Report courtesy of the Herald Express

11:00 - 07 January 2008

Torquay Athletic skipper Ben Passenger refused to run up the white flag on the Tics' promotion chances despite this defeat at the hands of the divisional leaders.

Defeat leaves Torquay fourth in the table, a whopping eight points behind Exmouth and four behind second-placed Barstaple, who occupy the play-off place.Barnstaple and Taunton, the other side above Torquay, both have a game in hand. It is against each other and will be played this Saturday.

Passenger agreed the Tics are unlikely to win the division, but the play-offs are still achievable.

"It's an uphill struggle, but mathematically we aren't out of it yet," said Passenger.

"All the top sides still have games against each other, so points are going to be dropped.

"Taunton lost to Newton Abbot on Saturday, which you wouldn't expect, and it only takes a few results like that to alter the picture quite radically.

"Our next three games are Brixham, Hornets and Taunton. Once they are out of the way we will have a better idea of our chances."

Torquay were always up against it after shipping three early tries and losing two players from an already depleted side.

First centre Matt Jackson was helped off with a nasty hamstring strain then debutant Simon Dorey, the former Teignmouth flanker in for the injured Ben Cole, went off with a suspected broken arm.

On top of that, Torquay had started without flu sufferer Matt Allanson and flanker James Boyce.

Playing 20 minutes in the second half a man short due to two sin-binnings didn't help either.

On the up side, Passenger said the second-half showing was much better than the first-half one as Torquay looked after the ball and had more scoring opportunities, even if they didn't put them away.

Matt Hopper's seventh-minute try, converted by Richard Cadywould, put Exmouth into a lead they were never going to lose.

On 12 minutes the Exmouth lead was stretched when Garry Hooper and Jack Downie linked up to put Dale Sleeman in for a try.

Torquay pulled a try back after 25 minutes when the line-out drive routine produced a try for No.8 Jon Arnold. Jackson converted.

Torquay weren't in the frame for long though as Exmouth hit back with a try two minutes later. Sleeman ran the ball out and Hopper crossed for Cadywould to convert for 19-7 at half time.

Sleeman set up Exmouth'only try of the second half when he ran the ball out and Paul Morgan steamed up in the support to take the scoring pass.

Torquay had the last word when they attacked from a scrum in the Exmouth 22 and Ben Dommett, in for Allanson, ran through for a try in his comeback game after injury.