Ebbsfleet were beaten at home by struggling Torquay on Tuesday night.

The visitors were good value for their victory at the Kuflink Stadium, where Fleet turned in their worst performance since promotion to the National League.

Daryl McMahon's side were careless in possession and didn't create enough going forward.

Ebbsfleet's team bore two changes from the 3-2 win over Barrow on Saturday. Marvin McCoy came in for Sam Magri at right-back and Myles Weston lined up in front of him. Aaron McLean dropped to the bench as Danny Kedwell led the line on his own.

Torquay were unchanged, having won only one game all season but looking more solid recently under new manager Gary Owers.

Ebbsfleet started brightly and Weston's cross from the right almost forced an own goal before he cut inside and arrowed a low shot wide of the near post.

Andy Drury then gave the ball away in midfield and Torquay broke, with Luke Young forcing a save from Nathan Ashmore in the Fleet goal.

Torquay gave Fleet no time to settle on the ball and there was little flow to a first half which was held up when one of the goal nets needed repairs.

Jack Powell picked out Kedwell with an excellent deep cross but the striker's header back across goal dropped wide.

At the other end, it needed a fingertip save from Ashmore to keep Jamie Reid's low shot out of the far corner after Liam Davis had played him through. Ryan Higgins fired the rebound into the side netting.

Kedwell was isolated in the first half so it was no surprise to see McLean sent on at the start of the second.

But the home side should have been behind within a minute of the restart when the ball dropped for Rhys Murphy six yards out. Fortunately for Ebbsfleet, he poked the ball wide.

Torquay's relentless pressing was admirable and Fleet were stuggling to break their shackles.

Powell bent a long shot just wide but with every misplaced pass and over-hit cross came groans from the home faithful.

Torquay went close a couple of times but Fleet failed to heed the warnings and they fell behind on 62 minutes when Jamie Reid found the top corner with a magnificent strike.

McMahon responded by changing not only personnel but his system. Magri was sent on to play in the middle of a back three and Luke Coulson came on to play as the right wing-back in a 3-5-2 formation.

But still it was Torquay in the ascendancy, winning all the 50-50s and showing more care in possession.

Fleet thought they'd equalised when goalkeeper Vincent Dorel spilled Powell's free-kick from wide on the right but the officials decided the ball hadn't crossed the line.

Powell set up a great shooting chance for McLean but a brave block denied him the equaliser.

Fleet huffed and puffed late on but Torquay kept their shape and refused to buckle.

Ebbsfleet: Ashmore, McCoy (Magri 66mins), Clark, Bush, Connors (Coulson 65mins), Shields (McLean 46mins), Rance, Drury, Powell, Weston, Kedwell. Subs not used: Miles, Mills.

Torquay: Dorel, Efete, Davis, McGinty, Gowling, Young, Evans, McQuoid (Dowling 82mins), Reid (Myrie-Williams 86mins), Higgins, Murphy (Keating 80mins). Subs not used: Clarke, Lathrope.

Attendance: 1,525.