It really could have been worse as Torquay United were knocked out of the FA Trophy at Worthing with a 5-1 defeat that will sting a lot but hopefully not affect the club's National League South ambition.

The Gulls went into this fourth round tie as National League South leaders - but a first-half hat-trick by Worthing striker Mo Faal, and a further goal by Joel Colbran, saw their fourth-placed rivals cruise to a 5-1 win - after the Sussex side were reinstated to the competition because third-round winners Gosport Borough were kicked out for playing an ineligible player.

With every fit Torquay player named in the squad of 17, including young goalkeeper Matt Wonnacott, who broke an arm playing for Tiverton Town on loan near the start of the season, Paul Wotton made three changes to the team that beat Truro City 1-0 on New Year's Day. Coming into the starting 11 were Finley Craske, Lirak Hasani and Ed Palmer, with Jordan Dyer, Jordan Young and Cody Cooke rested on the bench.

READ MORE: Good Morning Britain's Kate Garraway left with 'unpayable debt' after Derek's death

READ MORE: Escape To The Country host 'didn't see that coming' after couple make admission

That meant there was no recognised striker up front - so it wasn't until the game started that fans were able to figure out what was going on. Then, Omar Mussa was clearly playing up front, with Will Jenkins Davies playing just behind him, flanked by Jordan Thomas on the right and Hasani on the left.

It didn't work. Torquay were awful for the first 45 minutes and Wotton sent Dyer, Young and Cooke on at half-time. Young did make it 4-1 with a well-taken free-kick, but a late fifth goal for Worthing by the impressive Danny Cashman compounded Torquay's woes.

It might have been so different. In the seventh minute, Thomas missed the target from close range after some good work by Jenkins Davies. A Palmer header from a corner was claimed by the goalkeeper Chris Haigh in the 14th minute. But Faal made it 1-0 in the 15th minute when the big striker ran on to a long ball from the back and beat James Hamon with a confident strike. Faal headed wide with another chance in the 19th minute and lashed a snapshot wide in the 26th minute.

It was 2-0 in the 30th minute when a cross to the back post was directed home by the Worthing captain Joel Colbran. Faal scored the third goal with a shot from distance that beat Torquay's defenders and Hamon to find the far corner. Hamon had to stop a Cashman shot soon after.

It was a terrible half for the Gulls - and it got worse when Faal completed his hat-trick in the 41st minute with a shot that went in off the post. Cashman shot over the crossbar before the first half was done, and Hamon made a great save from Colbran as Worthing continued to carve Torquay open, Glen Rea firing another good chance over before the break.

Wotton made his triple substitution for the start of the second half - Dyer, Young and Cooke coming on for Matt Carson, Jenkins Davies and Oscar Threlkeld. And things settled down from there. A Colbran shot curled wide in the 60th minute before Faal was withdrawn by Worthing in the 68th minute. Wotton then threw on striker Ben Seymour for Mussa.

Young made it 4-1 in the 73rd minute with a left-footed free-kick that flew into the top corner of Haigh's net. Hasani was replaced by Moxey in the 77th minute. A Young corner was headed off the line a minute later. But it was Worthing who got on the scoresheet again with Cashman scoring with a deflected shot in the 85th minute.

Had the game been drawn at the end of 90 minutes, there would have been a penalty shootout to see who would be in the hat for the next round. There was no need for that.