Bromley’s unbeaten away record this season came to a juddering halt in Devon on Saturday, as they crashed out of the FA Trophy to Conference Premier Division side, Torquay United.

The Bromley side had a depleted look about them, as the cup-tied Callum McNaughton was unavailable, and Rob Swaine and Jamie Slabber both failed fitness tests before the game, together with Pierre Joseph-Dubois's continued absence.

The hosts opened strongly creating four good opportunities in the opening quarter of an hour.  Jordan Chappell dragging his shot wide, Ryan Bowman being denied by Seb Brown’s outstretched leg, before the Bromley goalkeeper made a smart save from Toby Ajala; whilst Chappell’s cross flew just the wrong side of the post.

Jordan Robertson responded for Bromley, but headed over from six yards; Reece Prestedge’s poor shot did not trouble the Torquay goalkeeper, before Moses Ademola saw his effort saved.

Adam Birchall’s stinging 25 yard drive was parried by the home side’s goalkeeper – Jordan Seabright – and moments later Ali Fuseini’s rather tame shot went straight to Seabright.

Torquay opened the scoring on 28 minutes with a more than fortunate goal, when Ben Hardin’s shot took a wicked deflection off of Jack Holland to wrong foot Brown; and they increased their lead six minutes later with an even bigger slice of luck.

Brown made an excellent block from Bowman but, following a goalmouth scramble, Ugo Udoji’s attempted clearance hit Ajala on the shins to roll agonisingly over the line past a diving Brown.

Courtney Cameron and Ajala both went close to adding to the scoreline before the interval.

Bromley’s big chance to get back into the game came early in the second half when Robertson was on the end of a cross from Fuseini, but the striker ballooned his shot high over the bar.

That miss proved costly as Torquay wrapped up the game with a third goal on 55 minutes.  Cameron broke down the left to send in a cross which the  unmarked Bowman headed home past a static Brown from five yards.

Brown denied Chappell with a flying diving save on the hour mark, before Birchall’s 20 yarder skimmed the crossbar at the other end.

Seabright tipped away Ademola’s volley, but on-one was on hand for the loose ball; and the Bromley striker was denied again by a block from Aaron Downes moments later.

Bromley’s luck was out in the 77th minute when Louis Dennis’s corner was met by Downse, whose clearance ricocheted off Holland for Seabright to make the save.

With eight minutes remaining Torquay completed the scoring when substitute, Ashley Yeoman was given the freedom of Plainmoor to run unchallenged before drilling a low shot past a slow moving Brown at his near post.

Seabright tipped Fuseini’s rasping shot over the bar, before the hosts missed late chances to increase the scores.

Louis Briscoe twice, Luke Young and Harding all had shots which were saved by Brown or went narrowly wide.

Bromley: Brown, Udoji, Anderson (Dewar-Douglas, 79), Prestedge, Waldren, Holland, Ademola, Fuseini, Robertson, Birchall (Scannell, 67), Dennis. Subs not used: Rodgers, Agu (only four named).

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