ELLIOT Benyon restored Torquay's lead a minute before the interval after Stuart Fleetwood had equalised Euan O'Kane's opener.

Torquay went on the attack in the early stages and a cross from Lee Mansell struck a Torquay had in the Hereford area to concede a free-kick.

At the other end, though, Scott Bevan, had to react acrobatically to tip a cross from Guillem Bauza out for the first corner of the game.

James McQuilkin’s flag-kick was eventually fired wide by Joe Heath.

The Gulls responded through Joe Oastler whose cross was grasped by Adam Bartlett, with some assistance from Richard Rose.

Bartlett then got down well to save from former Hereford triallist Chris Zebroski.

Torquay continued to impress with their approach work but Hereford held their nerve in defence and Manset was next to try his luck on goal, blazing wide from 20 yards.

Torquay gained their first corner on 14 minutes in somewhat bizarre circumstances.

Michael Townsend’s 50-yard back pass reached Bartlett who slipped as he went to clear and allowed the ball behind.

Fortunately for Hereford, the flag-kick came to nothing.

On 20 minutes, a crunching tackle by Guy Branston on Stuart Fleetwood brought Hereford a free-kick 25 yards out.

McQuilkin’s cross almost reached Manset but Bevan did enough to put him off and allow the ball to run out of play.

On 25 minutes, O’Kane received the ball from Zebroski on the edge of the area and neatly side-stepped a defender before lashing a left-foot shot past Bartlett.

Hereford immediately won two corners in quick succession, but neither came to anything.

But Ashley Hemmings almost added a second for the visitors on the half-hour, cutting in from the right and hammering in a left-foot shot which clipped the bar on its way over.

Hereford, though, were back on terms within a minute.

Nicky Featherstone played a long ball forward and Mark Ellis and Bevan got in a tangle allowing Fleetwood to slip in and fire home.

Bevan did well moments later to race off his line to block as Manset picked up another long pass from McQuilkin.

The big Frenchman did well to get a cross in from the left and Found the head of Guillem Bauza, whose effort was saved by Bevan.

Bauza’s pass sent Manset away on the right and the ball was worked to Green whose left-foot shot was saved by the diving Bevan.

But, a minute before the break, Torquay were back in front.

Kevin Nicholson’s cross from the right sent the Hereford defence in to a panic.

Hemmings’ shot was half-blocked but fell to Benyon who blasted in his 11th goal of the season from an acute angle.