Basement club Plymouth claimed a surprise 2-1 home win over play-off hopefuls Norwich thanks to Scottish striker Ryan Hardie’s two first-half goals.

Hardie struck in the 24th and 29th minutes and despite a 46th-minute reply from in-form Josh Sargent, Argyle held on for an unlikely victory.

Argyle central defender Nikola Katic had his first-minute header from a Kornel Szucs long throw-in easily saved by City keeper Angus Gunn.

Home keeper Conor Hazard had a let-off in the third minute after he slipped while trying to clear a pass back to him, regaining his feet just in time to clear from incoming City striker Borja Sainz.

Hazard and the home defence had another let-off in the ninth minute as City left-back Jack Stacey skipped past marker Bali Mumba before firing a cross across the face of goal.

In the 12th minute Norwich came even closer to scoring as Sargent latched on to Ante Crnac’s cross from the right but the striker’s effort flew wide from close range.

Hazard had to palm away Marcelino Nunez’s 15th-minute angled strike as he latched on to a deft pass from Sainz after Stacey again found space and time from the byline down the right.

Totally against the run of play Argyle scored in the 24th minute after City had cleared their lines.

The ball fell to Argyle skipper Adam Randell and his lofted ball into the penalty area was brilliantly taken down by top scorer Hardie on his right foot and swept past Gunn with his left.

Hardie doubled Plymouth’s lead in the 29th minute after a combination of Shane Duffy and Kellen Fisher blocked Mustapha Bundu’s shot on the run.

With all three on the floor, Scottish ace Hardie collected the ball, picked his spot in the far corner and again fired home past Gunn.

Hardie was causing Norwich all sorts of problems and it took a strong tackle by Jose Cordoba to deny him in the 39th minute.

From Matthew Sorinola’s corner, Katic volleyed just wide at the far post.

At the other end Hazard made a brilliant two-handed save in the top corner to keep out Nunez’s brilliant wind-assisted 20-yard free-kick as half-time approached.

It only took a minute of the second half for City’s in-form striker Sargent to find the back of the net, with a thumping volleyed finish to greet Fisher’s cross from the right at the far post.

Argyle had failed to clear the danger down the left with Sainz’s mesmerising run leaving Argyle defenders in his wake before passing out to Fisher on the right.

Player of the match Hardie had to clear an effort from a Norwich corner off the line in the 75th minute.

In the 87th minute he came within a whisker of completing his hat-trick but despite stretching just failed to turn Bundu’s cross past Gunn.