Plymouth Argyle v Leyton Orient, 12 August 2000

As Plymouth have retained their unbeaten 1999/2000 home record until the last game of the season, Leyton had to wait until November for their first away win and Argyle won last term's corresponding fixture 5-0, there was a certain unlikely inevitability about the Os' opening day success at Home Park. The visitors repelled early Pilgrim pressure to take the lead against the run of play. New boy Richard Garcia raced down the right flank; his cross to the near post saw veteran striker Carl Griffiths convert when his close range shot went in off the underside of the bar. Garcia and fellow teenage debutant Chris Dorrian earned lavish from Tommy Taylor. The Orient boss can't have been so happy with David McGhee. The big defender was sent-off in the tense closing stages when he kicked the ball away following the award of a free kick. He had earlier been cautioned for a foul.