A deflected Matt Butcher strike and a late Conor Grant goal sent Plymouth Argyle top of League One after a 2-0 win over 10-man Accrington Stanley.

Plymouth opened the scoring on 14 minutes when former Stanley midfielder Butcher’s long-range strike hit the back of defender Baba Fernandes and looped into the net, wrong-footing keeper Toby Savin.

The Pilgrims could have made it two soon after from a Jordan Houghton free-kick but Savin dived to deny him.

Stanley’s best chance of the first half came when Korede Adedoyin’s strike was pushed away by keeper Callum Burton.

It went from bad to worse for Accrington on 51 minutes when Mo Sangare saw red for two yellow cards – their sixth League One dismissal of the season.

However, the home side came close to an equaliser after 65 minutes when Tommy Leigh’s 40-yard free-kick was superbly pushed out by Burton.

Plymouth sealed it when Danny Mayor fed substitute Grant in the 78th minute and he fired the ball low into the far corner of the net.

Ryan Hardie hit both posts for Plymouth, who are in pole position after Sheffield Wednesday lost at Barnsley, in the dying minutes as they inflicted a third successive loss on Stanley.