Asa Hall headed a first-half winner as Torquay kept their slim National League survival hopes alive with their first victory in nine at Boreham Wood.

Hall steered home from a Kevin Dawson cross on the half-hour and it proved enough to take three precious points for the Gulls, whilst hitting the hosts’ play-off aspirations.

Torquay could have doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time when Frank Nouble was played through but denied by a brilliant save from goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore, who parried over the crossbar.

The hosts, chasing their first win in three, pressed for an equaliser with Dennon Lewis finding the side-netting and Zak Brunt denied by Mark Halstead in the visitors’ goal.

But Torquay managed to negotiate seven minutes of added time to claim the points that give them hope in their battle for survival.