GUNTER & THE HUNTED; Forest star's first strike leaves Pilgrims boss Sturrock fighting for survival.

PLYMOUTH 0 N FOREST 1 PLYMOUTH: Larrieu 6, Gray 7, Lowry 8, Arnason 6 (Chester 36), Sawyer 5, Clark 6 (Judge 63, 6), Fletcher 6, Duguid 6, Mackie 5, Gow 6 (Wright-Phillips 63, 5), Sheridan 5. NOTT FOREST: Camp 6, Gunter 7, Morgan 6, Wilson 6 (Chambers 74, 6), Cohen 6, Garner 6 (Anderson 71, 7), McKenna 7, Majewski 7, Tyson 5, Adebola 5 (Moussi 82), Blackstock 6. Goal: Gunter 45 REFEREE: Andy Woolmer ATTENDANCE: 14, 792

PLYMOUTH boss Paul Sturrock insisted last night he will not resign after seeing his side crash to their seventh successive loss.

Winless Argyle remain rooted to the bottom of the Championship after Chris Gunter scored his first Forest goal since making his move from Spurs permanent in the summer.

Argyle gave away 10,000 free tickets but it failed to rouse their team - or result in a sell-out crowd - after conceding in first-half injury-time.

Those that turned up booed at the end and Sturrock said: "We never really had an edge to us. We reacted in the wrong fashion to their goal.

"The second half was not to the standards we need to achieve. If I thought it was a complete lost cause and if I thought I was the catalyst for all this, I would have to have a think about it.

"But I've been very pleased that the club's new board has given me support and I would love to turn things around. I will not walk away from it."

Argyle's young defence - aged 20, 20, 21 and 24 - are still getting to know each other after three of them joined on loan earlier this month. Sturrock admits his defence is a problem but is refusing to recall Dutchman Marcel Seip, who is on the transfer list.

Forest assistant manager David Kelly admitted his side benefited from Argyle's inexperienced backline.

He said: "Our performance wasn't as good as it has been away from home but Plymouth lacked a bit of confidence maybe. They are a very young team."

Argyle's defence was put under increasing pressure in the first half as the hosts allowed Forest plenty of space in possession.

And they were eventually punished. Gunter swapped passes with former Argyle striker Dexter Blackstock and finished after a slip by centre-back James Chester, who is on loan from Manchester United.

CAPTION(S):

DEFIANT Sturrock won't give in to the Plymouth fans UP AND RUNNING Gunter celebrates his first goal since joining Forest