4-0 by half-time and game over, it can't be bad.
The new longer ball style of play introduced since the league game against Swindon produced the best 45 minutes of football since the first half against Crewe and is probably the kind of football Ryan Lowe has been searching for.
We had some luck with the first and fourth goals (handball and an own goal) but we thoroughly deserved to have a good lead by half-time.
The passing across the back three and into midfield just for passing sake has been replaced by a more longer style where the ball is hit into the channels for our two lively strikers to collect and we play from there.
As against Carlisle, it was Leyton Orient who had the more possession (44%/56%), another sign that our style has changed but it was us who had the better chances.
Antoni Sarcevic once again showed he's a powerhouse in midfield and the type of player we all know he can be, he just hasn't shown it consistently until these last three games, he and Cooper basically ran the game, especially during the first half.
It just might be that the dribbling skills of Danny Mayor actually slows down this new look team?
Lowe kept faith with the same 11 that beat Carlisle, so Mayor had to be content with a place on the bench.
Carl Fletcher received a huge applause during the early minutes of the game and rightly so.
The new tactic of hitting the channels was deployed very early doors and is was obvious that Orient struggled with the balls in behind the defenders.
Cooper was involved with the first goal when a flighted ball into the box was met by Sarcevic, his header was brilliantly saved by Brill, Rudden followed up with an header, although it looked like handball and again it was a brill save by Brill, no worries because Grant was there to thump home the loose ball. 1-0, Argyle players celebrating, Orient players complaining.
Cooper was the assister again soon after when a cross into the box was flicked in by Rudden at the near post. 2-0.
Orient were shell shocked and we had only just started.
Goal number 3 - an advance down the right by Sarcevic found McFadzean who jinked inside to fire in a low shot with his right foot, a quick celebration with the players before he ran to Lowe in the dug-out and celebrated again.
The fourth goal was on the stroke of half-time when Cooper again was the man to assist, he rifled in a low cross that hit Orient defender Widdowson and the ball rolled over the line. We were getting all the luck and Orient had none, although to be fair this scoreline had been coming for a while against someone and one that we richly deserved.
There were numerous other chances with the running of Rudden and Grant and the power of Sarcevic causing all sorts of problems.
Let's not forget that Orient had won their last three games and the previous game was a 4-0 win at Grimsby so to destroy them by half-time showed just how well we had played.
As expected the second half was an anti-climax, it seemed the instruction was to keep a clean sheet because we went into containment mode with the odd counter-attack. Lowe will be pleased with the clean sheet but disappointed we didn't get to 5 or 6 goals which would have made a great statement.
As it was Rudden had a chance that was saved and substitute Billy Clarke had a shot go well wide.
Orient's luck still deserted them when a shot hit the post and a few other efforts went wide or over the bar.
Danny Mayor replaced Cooper but he was a virtual spectator.
A win against Exeter and we go above them!
The new style of play has rejuvenated Sarcevic, no longer does he have to come deep to take part in the short passing game, now he can get forward and play off the strikers when the long ball comes into them.
It's not the Wimbledon of old long ball style, it's more of measured long pass into space. We do still play the short passing game but nowhere near as much as the early games of the season. Maybe Lowe has realised that his Bury style of short passing and possession based game doesn't suit the current players at his disposal so he's tweaked it and picked up 7 points front 3 games and the confidence and positivity has returned, not only to the players but to the fans as well.
Sarcevic was just unplayable - power and finesse and he deserved a goal.
Cooper wasn't far behind and had a hand in three of the four goals, he's more direct than Mayor and spots a pass.
Another clean sheet for Palmer and the defence, the back three are now finally a good unit.
The pace and movement of Rudden and Grant makes the new system work, if for instance Ryan Taylor was to play the system wouldn't work, it all depends on the running of the strikers and Byron Moore and no doubt Dom Telford could both fit into the new style.
Credit to Lowe for realising that his possession based style of football wasn't firing on all cylinders and changing to a system that suits the players.
Man of the match - Sarcevic.
Palmer 7. Wootton 7, Canavan 7, Sawyer 7, Edwards 7, Riley 7, Sarcevic 9, Cooper 8, McFadzean 7, Joel Grant 8, Rudden 8. Subs - Mayor 5, Clarke 6, B Moore 6.
