Crawley Town 2, Torquay 3 Crawley paid the price for some "unacceptable" defending as they suffered their third straight defeat - 3-2 against Conference title favourites Torquay at Broadfield Stadium today.

Reds found themselves three goals down at the break before producing a spirited second half revival through Magno Vieira and an own goal.

Manager Steve Evans said "It was not a day to make excuses - you have to say that the first-half performance and some of our defending was unacceptable.

"We had young players at the back and they switched off and we got punished."

Kieran Murphy started in the centre of Reds' defence after joining on loan from MK Dons on Friday.

He was one of five changes from the line-up which was embarrassed 3-0 at Halifax two weeks ago.

Out went James Krause, Glenn Wilson and strikers Pierre Joseph-Dubois and Jon-Paul Pittman while top scorer Guy Madjo was also missing after being called up for a training camp with the Cameroon national squad.

In came former Albion defender Paul Watson, winger Mustapha Carayol, Brazilian striker Vieira and Cameroon front man Berlin Nolome-Ndebi, who made his home debut and first start after joining a fortnight ago.

It was quickly apparent that the decision to ring the changes was the wrong one as Torquay raced into a two-goal lead with just 12 minutes on the clock.

Midfielder Lee Mansell surged forward, exchanged passes with striker Tim Sills on the edge of the box and drilled into the roof of the net on six minutes to put the Gulls in front.

Mark Ellis then nodded home from three yards after being left unmarked at a corner.

It was the worst possible start for shell-shocked Reds and, although they enjoyed long spells of possession after that double blow, they struggled to create anything going forward as they tried to get back into the game.

The impressive visitors could have gone further ahead after twice going close before the half-hour.

Zebrowski beat Ronnie Bull for pace down the left and drilled a low cross which former Crawley striker Elliot Benyon was just unable to connect with as he slid in at the far post.

Danny Stevens then fired inches wide after being left unmarked from another good delivery by Zebrowski.

Crawley's first effort on goal came on 33 minutes when Nlome-Ndebi blasted over from the edge of the box.

But it was not long before Torquay scored the third to effectively end the game as a contest.

Reds' keeper Ashley Bayes did well to push a shot from Zebrowski wide six minutes before half time. But he could do nothing to keep out Sills' close-range, glancing header from the resulting corner.

Benyon should have added another seconds before the interval when he dragged a shot just past a post after breaking clear of the defence.

The home side made a double change after the break in a bid to spark a recovery.

Pittman replaced Nlome-Ndebi up front and Lee Blackburn came off for Thomas Pinault.

It took just four minutes for Reds to give themselves a glimmer of hope.

Vieira found space down the inside right channel, cut inside defender Kevin Nicholson and slotted a shot which squirmed under keeper Martin Rice and nestled inside the post.

Evans' side came within the width of the upright from pulling another back on the hour.

Former Millwall full-back Ronnie Bull mis-hit a centre from the right flank but it flew over Rice and bounced back off the far post.

The play quickly switched to the other end and the hosts were almost punished for more slack defending. Stevens broke clear and should have done better with an angled drive which went wide of the far post. Crawley began to pile on the pressure after that and twice threatened through blocked shots from Pittman and Stevens.

The pressure told on 73 minutes thanks to a comical own goal which set up a frantic finish to the game.

There was no Crawley player within ten yards of Torquay defender Chris Robertson but he nodded Dannie Bulman's cross into his own net.

Were you at the game? Did Crawley deserve a point for their second-half display?