SECOND-half goals from Steve Fletcher and Garreth O'Connor helped in-form Cherries come from behind to chalk up a rare Plainmoor triumph on Tuesday (Oct 19).

But the victory came at a price when defender Warren Cummings was carried off after suffering a serious ankle injury deep into stoppage time.

The Scotsman went over on his left ankle following a challenge with Gulls' Tony Bedeau and now faces an anxious wait to discover the full extent of the damage.

Cherries, with just nine previous league wins at Plainmoor in 40 attempts, went behind after 54 minutes when Kevin Hill capitalised on a Neil Moss mistake to open the scoring.

But the visitors maintained their impressive recent goalscoring run when they netted twice inside the space of five minutes to turn the tide.

Firstly, Fletcher thumped home a header from a James Hayter cross before O'Connor stepped up to convert the winner with a low, left foot drive.

Fletcher was drafted in for his first start of the season, the big targetman replacing the injured Dani Rodrigues.

The Gulls mounted an attack straight from the kick-off when bustling frontman Bayo Akinfenwa burst through from the centre circle before toe-poking a shot narrowly wide of Moss's left-hand upright.

Leroy Rosenior's side, promoted from Division Three last season, then saw an Alex Russell free-kick cannon off the Cherries defensive wall and trickle out for a corner.

Cherries began to find their feet and Wade Elliott's trickery down the right flank ended with Hayter just failing to make contact with his centre after diving full length.

Elliott then embarked on one of his trademark runs, and, after haring from deep inside his own half, fired inches wide with a left-footed effort from around 25 yards.

Fletcher neatly controlled a deep cross before cutting inside from the right, only to see his shot stick under the body of Ole Gottskalksson, while a couple of half chances from Elliott failed to trouble the Gulls goalkeeper.

Brian Stock, scorer of a stunning volleyed goal against Port Vale on Saturday, went close to repeating the feat midway through the half when his rasping effort from Cummings' cross flashed wide.

And as Cherries continued to create openings, Gottskalksson, the former Icelandic international stopper, then smothered a header from Fletcher and also confidently pouched a long-range drive from O'Connor.

Moss was forced to make his first save of the match after 37 minutes, the Cherries goalkeeper standing tall and beating away a piledriver from Akinfenwa after Russell had put him through.

The Gulls had the ball in the net in the 39th minute but Jo Kuffour's effort was ruled out for offside before a timely challenge by Hill blocked Eddie Howe's goalbound header.

Hayter looked to fashion an opening seconds after the restart, but despite turning his marker on the edge of the box, ballooned his volley high over the crossbar.

Torquay countered down the right wing through Bedeau and although his low cross found Russell, the Gulls midfielder skied his shot over the woodwork when well placed.

The Gulls opened the scoring nine minutes into the second half when a rare error by Moss gifted the hosts the lead.

He allowed a routine effort by Kuffour to slip through his grasp, and, after the loose ball had come back off the post, Hill lunged in to beat Karl Broadhurst to the rebound and rammed home from a yard.

But the lead lasted fewer than three minutes when Fletcher marked his return to the starting line-up by powering home a bullet header from Hayter's centre to restore parity.

And after a shot by the excellent Neil Young had deflected for a corner, Cherries gained the upper hand when O'Connor finished an flowing move involving Fletcher and Hayter to register his third goal of the season with a low drive from a tight angle.

Cherries went close to extending their lead just six minutes later when John Spicer's shot was headed off the line by Steve Woods after Fletcher had flicked on Cummings cross.

But disaster struck for Bournemouth when Cummings went over on his ankle after he and Bedeau chased down a through ball before the Scotsman was stretchered off.