BRIAN Stock admitted a “lack of quality” in the second half cost Weymouth as Torquay United recovered to win 2-1 at Plainmoor.

Pre-match, Stock had promised to take the game to the Gulls and Weymouth duly rattled the home defence into making several errors.

Andy Dallas punished two in a matter of seconds, Ben Wynter’s failure to clear and then keeper Lucas Covolan bringing the Scot down in the area for a penalty.

He stepped up to fire the Terras into a half-time lead but Torquay’s response took the game away from the visitors.

Joe Lewis and Asa Hall both hit the bar in the second half before Jake Andrews and Connor Lemonheigh-Evans strikes sealed the comeback.

READ MORE: Match report - Torquay 2-1 Terras

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Stock was downbeat post-match, telling Echosport: “The whole changing room is disappointed.

“I wouldn’t say it’s through lack of effort or attitude. When you compare our first-half performance to the second half we’ve come up short.

“We’ve allowed a lot of pressure to come inside our box. We’ve tried to ride the storm but the lack of quality going forward invited the pressure on.

“It’s disappointing to lose the game.”

Weymouth’s gameplan worked in the first half. The Terras’ new signing Ben Morgan, bought from Gloucester, came in to form a three-man central defensive unit alongside Dom Revan and Jacob Mensah.

“I thought everything worked,” Stock said. “The formation, Ben coming in for an assured debut – that was positive.

“It gave us a different dimension to go and play. We were very effective. We put the ball in good areas.

“Although the final ball or finish wasn’t quite there we got our noses in front and it gave us something to go in at half-time with.

“The reaction from Torquay, we didn’t raise our standards to match theirs.”

Stock paid credit to the Gulls, who are genuine title contenders in third place.

“They understood the fact that we were having a lot of joy on their left-back,” he said.

“They made that (Dean Moxey) substitution just to bring a bit more height into that area and win first contacts.

“Moxey’s got the long throw and quality with free-kicks. He put it into dangerous areas.

“I was expecting a reaction from Torquay and we tried to make the players aware of that at half-time.

“Our quality in possession wasn’t good enough in order to try and dictate the second half.

“When we kept the ball, people were hiding. It wasn’t brave enough in possession.

“We misplaced passes and when we got into good areas we didn’t put it in the box.

“When we went 2-1 down, all of a sudden we looked like we had more control in our play. We really need players to step up to the plate when pressure’s on – just that little bit of quality when needed.

“Torquay are home and away the best side we’ve played.”