City made six changes for their first outing since the battle of Valley Parade against Crawley.
With Jon McLaughlin, Luke Oliver and Andrew Davies beginning their bans at Plymouth, it was a very different line-up drawn up by Phil Parkinson.
Matt Duke returned in goal hoping to keep a clean sheet against Argyle as he had done the week before in the last game of his Northampton loan.
Only one of Tuesday's back four remained, Rob Kozluk, who switched from right to left back for the injured Matt Fry.
Former skipper Guy Branston came in for the cold for his first City game since October. He partnered Lee Bullock at centre half with Simon Ramsden fit again to return on the right.
Ritchie Jones was back in central midfield alongside Ricky Ravenhill. David Syers started on the right and Michael Flynn left as Parkinson went for a narrow, more compact approach to protect the defence.
Craig Fagan was up front with James Hanson dropping to a very attack-minded bench.
That included Kyel Reid who was troubled by a back spasm, which is why he was not in from the start.
CITY: Duke, Ramsden, Bullock, Branston, Kozluk, Syers, Ravenhill, Jones, Flynn, Dagnall, Fagan. Subs: Hanson, Wells, Smalley, Reid, Annerson.
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