Torquay's Scottish striker David Graham turned down a midweek move to Devon rivals Plymouth, and he showed against Cheltenham just why Argyle were interested.
Two brilliant second half goals separated the sides, bringing his tally for the season to 11 goals.
Cheltenham cancelled out Graham's first effort, when Damian Spencer drove home from 20 yards in the 56th minute. And Alex Russel weighed in with a late clincher in the 86th minute. But it was Graham's finishing which effectively won the match.
After a goalless first half, Graham chased a Kevin Hill pass down the left, beat defender John Brough, cut inside and cracked a right-foot shot into the roof of the net. Spencer's equaliser might have thrown the match open again. But in th 68th minute Graham brought the crowd to its feet with a brilliant finish.
He chased a long ball down the right and, just when he seemed to have no chance of scoring from an acute angle, he unleashed a dipping right foot volley over startled keeper Shane Higgs and just inside the far post.
Desperate to complete his hat-trick Graham was only denied by a full length Higgs save in the 74th minute. And three minutes later he headed a Russell corner against the bar.
Just to show he can create as well as score, the former Rangers starlet laid on Russell's clincher with an inviting low cross from the right.
Graham's goals brought his tally for the season to 11 and helped to end a three-match losing streak which included an FA Cup exit at the hands of non-league Burton Albion.
"We've had a bit of a blip and David Graham has been lacking the confidence, so in the circumstances they weren't just good goals they were fantastic ones," said Torquay boss Leroy Rosenior. "Some people were waiting for us to make a mistake in the first half and, in that atmosphere, the players were a credit to the club." New Cheltenham manager John Ward said: "At half time the players weren't as satisfied at 0-0 as I was, but if we had kept doing what we were doing, we might have got a result.
"Having said that, Torquay deserved to win in the end - they had a little bit of extra flair in the last half hour. Graham is an excellent player and, when Torquay pass it like they can he can finish off the moves."