But Rovers were reduced to ten men with the 68th minute sending-off of skipper James Hunt.
And it took a brilliant goalline clearance by Lee Thorpe, captain for the night against his old club, to stop Richard Walker scoring for Rovers early in the second half.
Walker's lob beat advancing goalie Nathan Abbey, but Thorpe – he's a striker playing as a makeshift defender – got back to clear with a bicycle kick on the line.
Hunt got his marching orders for a second yellow card, and it was the signal for Torquay to move up a gear in a tight, tense derby.
Mickey Evans, Jamie Ward and Lee Andrews all missed good chances to win it for the Gulls in the closing stages.
Evans was through with Rovers goalie Steve Phillips to beat, but rolled his shot inches wide.
Rovers refused to settle for a point and nearly won it themselves in a frantic finish.
Abbey had to come up with a brave save at his near post to deny Sammy Igoe, and Craig Hinton glanced a late header off the bar and over.
Both benches raged at several controversial decisions by referee Andy Woolmer, but nobody really questioned his decision to wave play on when Thorpe cleared Walker's effort.