Disappointing Torquay United lose 1-0 at Bath City

Aaron Downes has been in temporary charge at Torquay since the club first stated they would bring in administrators in February

Torquay United interim manager Aaron Downes says he is disappointed his side failed to take the chance to help their precarious league position as they lost 1-0 at Bath City.

Elliott Frear's 10th-minute goal was enough to separate the sides.

The Gulls slipped to 19th in National League South, two places and three points ahead of Taunton Town.

Financially-troubled Torquay travel to Taunton, who occupy the final relegation place, on Tuesday night.

Should they win, Torquay would seal their survival as they would go a point above Hemel Hempstead, who have to play Taunton on the final day of the season.

"For me it was very even throughout most of the game," Downes told BBC Radio Devon.

"The disappointing thing for me is that we go in at 1-0 down and relatively happy because we'd weathered that early storm from them and worked ourselves back in the game and had a couple of good opportunities.

"But the second half going down the hill I thought we could potentially pen them in and we kept the game too even, we didn't take the ascendancy."

The Gulls have been docked 11 points this season - 10 after owner Clarke Osborne announced that the club would be entering administration and one more on Friday after fielding a suspended player.

But survival in the sixth tier is still in the club's hands with two games left to play as they end the season at home to relegated Havant and Waterlooville after Tuesday's trip to Taunton.

"We've got to get over this very quickly, so we can can digest what's happened," added Downes.

"Our focus firmly now goes on to Tuesday because it's a big game for this football club and I've made sure the players are aware of what's happened today, but also at the same time our focus quickly shifts to Tuesday night which is a really, really big game.

"We win the game, we're virtually safe, so we know that there's a reward at the end of it.

"So the motivation and the energy is in that. I've got to make sure that the players are in the right place, right frame of mind and they can go there and do their jobs better than we have done today."