Report courtesy of the Herald Express

Brixham were cock-a-hoop after avoiding a third defeat of the season at Torquay's hands and putting some more distance between themselves and the relegation danger zone.

Two reversals by Torquay, one in the league, the other in the Devon Cup, were hard enough to swallow. A third wouldn't have gone done well.For an hour of this game Brixham were on top and on top by a distance and only in the last 20 minutes did Torquay start to threaten them.

The Fishermen held Torquay out until the last few minutes when centre Matt Jackson slipped over near the posts to leave himself a simple conversion. Time was against Torquay snatching a levelling, or winning score though.

For Brixham's director of rugby Paul Bayley it wasn't just 'job done' but a job done well. He sees it as a potential turning point to the season.

"Torquay are a good side so we knew we would have to be at the top of our game to beat them," said Bayley.

"I have felt we had a performance like this one in us and finally we produced it.

"For an hour we were in control, but 12-0 wasn't much of a lead to have to defend for the last 20 minutes.

"Torquay threw absolutely everything at us in the last quarter - they battered at our line - and we did a superb job keeping them out for as long as we did.

"When you are under that sort of pressure there is always the danger of giving away penalties, or worse still a penalty try, but we didn't."

Torquay coach Drew Powell said Torquay left themselves too much to do and too little time to do it in.

"Brixham were much quicker out of the blocks than us and had us on the back foot early in the game," said Powell.

"The longer the game went on the more we got into it and the last 20 minutes was pretty well all us.

"Maybe we could have nicked a win off them at the end, but that probably would have been harsh on Brixham as they deserved to win this one."

Brixham's decision to pick veteran Peter Chart on the wing paid off as he pelted in for their first try on a cross-field angle that left the Torquay defence floundering.

Matt Dempsey, who has potted harder kicks than some of the penalties he missed prior to the try, knocked over the conversion.

The Fishermen added another try in the second half through lock Alun Glanvill, who was driven over from a line-out.

Bayley had Glanvill on his short list for player of the match - impressive prop Nick Stoneman was there too - but the award went to Ben Lovell on his return to the side.

Stand-off Lovell kicked well for position, justifying the selectors' decision to move Jake Lawrence into the centre to accommodate him.