After stopping the rot when they won 3-2 at Barnet at the beginning of last month, Torquay United have won once in their following five fixtures.

Torquay had tasted victory in just one of their last six when they beat Martin Allen’s side on November 11, but they have not felt the springboard effect they would have expected after beating the league leaders on their own patch.

A 2-0 victory over Eastleigh on Saturday was the Gull’s first since they outplayed the Bees to win 3-2 at The Hive, and although that win saw Chris Hargreaves’ side climb to seventh, they have since slipped to tenth once more – five places and three points shy of the play-offs.

On Tuesday the Gulls threw away two points at the death at Dover Athletic to draw, having led 2-1 until the 93rd minute.

Tyrone Sterling grabbed the goal from a set piece for Dover and conceding set piece goals has been something of a recurring theme for the Devonshire side.

Speaking to the Torquay Herald Express, Hargreaves said: “Maybe there was a bit of tiredness, not just from the long journey but also from a series of tough games in a short period.

“I thought we dominated the first half, and we had a couple of great chances to make it 2-0.

“We came under pressure from a team hitting long balls at us, which we should be able to cope with – and we did. But we’ve not defended two corners well, and it’s cost us again.

“But there are more big games to come, and now we’ve got to get ourselves rested and back up for them as quickly as possible.”

Former Darlington, Hereford United and York City striker Ryan Bowman is the Gulls’ top scorer this term with eight goals and the 23-year-old scored against Barnet at The Hive.

Bowman – who has four in his last five – began his career with Carlisle and took in two loan stints with Workington before leaving the Cumbrians for Darlington in 2011.

After netting ten times in 28 starts for the now-extinct Quakers, he joined Hereford United in the summer of 2012.

A record of one-in-two in the league saw Bowman grab 15 goals in 30 league starts during his solitary season at Edgar Street.

The 2013/14 season was a disappointment for the 6ft 2in Bowman, who returned to the Football League with York City, only for injuries to restrict him to just 22 league starts and eight goals for the Minstermen before moving to Plainmoor in the summer.

Winger-cum-forward Louis Briscoe is the club’s second-highest scorer with six goals in 17 outings this term – also including one at The Hive.

Briscoe also joined the Devon outfit in the summer following his release by League Two Mansfield town, for whom he made more than 150 league appearances during a five-year stay.

The 26-year-old began his career with Port Vale but made just five substitute outings for the Valiants before leaving in January 2007 to embark on a non-league tour which saw him turn out for Leek Town, Hednesford Town, Gresley Rovers, Stafford Rangers and Ilkeston Town before joining the Stags.

Briscoe’s return to the Football League was achieved when Mansfield won the Conference title in 2013, but he would only make two appearances for Paul Cox’s side.

Torquay United XI v Dover Athletic: Rice; Berry, Downes, Pearce, Ives; Ajala, Young, Richards, Chappell; Briscoe, Bowman.