ARGYLE'S one and only pre-season friendly at Home Park ended in defeat by Dundee United.

Seven days before the start of the 2008/09 Championship campaign, Paul Sturrock's Pilgrims put in another lacklustre performance.

That has been the theme of pre-season, and must be a cause of concern for Sturrock.

The Scottish Premier League visitors clinched victory with a goal in the 47th minute from Spanish striker Francisco Sandaza.

Argyle rarely threatened an equaliser as their attacking play lacked any real purpose.

There will need to be a considerable improvement when Wolverhampton Wanderers are the visitors to Home Park this Saturday.

Argyle included two Scots in their starting line-up against United, David McNamee and Jim Paterson.

McNamee, one of Sturrock's five summer signings, played at right-back, with Paterson on the left-side of midfield.

Gary Sawyer returned to action at left-back after a hamstring injury.

Sawyer had sat out Argyle's pre-season games against Yeovil Town and Truro City last week.

Romain Larrieu was selected as the Pilgrims' goalkeeper in preference to Graham Stack, another of the club's close-season recruits.

Dundee United will start their Scottish Premier League season next Monday away to newly-promoted Hamilton Academical.

They were captained by defender Lee Wilkie, a former Argyle loan signing.

The Scotland international played twice for the Pilgrims during the 2000/01 season.

Argyle used a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Jermaine Easter the lone striker and Rory Fallon in closest support.

Paterson, who started his career at Dundee United, had an early chance for the home side.

He received a pass from Fallon and cut inside onto his right foot before curling a 20-yard shot over the crossbar.

Fallon could not hit the target after a cross from McNamee as Argyle made a positive start.

That did not last long, though, as both sides became sloppy with their passing.

Paterson had a goal-bound shot blocked by United defender Sean Dillon in the 24th minute after a cross from right-side midfielder Jamie Mackie.

Mackie was having a good tussle with visiting left-back Danny Grainger.

The Pilgrims' winger was trying to exploit his pace, but Grainger was sticking to his task with some decisive tackling.

United, beaten 5-1 at home by Barcelona the previous Saturday, did not create a chance until the 35th minute.

Argyle could not clear a free-kick from Grainger into their penalty area and, after a goalmouth scramble, midfielder Prince Buaben fired wide from 16 yards.

The Pilgrims then came close to taking the lead five minutes before half-time.

United's Polish 'keeper Lukasz Zaluska made a superb save, high to his right, to claw away a header from centre-back Krisztian Timar.

Timar had been picked out by a free-kick from midfielder Luke Summerfield.

Argyle made one substitution at half-time, with Stack replacing Larrieu between the posts.

Stack's first touch was to pick the ball out of the net in the 47th minute.

Sandaza, on as a half-time substitute for United, slotted low past Stack with a fine angled finish.

Argyle could not make an immediate response to that goal as they lacked any attacking penetration.

To try to change that, Sturrock sent on Jason Puncheon, the £250,000 summer signing from Barnet, for Paterson in the 58th minute.

Puncheon was soon followed by midfielder Chris Clark, who came on for Sawyer.

That meant McNamee moving to left-back, Karl Duguid taking over at right-back and Clark slotting into the centre of midfield.

Easter hit the post from close range in the 66th minute, but had already been flagged offside.

Further substitutions followed, with Steve MacLean and Marcel Seip coming on for Fallon and Timar respectively.

United were now playing a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Sandaza up front on his own, and Argyle found it difficult to make any in-roads into their defence.

Yoann Folly was a 72nd minute substitute for Summerfield as Sturrock continued to ring the changes, but without any noticeable difference.

Folly headed high over the bar from a Duguid cross before Sandaza wasted a chance to put United 2-0 up.

Sandaza scuffed a shot wide from only six yards after defender Michael Kovacevic had driven the ball into the penalty area.

Argyle's seventh and last substitute, Yala Bolasie, replaced Mackie in the 81st minute.

Puncheon had a half-chance soon afterwards when United failed to clear a cross by McNamee.

The ball broke to the former Barnet midfielder but he could not get his shot on target from 20 yards.

Then, at the other end of the pitch, Stack had to make an instinctive, close-range save from United's on-loan Cardiff City striker Warren Feeney.

Argyle had one last opportunity to grab an equaliser in the first minute of stoppage time.

Puncheon got to the by-line and cut the ball back into the six-yard area, but MacLean miskicked.

It rolled out to Bolasie but his shot was well wide.

That action summed up Argyle's uninspiring afternoon.

MATCH STATS

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE (4-4-1-1)

Romain Larrieu; David McNamee, Krisztian Timar, Mathias Doumbe, Gary Sawyer; Jamie Mackie, Luke Summerfield, Karl Duguid, Jim Paterson; Rory Fallon; Jermaine Easter. Substitutes: Chris Clark (for Sawyer 62 mins), Jason Puncheon (for Paterson 58 mins), Yoann Folly (for Summerfield 72 mins), Steve MacLean (for Fallon 66 mins), Marcel Seip (for Timar 66 mins), Graham Stack (for Larrieu h/t), Yala Bolasie (for Mackie 81 mins).

DUNDEE UNITED (4-4-2)

Lukasz Zaluska; Sean Dillon, Lee Wilkie (Michael Kovacevic 72 mins), Darren Dods, Danny Grainger; Prince Buaben (Swanson 81 mins), Willo Flood, Scott Robertson, Morgaro Gomis; Warren Feeney (Andis Shala 90 mins), Jon Daly (Sandaza h/t). Substitutes: David Robertson, Michael McGovern (gk), Paul Dixon, Ryan McCord.

REFEREE: Steve Tanner (Somerset)

ATTENDANCE: 4,120

GOALS – Argyle: None; Dundee United: Sandaza 47 mins

YELLOW CARDS – Argyle: None; Dundee United: None

NEXT MATCH: Tonight, away to Swindon Town, pre-season friendly (7.45pm)