Wayne Rooney endured a miserable return to management as his Plymouth side slumped to a 4-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.

Debutant Jamal Lowe’s first-half close-range finish, Brendan Galloway’s unfortunate own goal and late efforts from Josh Windass and substitute Michael Smith consigned the Pilgrims to a disappointing defeat.

Rooney, back in a manager’s role after an ill-fated spell as Birmingham boss ended in the sack in January, faces a tough task on the evidence of Plymouth’s performance.

Argyle and Wednesday both guaranteed Championship survival on the final day last season, but while the Owls picked up where they left off after winning four and drawing two of their final six games, Rooney’s side offered little.

Wednesday appeared destined for relegation when they appointed Danny Rohl in October, but after finishing last term with a flurry and a new long-term deal signed by their German manager, optimism has returned to Hillsborough.

Barry Bannan’s low effort forced Plymouth goalkeeper Conor Hazard into the game’s first save, while the visitors’ first effort on target, from Adam Forshaw in the 27th minute, was easily gathered by Owls goalkeeper James Beadle.

Wednesday then took a deserved 35th-minute lead with the best move of the match up to that point.

Summer signing Svante Ingelsson charged on to Bannan’s through-ball and the former Hansa Rostock midfielder’s pinpoint cross was turned home by the unmarked Lowe from five yards.

Morgan Whittaker, for whom Plymouth turned down a bid from an unnamed club this week, fired his side’s best first-half chance high over the crossbar.

Bannan had two successive goal-bound shots blocked at the start of the second period, with Rooney cutting a frustrated figure on the touchline as his side struggled to retain possession.

And Argyle fell 2-0 behind in farcical fashion in the 52nd minute when Lowe headed Djeidi Gassama’s left-wing cross back across the face of goal and the ball rebounded off Galloway’s head and into the top corner.

The Owls set up a succession of further chances, with forward Anthony Musaba squandering three of them.

He failed to properly connect with a far-post cross, fired wide after a storming run into the box and ballooned another effort over from 12 yards.

It was no surprise when Windass made it 3-0 from six yards in the 82nd minute after Musaba’s run to the byline and cutback.

Argyle pair Darko Gyabi and Whittaker both fired low shots narrowly wide in the closing stages, but it was too little too late for Rooney’s side and Smith added the Owls’ fourth in stoppage time after his initial shot had been saved.