club Torquay United, signed by then manager Don O'Riordan on 13 August 1993. Although he started the season as second-choice to young goalkeeper Matthew Lowe, Bayes played 32 league games in his first season, and another two games in the play-offs as Torquay lost to Preston North End in the play-off semi-final. He remained a regular the following season, making 37 league appearances as Torquay finished the campaign in mid-table. During his third and final year at Torquay, midway through the 1995–96 season, he lost his place to Ray Newland, and as a result made 28 appearances. Exeter City Ahead of the 1996–97 season, Bayes joined local rivals Exeter City of the Third Division on 31 July 1996, signing on a free transfer. He soon established himself as the club's first-choice goalkeeper, making his debut on 17 August 1996 and keeping a clean sheet in the process in a 1–0 away win at Mansfield Town. Bayes made 46 appearances in his maiden season at Exeter, as the club narrowly avoided relegation to the Football Conference, finishing just a point above the relegation place occupied by Hereford United. He remained a regular during the 1997–98 campaign, making 50 appearances in all competitions with the club sitting comfortably in mid-table by the end of the season. Bayes won the 1998–99 club Player of the Year award, a campaign in which he was ever-present and made 49 appearances. The club finished the season once again in mid-table, with a strong defensive record only bettered by three of the promotion-chasing teams. He made 145 appearances during his three seasons of first-team football at Exeter. Leyton Orient At the end of the 1998–99 season, Bayes turned down a new two-year contract at Exeter, becoming the first Exeter player to leave under the Bosman ruling, and subsequently joined fellow Third Division club Leyton Orient on 5 July 1999. He made his Orient debut on 7 August 1999, in a 2–1 defeat to Carlisle United at Brunton Park. He played regularly during the first half of the campaign, but lost his place to Scott Barrett after a 1–0 loss to Reading in the Football League Trophy on 8 December 1999. He eventually won his first-team place back towards the latter stages of the season, and played in Orient's last nine league matches, making 21 appearances in all competitions in his first season with the East London club.