IF HE had to go, what a goal for Gary Roberts to sign off with.

Few would have realised his performance at Plainmoor would have be probably the final time they see the highly-rated winger in an Accrington shirt as he moved to Ipswich on loan on Tuesday.

But at least the lasting memories are good, with one of the goals of the season and a celebration to match.

John Coleman described his finish as "cracking", Ian Dunbavin "one for Soccer AM" and it was all the 235 fans who had made the journey to the English Riviera could talk about after Stanley's first away win of the season.

The 22-year-old latched onto a long ball forward, raced to the edge of the area, twisted and turned his way past defender Lee Andrews and left the goalkeeper stranded with a cool finish.

It was goal number eight of the season for the Reds star man - and probably the best - and it was enough for the Championship side to make a firm swoop for the hitman.

But while Roberts' goal stood out, the Torquay win was also about a solid team performance which earned them that crucial away victory.

The last time the Reds won on their travels, they clinched the Nationwide Conference six months before.

Perhaps the euphoria of beating Torquay on Saturday wasn't on the same scale - although the headaches might have been after plenty of parties on the coast - but there was still a huge sense of achievement when the final whistle blew at Plainmoor.

It was another milestone reached for boss Coleman and his troops who have quietly crept up the League Two table with a seven game unbeaten run.

They stand just four points away from a play-off spot and teams may just be beginning to sit up and take notice of the Reds.

"The beauty of this league is that everyone is capable of beating each other," said Coleman. "We are just as capable of losing the next game as anyone else but what you have to do is get on a run of wins. We have been on a decent unbeaten run but you can count too many draws in that and you do not make a lot of progress.

"We didn't want an away win to be a monkey on our back so we are glad it is out of the way. But we can't stop here."

The Reds have four wins and three draws in that unbeaten seven league game run but the victory on their travels was important to make sure the Reds tick another one off their "things to do" list.

However, they had keeper Ian Dunbavin to thank in the first half for keeping it goalless.

The former Liverpool trainee kept out Micky Evans with his legs after defenders Cavanagh and Michael Welch went for the same ball and left him unmarked.

Then striker Lee Thorpe raced through after the ball ricocheted into his path and it looked a certain goal but the goalie denied him again from point blank range.

"I didn't know a lot about that," said Dunbavin. "I don't know how it got over the bar but I'm not complaining!"

The boss demanded more in the second half - and got it.

"We went to some really difficult places last year and won and I knew we had to get that spirit and swagger back and the belief that we can win away games," said the boss.

There were signs of what was to come when Rommy Boco had a shot well blocked by Andrews within a minute of the restart but one minute later the Reds were ahead.

An Ian Craney inswinging corner was half-heartedly pushed out by ex-Burnley keeper Nathan Abbey. Michael Welch raced onto the loose ball and fired it past Andrews on the line for his second goal of the season.

"Every time I have come here I have got hammered 3-0 or 4-0 so it great to score," smiled Welch.

This boosted Stanley's confidence and they passed the ball around well.

However they needed another goal to calm their nerves as the Gulls went on the hunt for an equaliser. Thorpe's looping header hit the post, Matt Hockley's chip was just over the goal and a free Evans header was wide.

Still, Boco kept having a go, testing the shakey Abbey and the keeper did well to keep out his two long range efforts.

But the Gulls stopper could do little about Roberts' wonder goal. The wideman whipped his shirt off in celebration and the referee looked almost apologetic for having to book him.

At 33-1 for a 3-0 win, a few fans had a dabble on it and Paul Mullin came so close to making some money for them with just minutes left.

His team-mates do take the mickey out of the striker saying he has never scored from distance in his life and if his 25 yards chip had nestled into the net it would have eclipsed Roberts' goal. Instead it floated onto the roof of the net.

"That was the only time I got off my seat," said Coleman. "I sat on my seat for 92 minutes and it is the calmest I have been on the bench for a long time. If they keep me sitting down for the rest of the season I will be a happy man as it means we are playing well."

Coleman is superstitious and, after celebrating his 44th birthday last Thursday, he will be donning his lucky birthday presents again tomorrow.

"My daughter bought me a new tie for my birthday so it will have to come out again and my new lucky cuff links!"