Lewes have now gone more than 11 hours without a league goal after a 2-0 defeat at home to Torquay.

This was a seventh successive Blue Square premier defeat without scoring for the Rooks.

However, they can consider themselves a little unlucky after matching Torquay for long periods.

The Gulls gave Coventry a real scare in the FA Cup on Saturday but needed a deflected free-kick just before half-time and a late second as Lewes pushed for an equaliser to leave the Dripping Pan with maximum points.

Lewes remain one place off the bottom after Wrexham scored a 94th minute equaliser to deny Northwich victory at the Racecourse Ground.

Skipper Danny Cullip returned from suspension but Guy Butters was again ruled out by a calf injury.

The Rooks were also without David Wheeler due to England Schools requirements, the banned Andy Pearson plus Seb Wallis-Tayler (calf) and Tim Rivers (back).

Joe Keehan returned from a one-match ban to take his place in centre midfield with Michael Standing switching to the right.

Tim Sills scored twice when the Gulls beat Lewes at Plainmoor in November and he had a chance after just four minutes which Rikki Banks held low down.

Sills also flashed a cross across the face of goal on ten minutes as the visitors made a positive start.

But the Rooks refused to buckle and came back into the game well.

Kieron St Aimie shot weakly straight at goalkeeper Scott Bevan after getting in a good position and a better effort from Elliott Charles on 20 minutes was well held by the Torquay stopper.

Lewes had Torquay on the backfoot for a while but they fell behind in cruel fashion two minutes before the interval.

Kevin Nicholson's driven free-kick from almost 25 yards took a wicked deflection off team-mate Tyrone Thompson to completely wrong-foot Banks.

It was harsh on Lewes but almost drew level seven minutes into the restart when Shaun Wilkinson's super strike from 20 yards produced a great one-handed save from Bevan.

Josh Klein-Davies was next to threaten with a shot into the side-netting after a threaded pass from Standing.

Sills should have doubled the lead on 64 minutes but headed Roscoe Dsane's cross wide after escaping the clutches of Chris Breach too easily.

Lewes were battling well but it was game over six minutes from time when Nicholson's cross from the left was met by a low volley from former Rooks striker Roscoe Dsane from near the penalty spot which found the bottom corner.

The home side kept pressing and they had two chances for that long awaited league goal in the closing stages.

Charles was inches away from connecting with Klein-Davies' low cross and Wilkinson side-footed wide in a good position.

Lewes: Rikki Banks; Anthony Barness, Danny Cullip, Chris Breach, Sam Fisk; Michael Standing, Shaun Wilkinson, Joe Keehan, Kieron St Aimie; Elliott Charles, Josh Klein-Davies. Subs Fred Foreman, Stefan Cox, Grant Hall, Jay Liburd, Chris Winterton.

Torquay: Scott Bevan, Lee Mansell, Steve Woods, Steve Adams, Kevin Nicholson, Chris Robertson, Wayne Carlisle, Chris Hargreaves, Roscoe Dsane, Tyrone Thompson, Tim Sills. Subs: Elliot Benyon, Matt Green, Mustapha Carayol, Danny Stevens, Michael Poke.

Referee: Robert Whitton (Essex).