Oxford United's FA Cup dream died at Plainmoor on Saturday when they crashed out in the second round to ten-man Torquay.

There wasn't much between the teams, but Torquay had a keeper in top form, in Scott Bevan, and a striker who knows how to find the net.

Elliot Benyon came off the bench on 36 minutes and put the Gulls ahead five minutes later after Bevan had made three good saves top prevent Oxford going in front.

Then, even though Torquay had Roscoe DSane sent off at the end of the first half, they still weathered all that Oxford had to throw at them, before Benyon hit a second seven minutes from time.

Oxford started very well and were very unfortunate not to get a goal in the first 15 minutes, which they dominated.

Taking the game to Torquay, and attacking with imagination, they carved out three good early opportunites.

Adam Murray set Lewis Haldane free for a run down the left, and when Haldane took it right on to the bye-line, and then cut it back, it fell loose to the edge of the area where Eddie Hutchinson tried his luck with a curling left-footed shot, which dropped a yard over the bar.

A few minutes later, Sam Deering embarked on an equally positive and determined run along the right. Yemi Odubade played it into the path of James Constable, and his first-time drive deflected wide.

As the U's continued to push the Gulls back, Odubade then played a slick pass through to Constable, only to see giant goalkeeper Bevan - like him on loan from Shrewsbury - just get to the ball first.

By now the home fans were stunned, and silent, and from a free-kick won by Haldane, left back Chris Carruthers almost broke the deadlock.

He hit the 30-yard free-kick beautifully, and it took a superb save from Bevan to keep it out as the biug man turned it for a corner at full stretch.

Defensively, Oxford were playing well, and they kept creating chances.

Odubade showed his pace with a burst down the left, held the ball up well and then squared it to Deering, running in. Deering took one touch but drove his shot across the face of the goal.

It was completely against the run of play when Torquay took the lead in the 41st minute. Oxford momentarily switched off at a long throw from Kevin Nicholson. Tim Sills flicked on and Elliot Benyon, who had only been on the pitch five minutes, tapped home at the near post.

To their credit, the Oxford players' heads didn't drop and they immediately returned to attacking purposefully.

From another Haldane cross, Chris Hargreaves headed back towards his own goal, and Bevan again saved well to stop an own goal.

But in the 45th minute, all hell broke loose at a Torquay corner. Turley appeared to react to left winger Roscoe DSane standing virtually on him, and D'Sane slapped him in the face.

The ref saw the incident, and went over, booked Turley and sent DSane off.

For the second half, Torquay left Sills on his own up front.

Matt Day tested Bevan with a low 25-yard shot, and Constable created half a chance for himself with a sharp turn, only to fire well wide.

Just after the hour, the U's sent on teenage striker Matty Taylor for Haldane as they desperately searched for an equaliser.

Yet the visitors were looking less like getting a goal than they had in the first half, and in several situations didn't show much composure.

Richard Groves came on with 17 minutes to go, and he played his part as the U's knocked the passes around. But they weren't getting anywhere.

And with seven minute to go, on the break, Lee Mansell's right-wing cross was helped on by Hargreaves, and Benyon took two touches, one on his chest, and the second a great volley over Turley to make it 2-0.

Oxford Utd: Turley, Clarke (Groves 73), Day, Foster, Carruthers, Deering, Hutchinson, Murray, Hutchinson, Haldane (Taylor 61), Constable, Odubade.

Att: 2,647.