Steven Schumacher claimed his first win as Plymouth manager as the hosts beat Charlton 1-0 in League One at Home Park thanks to Kieran Agard’s 45th-minute winner.

Argyle top scorer Ryan Hardie forced Charlton keeper Craig MacGillivray to go full stretch to keep out his angled goal-bound shot. The ball rebounded to Hardie’s strike partner Agard, who scored with a superb measured grass-cutter in off a post from the edge of the box.

Hardie and playmaker Danny Mayor both tested MacGillivray in the second half, which was a much livelier affair than the tepid first half.

Hardie looked as though he was set to double Argyle’s lead midway through the second half but blazed his final shot on the run over the bar after skipping past the visitors’ offside trap.

Mayor was a continual thorn in Charlton’s side in the second half but their best opportunity was clipped just wide by Agard at the far post as he latched on to Jordan Houghton’s cross from the left.

Former Argyle player Ben Purrington bounced a cross off the bar in the 86th minute as Charlton pressed for a leveller in Johnnie Jackson’s first game in the dugout since being announced as permanent manager.