For the second time this season Cheltenham Town were dumped out of the cup at the hands of Torquay United by a 3-1 scoreline, this time on a miserable afternoon at Plainmoor.

But the outcome of this game hinged on the controversial decision to send off Lee Ridley only 19 minutes into this one.

John Schofield's side took an early lead courtesy of Theo Lewis' first senior goal, but the game was turned on its head within 13 minutes of the breakthrough when Torquay moved into the lead through a pair of penalties, the second of which resulted in the left back receiving his marching orders.

Nicky Wroe tucked away both spot kicks, and added his third to claim the match ball with 20 minutes remaining to extinguish Cheltenham's FA Cup ambitions for another season.

TEAM NEWS: Acting boss Schofield made two changes to the side which lost out to Crewe Alexandra last weekend. Frankie Artus, who picked up a toe injury in training, missed out while Holmar Eyjolfsson is now back with parent club West Ham United. Lee Ridley featured in the second string's 8-1 win over a Nike Academy XI on Tuesday at Seasons and returned at left back, while Justin Richards was restored to the starting line-up for his first start under Schofield. Lewis started on the right of a four man midfield and operated in front of Josh Low. Justin Richards started on the left.

Third minute: Elliot Benyon, and then Jake Thomson released early shots from distance although they failed to trouble Scott Brown in the opening exchanges.

4: Julian Alsop did well to create a shooting chance for Lewis but the diminutive striker missed the target by a couple of feet from 20 yards.

6 GOAL: Torquay United 0-1 Cheltenham Town
Schofield's side made a positive start to the game and got their reward six minutes in, taking the lead through 18-year-old Lewis. Torquay's Kieran Charnock was forced into conceding a sixth minute corner, swung in by Bird from the left. Torquay failed to clear their lines and it arrived to Richards out on the right, who whipped in a precision delivery to pick out the unmarked striker to head home his first goal for the club.

7: Wroe thought he had claimed the equaliser 60 seconds after the goal, but it was chalked off for offside.

10 GOAL: Torquay United 1-1 Cheltenham Town
It took four minutes for the home side to get back on terms with their first penalty of the afternoon when Low was adjudged to push striker Benyon in the back, preventing him racing on to Wroe's clever ball forward. The Cheltenham wideman was carded for the offence before Wroe stepped up and placed the ball beyond Brown's outstretched left hand to put his side level with the minimum of fuss.

19 GOAL: Torquay United 2-1 Cheltenham Town
Torquay then moved into the lead with 19 minutes on the clock, again from the penalty spot after Torquay had been originally awarded a corner on the right. Kevin Nicholson sent it in and Chris Hargreaves headed it back across goal to hand Benyon two chances to stab home from close-range. Brown smartly saved the first, but referee Darrren Sheldrake felt Lee Ridley used a hand on his line to prevent the second chance crossing the line and brandished a red card. There wasn't much the left back could do about it, and he protested in the strongest possible manner for couple of minutes, arguing the ball had hit him on the chest. It certainly looked a harsh decision, but Wroe kept his cool to dispatch his second penalty in nine minutes, going the same way to put his side in front.

20: Low replaced Ridley at left back for the remainder of the game, with David Bird going to right back. Cheltenham finished the rest of the game in a 4-3-2 shape.

40: The game settled down after its explosive opening but Cheltenham began to get a foothold in the game with half time approaching and created three decent chances, the first of which coming five minutes before the break. Alsop flicked-on a David Bird long throw into the path of Elvis Hammond but the striker's attempted scissor-kick travelled wide of the target.

41: Low jinked past a couple of defenders a minute later before releasing an early shot from the edge of the box, but Seagulls goalkeeper Scott Bevan saved to his left.

43: Cheltenham were again unlucky when Michael Townsend's glancing header flew inches past the right post after Bird had delivered an accurate inswinging ball from the left.

44: Torquay skipper Hargreaves should have scored his side's third on the stroke of half time when he met Wayne Carlisle's cross from the right with a wayward header.

HALF TIME: 2-1

50: Benyon drew the first save of the afternoon, albeit a comfortable one from Brown after shooting low from 18 yards.

56: Carlisle struck the base of the right post from the best part of 25 yards after he carried the ball into one of the many spaces beginning to appear as his side began to make the numerical advantage count.

61: Next Wroe drilled one in, but Brown got down to smother the danger.

62 SUBSTITUTION: Hammond was withdrawn and replaced by Barry Hayles, who was handed half an hour to make an impact.

66: The impressive looking Thomson got the next strike away, but again Brown fell on the danger with another notable save.

70 GOAL: Torquay United 3-1 Cheltenham Town
Wroe completed his hatrick with 20 minutes remaining in the best possible style but it was Thomson who created it with a fine sole run down the middle. Low dispossessed the pacey winger inside the box but the loose ball spilled to Wroe who smashed the ball into the top right-hand corner of Brown's goal to claim the match ball.

71 SUBSTITUTION: Scott Rendell was sent on in place of Benyon, who appeared to be unable to continue with bloodied hands.

74 SUBSTITUTION: Right back Kyle Haynes replaced Michael Pook, which freed up Bird to return to central midfield.

81: Brown denied Wroe his fourth of the afternoon with a fine diving stop, then Gloucester-born Lee Mansell drove a shot through the box and but it flew a foot wide of the right post.

83 SUBSTITUTION: Andy Gallinagh was pressed into action at the expense of Justin Richards with seven minutes remaining.

84 BOOKING: Gallinagh was straight into the thick of it, reacting to a foul by Charnock down the right. Charnock though crossed the line and was cautioned for his part in it.

86: Lewis was unfortunate not to have claimed his second when he met Hayles' ball from the right with a half volley which Bevan did well to push away.

87 SUBSTITUTION: Danny Stevens replaced Thomson in the final few minutes.

90: Rendell tried an audacious attempt in the final minute, hooking a shot from 35 yards which beat Brown but cannoned off the right post.

FULL TIME: 3-1

TORQUAY UNITED (4-4-2): Bevan; Mansell, Robertson, Charnock, Nicholson; Thomson, Wroe, Hargreaves (c), Carlisle; Sills, Benyon (Rendell 71). Subs not used: Ellis, Todd, Thompson, Stevens, Halpin, Williams.

CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-4-2): Brown; Low, Diallo, Townsend, Ridley; Richards (Gallinagh 83), Pook (Haynes 74), Bird, Lewis; Alsop, Hammond (Hayles 62). Subs not used: Hutton, Watkins, Emery, Richardson (Gk).

REFEREE: Mr D. Sheldrake

ATTENDANCE: 2,370

Murry Toms at Plainmoor