured in the squad picked to play Preston, having returned from international duty with the Republic of Ireland's Under-21 team last week with a hamstring twinge.

In his second game in charge of Queen's Park Rangers, former Argyle manager Neil Warnock stuck to the starting XI which had beaten West Bromwich Albion 3-1 last Saturday. Akos Buzsaky, a Home Park favourite in happier times for the Pilgrims, was again named as a substitute despite scoring the third goal against the Baggies.

Warnock sent out his team to play in the 4-3-3 formation which he had favoured at Crystal Palace, his previous employers. The movement and skill of the hosts' attacking players, notably Adel Taarabt and Hogan Ephraim, caught the eye in the early stages, and it was the Hoops who had the contest's first attempt on goal.

They were gifted the opportunity. When Argyle tried to play their way out of defence in the 14th minute, midfielder Karl Duguid lost the ball and Ephraim seized possession before hitting a low shot which goalkeeper David Stockdale had to get down to save.

QPR striker Jay Simpson smacked a shot on the run just wide four minutes later, as the Hoops kept pressing. Then Matt Connolly surged forward to ram a long-range effort off target.

Attacks from the Pilgrims were infrequent, although they did have a half-chance when Judge curled a free-kick into the danger area in the 25th minute. Kari Arnason found some space in the box, but sent his header too high.

A minute later Rangers responded with some impudent skill from Taarabt, who wriggled his way past two or three green shirts before just missing the mark with his shot. The balance of play remained in the home side's favour, and they won a penalty ten minutes before half-time.

Connolly sent in a left-footed cross from the right which looked to be too high for Tamas Priskin to reach, which made Arnason's reaction hard to fathom. The Iceland international held down the Hungarian, and referee Paul Tierney pointed to the spot. Taarabt sent Stockdale the wrong way.

Damion Stewart flashed a header over the bar soon afterwards, after fellow central defender Kaspars Gorkss flicked on Alejandro Faurlin's free-kick. Judge's stoppage-time free-kick which hit a blue and white wall of defenders meant that Argyle failed to come up with an on-target goal attempt in the entire first half.

Duguid was booked for hacking down the mercurial Taarabt soon after the break, and there was further punishment in store. Taarabt whipped in a wicked free-kick from the left flank to restart play, and Stewart's close-range header beat Stockdale in the 49th minute to double the hosts' lead.

The setback prompted the Pilgrims to shuffle their pack. Yannick Bolasie and Mason were sent into the fray in the 55th minute, with Judge and Fallon making way.

The tide did not turn, though. Faurlin had a shot saved by Stockdale, Taarabt blazed high and wide, and Simpson missed from close range as Argyle remained on the back foot for most of the time.

Richard Eckersley, for a foul on Priskin, followed Duguid into the book, but at least the Pilgrims survived the consequent free-kick. Little else went their way. Arnason and Stockdale contrived to lose possession just outside the area, but Simpson could not take advantage.

QPR gave Buzsaky and two other substitutes some undemanding match practice, and played out time. As had been the case in the first half, home goalkeeper Carl Ikeme was not required to make a save. This was far from Argyle's finest hour and a half this term.