Another away day to forget for Shaymen as they lose at strugglers Torquay

The Gulls won in the league at Plainmoor for only the second time all season as another away day ended in all-too-familiar defeat for Town.

Asa Hall's second-half header was enough for Torquay to edge it.

Despite The Gulls' admirable endeavour, if Town have designs on a play-off place, this was a place they should be winning at.

Losing here suggests they are a long way short of finishing in the top seven.

Chris Millington had urged his side this week to start improving their away form, but it remains as frustrating and fruitless.

Another long trip south, another return journey empty-handed. If Halifax carry on like this they're heading on the road to nowhere.

A strong Torquay start would have been capped with a penalty had the linesman not been flagging for offside.

The attack from which Torquay thought they'd won a spot-kick was prompted by a superb run from inside his own half by Ben Wyatt, which summed up the hosts' spirit of adventure from the off.

In a game where both sides needed a win for their respective ambitions this season, Torquay certainly looked up for it.

Town worked their way into the contest though and went close when Jesse Debrah headed over from a corner a few yards out. A good chance gone.

Jamie Cooke fired wastefully wide across goal from a quick counter-attack after a Torquay corner.

He and Yamen Osawe had looked decent going forward, the latter showing plenty of pace on only his second start, but not enough precision with his final pass.

Milli Alli, after his eye-catching display against Altrincham, was peripheral, struggling to get into the game.

Sam Johnson had to be alert to divert a low free-kick from the right behind for a corner, from which a goalmouth scramble ensued before a shot was deflected off target.

The levels of mud weren't at Shay proportions from this week in 1980 when Town beat Man City, but it wasn't far off by modern day standards.

Given such conditions, it was never going to be a day for pretty football. It was a blood-and-guts, who-wants-it-most contest.

The conditions reached almost ridiculous proportions by half-time, with rain sheeting down amid a blustery wind.

Debrah and Festus Arthur has both been commanding at the back, with Harvey Gilmour quietly effective in midfield, against a hard-working but limited Torquay attack.

The hosts couldn't be faulted for effort, especially given their league position, but were lacking quality going forward.

The same could be said of Town, who showed fleeting glimpses of purposeful football amid the sludge and the mud.

Halifax's threat had mainly been on the break though, with the visitors not really imposing themselves enough on the contest, with too many high balls up to Mani Dierseruvwe being comfortably dealt with by Torquay's back three.

Osawe showed blistering pace shortly after the restart to sprint past a Torquay defender and the goalkeeper before shot from an angle was deflected behind.

The muddy pitch and the awful conditions were like an extra player though for the most part, always there to disrupt a player on the ball, guide a loose ball out of play or send a pass whizzing away from its target.

Mark Halstead did superbly to tip over a Jack Senior piledriver before he held Dierseruvwe's header from the resulting corner; promising signs in what was becoming a big test of Town's character and resolve.

A slick move between Senior, Gilmour and Osawe then brought another save from Halstead, with Town the smoother side, moving the ball well.

There were encouraging moments for Torquay as well, with the hosts getting plenty of balls into the box but not possessing a cutting edge to find the net or even test Johnson.

Both teams were slugging it out, and Torquay edged in-front when a cross from the left was headed in by Asa Hall after Johnson had tipped over a thunderbolt from Dylan Crowe moments earlier.

Rob Harker and Jordan Slew were thrown on in response as Town switched to 3-5-2, but Torquay came closer to scoring late on.

Torquay: Halstead, Crowe, Omar, Donnellan, Moxey, Wyatt (De Silva 69), Hall, Lapslie, Evans (Marshall 90), Aguiar (Hanson 79), Jarvis. Subs not used: Lovett, Crole.

Scorer: Hall (72)

Shots on target: 4

Shots off target: 8

Corners: 8

Halifax: Johnson, Golden (Slew 77), Debrah, Arthur, Senior, Gilmour, Keane, Alli, Cooke, Osawe, Dierseruvwe (Harker 77). Subs not used: Smart, Scott, Capello

Shots on target: 4

Shots off target: 7

Corners: 4

Referee: Wayne Cartmel

Attendance: 1,975 (55 away)

Town man of the match: Jesse Debrah. Led Town's defensive efforts with a commanding display at the back.