Torquay United fans vote with their feet in dismal defeat

Gull lack quality and tumble out of play-off places

There were 2,241 fans inside Plainmoor as Torquay United and St Albans kicked off this National League South fixture - but there were far fewer by the time it finished.

Angry Gulls fans were leaving long before the whistle blew to bring an end to their worst afternoon of the season so far.

Some had gone to prepare a noisy protest outside the dressing rooms which went on long after the game, calling for Torquay manager Gary Johnson to go. Others had simply had enough after a feeble performance from their team.

Yet more team changes had been forced on Johnson, with Dean Moxey and Will Jenkins Davies both suspended, and Ross Marshall joining the long list of injuries.

Johnson himself watched the game from the directors’ box after seeing a third yellow card of the season at Worthing last weekend.

Finley Craske made his first start since November and new signing Austen Booth went straight into the fray for his first Gulls game since leaving Taunton Town.

There was no sign of striker Duane Ofori-Acheampong, who Johnson had hinted might return from injury this week, and Craske’s return only lasted 15 minutes before he departed clutching a hamstring.

Shaun Jeffers scored early for the visitors, but Torquay produced a spell of bright and inventive football which gave their supporters brief hope of a recovery.

However, from the moment Giorgio Rasulo danced through the home defence to make it 2-0, the game was up. Jeffers duly added another for St Albans before half-time.

The second half saw Torquay briefly rally before the visitors regained control, and they had hit the bar before Rasulo added his second goal 12 minutes from time.

Torquay put in plenty of huff and puff, with a typical perpetual motion performance from Tom Lapslie, but the Gulls were woefully lacking in quality all over the field and never looked like getting back into the game.

The defeat drops them out of the play-off places to ninth, with a trip to fourth-placed Maidstone to come on Tuesday.