For the game at Home Park was a real damp squib as far as the influential midfielder was concerned.
He suffered a broken nose in the first half after catching a stray elbow in the face and spent three longish spells on the touchline receiving treatment before the interval.
To cap a frustrating afternoon for the former Scottish Under-21 international, he was sent-off in the 50th minute after picking up a second yellow card.
The scores were level at 1-1 that stage and the game was there to be won.
It was the second away game in succession that Woods - who had missed a second half penalty against Newcastle United at St James' Park with the two sides level - had possibly cost Rovers victory, or at least a share of the spoils.
Woods sets high standards for himself on the pitch and takes it badly when he considers that he has let the team down.
But Woods, whose playing account is still very much in credit after depositing a number of impressive performances this season, can consider himself unlucky to have picked up his second yellow in view of some of the other things that went unpunished by the officials.
Indeed, referee Paul Taylor is reported to have said that he wouldn't have booked Woods had he remembered that he had booked him in the first half.
Rovers again won many friends with the quality of their football - despite the wet conditions - even when down to ten men.
But it is points - not plaudits - they need right now if they are to avoid dropping into the relegation zone.
They are still looking to string a few wins together - which they did in the second half of last season to secure their Championship status after the situation had looked grim at the start of the festive season.
It is not an easy thing to do in such a competitive division. But if Rovers are looking for inspiration they need look no further than the Pilgrims.
The Devon side have now won four and drawn one of their last seven games and climbed out of the bottom three on Saturday for the first time in weeks and are now level on points with Rovers.
Rovers were forced to re-shuffle their back-four when centre-back Jason Shackell failed a fitness test on an ankle injury.
With Adam Lockwood and Byron Webster still on the comeback trail after injury, it meant that Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll had little option but to draft in full-back James O'Connor to play alongside Sam Hird at the heart of the Rovers defence
Hird, who had an outstanding game, was quick to praise his team-mate.
"Jimmy has obviously played a lot of games at the back - though not too many at centre-back - and he's a versatile player and he fitted in well," he said.
"I thought that we defended well and we were disappointed that we conceded two goals."
Rovers made the better start, keeping possession well and posing problems for the Plymouth defence.
But they were unable to turn openings into goals and it was Plymouth, who had gradually started to impose themselves on the game, who broke the deadlock on 26 minutes.
Alan Judge timed his run perfectly to get on the end of a low cross into the area by Alan Gow and gave Rovers' keeper Neil Sullivan no chance from just outside of the six-yard box.
Rovers didn't panic and deservedly drew level after 29 minutes through midfielder Dean Shiels.
The Pilgrims failed to clear the danger from a free-kick on the left and Shiels, whose first shot was blocked by a defender, scored at the second attempt to make it three goals in four games.
Said Shiels:"I knew that I had to keep the second shot low. I thought initially that the first shot was a handball but I got another stab at it and fortunately it went in.
"I feel I've been doing okay in recent games and obviously the goals have been a bonus.
"I think that I can get better and I'll keep working hard on the training ground to try to achieve that.
"We never gave up and with the chances that we created, I thought that we deserved more than we got than we got from the game.
"We are all disappointed in there (the dressing room) but we've got to pick ourselves up during the international break."
There appeared to be some doubt during the interval, when the left-back tested out his ankle, as to whether Gareth Roberts would re-appear in the second half.
The Rovers management left the decision to the former Welsh international and he opted to play on even though he admitted later it had been 'sore.' He was eventually replaced on 77 minutes by which time Rovers were trailing.
What proved to be the winning goal on 72 minutes was scored by New Zealand international striker Rory Fallon.
He poked the ball home after Rovers had blocked a couple of goalbound shots - at least one of them by leading score Jamie Mackie. Prior to the goal Rovers had given as good as they got - probably even shading the exchanges - despite being a man short.
"Even after we lost Martin we felt that we were good enough to beat them," said Hird.
"We opened them up a lot and on another day we could have scored a couple of goals. but it wasn't to be.
"The international break will give us time to reflect on what we've got to work on .
"I just hope that things are going to turn for us because we've been playing well."
Even after they had gone behind battling Rovers never gave up and substitute John Spicer tested the Plymouth keeper at the death with a low angled shot.