Lewes suffered a fourth successive defeat in Blue Square premier when they went down 4-1 away to new leaders Torquay.

A club record equalling eighth successive win for the Gulls saw them take over at the top from Burton, who Lewes lost 1-0 to on Saturday.

However, the scoreline did not tell the full story of a decent performance from Lewes, particularly in the first half when they enjoyed more possession and created a number of good chances.

With Sam Gargan ruled out by injury, Kevin Keehan handed a first start to 17-year-old David Wheeler on the right hand side of midfield in a 4-5-1 formation.

Joe Tabiri returned from suspension as the only other change from Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Burton. Tom Graves was on the bench after returning from a one-month loan spell at Horsham but there was no place for Stefan Cox, who was left out for disciplinary reasons.

The home side went on the attack from the first whistle with Tim Sills heading against the bar on 50 seconds and with 90 seconds played the striker opened the scoring.

Rikki Banks punched clear a Kevin Nicholson corner but Nicholson swung the ball back in and Sills headed home his tenth goal in 11 games.

Michael Standing had the ball in the net for Lewes on 11 minutes but the linesman's flag went up sharply to deny him an equaliser.

This sparked a good spell for Lewes with teenager David Wheeler particularly prominent down the right.

Standing showed some great skill in the penalty area on 15 minutes before sending over a cross which Seb Wallis-Tayler, who claimed he was impeded, just failed to get on the end of.

Although Scott Taylor was playing as a lone striker, Joe Keehan was getting forward well to support and that combination almost produced an equaliser on 20 minutes when the advancing Keehan slipped a pass into his team-mate whose snap shot was parried away by keeper Scott Bevan.

Keehan also had a header from a corner blocked but all the good work was undone when Torquay went 2-0 ahead on 27 minutes. Banks lost out in the air to Sills and two Lewes defenders failed to clear before the diminutive Danny Stevens prodded home at the back post.

On 33 minutes Aswad Thomas whipped over a cross from the left which Taylor teed up for Standing whose miscued his shot wide in a good position.

Lewes were still pressing but conceded a third goal on the stroke of half-time when Stevens sprinted clear down the right and delivered the perfect cross for Sills to head home for a hugely flattering 3-0 lead.

Flattering turned to humiliating three minutes into the second half when Torquay made it 4-0, Nicholson whipping over a cross from the left which an unmarked Stevens lashed home at the back of the six-yard box.

Within four minutes the Rooks pulled one back when Danny Cullip, who had stayed up for a free-kick, knocked the ball down for Taylor to scramble home at the near post.

Wheeler, who had been struggling with a dead leg, limped off injured on 64 minutes to be replaced by Chamal Fenelon.

Lewes also lost Joe Tabiri with an injury 11 minutes from time, with Steve Elliott coming on, but the game was long gone by then.

In the closing stages the Rooks were holding on to avoid further punishment and Keehan must now lift his players before Saturday's crucial game at home to fellow strugglers Grays Athletic.

Lewes: Banks; Barness, Breach, Cullip, Thomas; Wheeler (sub Fenelon 64), Standing, Keehan, Tabiri (sub Elliott 78), Wallis-Tayler; Taylor. Subs not used: Bell, Richards, Graves.

Torquay: Bevan; Mansell, Woods, Hodges, Nicholson; Stevens (sub Carayol 79), Wroe, Hargreaves, Dsane; Thompson (sub Benyon 69), Sills. Subs not used: Green, Adams, Ellis.