It is the issue which will be occupying the thoughts of every Albion fan today.

Is a third successive away defeat, a thumping one at that, evidence of a downward spiral into relegation trouble?

Or was a remarkable match a one-off, one of those inexplicable days when practically everything that could go wrong did?

Put your minds at rest. Albion's biggest defeat, not just of this Championship season but of Mark McGhee's time in charge, owed more to a catalogue of misfortune than a catastrophic performance.

It is hard to believe, considering the scoreline, but McGhee's weakened side did not play that badly. In fact, they played much better than when beaten in less convincing fashion at Cardiff and Stoke.

They will, in all probability, play better still at home to table-topping Wigan tomorrow night if Adam Virgo and Mark McCammon are available.

It is surely no coincidence that Albion have lost all five away matches this season without the versatile Virgo, who was on compassionate leave following his father's funeral last Thursday.

McCammon travelled to Devon and was due to play until discovering one of the medical tests, conducted after illness forced him off at half-time at Stoke, revealed an irregularity.

Albion are hopeful the big target man will be cleared to lead the attack against Wigan following further checks today.

Australian rightback Paul Reid, struggling to fathom how the Seagulls found themselves 4-1 down after 36 minutes, said: "I guess we do miss the likes of Mark and Virgs. Hopefully one or both of them might be available for Tuesday night.

"They provide a different dimension when they play up front. Their workrate is very high and their aerial ability is second to none."

Reid was as perplexed as everyone in the camp by a result which misleadingly implied Albion were pulverised. "The boys are mostly in shock," he said. "We were expecting to get a result, at least a draw, and to go in at half-time 4-1 down was very disappointing.

"We didn't think it was a 5-1 game. We just couldn't believe it, but the main thing is to get our heads up and put it behind us because we have got an important game on Tuesday night.

"There were plenty of good points, plenty of positives. We have bounced back from disappointments like this during the season.

"I think the boys are probably just looking forward to the Tuesday night game to put this right to the back of our minds. We are in a dogfight and if we can pick up three points this game will be forgotten."

The bad news pre-match about Virgo and McCammon followed Albion onto the pitch. Even before the goal rush began, Guy Butters, whose display was described by McGhee as "immense", had a header disallowed because a free-kick from Richard Carpenter had supposedly curled back into play.

The ninth-minute lead provided for Plymouth by a fierce finish from Nick Chadwick, via a sharp one-two with his front partner Dexter Blackstock, was erased within two minutes by Charlie Oatway on his 200th League appearance for the Seagulls.

The captain, restored to the starting line-up, evidently relishes Home Park. His deflected header from another Carpenter free-kick was the eighth of his Albion career and three of them have been away to Argyle.

Another feast beckoned after six goals had been scored in two of the three corresponding clashes between the teams. Sadly this time they were not shared equally.

Referee Phil Crossley awarded Argyle a disputed penalty for handball by Adam Hinshelwood, with Chadwick in hot pursuit. Eyewitness Reid said: "I was right there and Hinsh got a push in the back. He did handball it but the push came first, so I thought it was very harsh."

Paul Wotton, having blazed over from the spot at Derby the previous week, made no mistake with the fourth penalty conceded by Albion in the last three away games.

Two-one down with only 12 minutes played, the madness continued as the Seagulls fell further behind amid more controversy in the 21st minute.

Rami Shaaban was penalised by the same linesman who missed Chadwick's shove on Hinshelwood for kicking from his hands outside his area, an offence which goes unpunished week in and week out. Wotton added insult to injury by smashing in the resulting free-kick.

At 3-1 Albion were still in with a chance. They weren't a quarter-of-an-hour later, when David Norris evaded several tackles before slotting Plymouth's fourth.

The second half was subdued by comparison until Carpenter uncharacteristically allowed frustration to get the better of him inside his own half, pushing Chadwick in the chest when the former Everton forward prevented him from taking a quick free-kick.

It was the type of reaction which 20 years ago would have led to a ticking off. Nowadays it is an automatic sending-off.

Scott Taylor was set up by fellow sub Mickey Evans for Argyle's fifth with two minutes left, eclipsing McGhee's previous heaviest defeat at home to Bristol City in his first game in charge.

"Hopefully it doesn't come down to goal difference in the end," Reid remarked. He has a point, Albion's is now an unhealthy minus 19.

  • ALBION (4-4-2): Shaaban; Reid, Hinshelwood, Butters, Mayo; Nicolas, Carpenter, Oatway, Harding; Hart, Knight. Subs: McPhee for Nicolas (withdrawn 55), Hammond for Harding (withdrawn 85), Watson, El-Abd, May
  • Bookings: Knight (33) unsporting behaviour
  • Sent off: Carpenter (68) violent conduct
  • Scorers: Oatway (11)
  • Plymouth (4-4-2): McCormick; Connolly, Coughlan, Aljofree, Gilbert; Norris, Wotton, Gudjonsson, Capaldi; Blackstone, Chadwick. Subs: Taylor for Chadwick (withdrawn 80), Lasley for Capaldi (withdrawn 89), Evans for Blackstock (withdrawn 46), Worrell, Doumbe.
  • Bookings: Wotton (23) foul
  • Scorers: Chadwick (9), Wotton (12 pen) and (21), Norris (36), Taylor (88)
  • Attendance: 15,606 (928 Albion)
  • Fans View Martin Hobbs (Brighton) The referee was atrocious but we can't argue with 5-1. Our front two weren't mobile enough and Richard Carpenter should you're asking for trouble if you raise your hands on a football pitch. It could be much worse though - I wonder how how the Nottingham Forest fans are feeling after losing 6-0 at Ipswich Stephen Taylor (Brighton) For the second week running I hope the fuss about the referee's poor performance will not mask a worrying display by the team. It's actually the third successive away game where we have been awful in the first half. If Mark McGhee really thinks we played well I suspect he is in the minority.

Kath Taylor (Brighton) It was probably all over at 3-1 in 20 minutes as we haven't scored more than two goals in any game for more than a year now. We've got the horrible looking run-in and we'll need to play much better to get seven or eight more points. Sort it out soon lads or you will be playing Scunthorpe next season.

George Lever (Plymouth) I think most of us were expecting a tight game as Brighton have a reputation for being hard to beat. Everyone was very surprised how easy it was altough we may have had a dodgy penalty decision. If we could take six points a season off everyone else we'd be Champions by now.