United 2
Keating 42’, 53’
East Thurrock 0
A solid performance from United saw them come out as 2-0 victors against East Thurrock United.
A man of the match performance from Ruairi Keating saw him bag a brace with the goals coming in the 42nd and 53rd minute. Shaun MacDonald also impressed with several outstanding saves that kept United in the game and earned him his third clean sheet of the campaign, having not conceded so far this season.
The game started off positively for Torquay from minute one as Ruairi Keating pressured the East Thurrock defence allowing him to tackle and play a pass into the path of Brett Williams whose shot was cleared off the line after a terrific save from the keeper
The game soon died down and turned into a midfield battle with an occasional cross from the both team’s full backs that would cause little danger.
Midway through the first half, East Thurrock had a spell of dominance in which they drilled in cross after cross but United’s defence cleared every time.
Shaun MacDonald made a case for himself to stay first choice with a fantastic performance this game. In the Thirty-Eighth minute he made a fingertip save to push a powerful long range attempt from Alfie Egan over the bar
United finally started showing danger in the latter stages of the half. They came close to breaking the deadlock two minutes later with a header from Keating ending up the wrong side of the post.
In the 42nd minute an over the top through ball from Dickson found Keating who beat two members of the East Thurrock defence and shot straight at the keeper, only for it rebounded back to him and he slotted the ball into the empty net to open the scoring.
The yellows started the second half off with some more attacking pressure. Ryan Dickson turned two men before pulling it back for Williams whose shot is deflected for a corner.
East Thurrock weren’t going down without a fight and instantly responded. A cross from the left hand side wasn’t dealt with by United and lands on the boot of unmarked striker Orsi-Dadomo who volleys it. MacDonald however again with the acrobatics manages to get a fingertip to it forcing it onto the bar and over.
United doubled their lead in the 53rd minute. Liam Davis’ cross finds an unmarked Rauri Keating at the back post who headers across goal and into the back of the net.
The game petered out after the second goal as United dominated possession to ensure a well earned victory.
United (5-3-2): 1 Shaun MacDonald (GK), 2 Ben Wynter, 3 Liam Davis, 5 Jakub Sokolik (20 Chris Regis), 7 Rauri Keating (19 Jamie Reid), 8 Asa Hall, 9 Brett Williams (capt) (10 Jason Banton), 14 Samir Nabi, 15 Jean-Yves Koue Niate, 16 Ryan Dickson, 17 Kyle Cameron Substitutes (not used): 11 Bobson Bawling, 13 George Burton (GK)
East Thurrock: 1 Jack Giddens (GK), 2 Danny Harris (12 Ashley Miller), 3 Harry Lee, 4 Paul Konchesky, 5 Lee Burns (capt), 6 Ryan Scott, 7 Ben Marlow, 8 Alfie Egan, 9 Danilo Orsi-Dadomo (14 Tom Stephen), 10 Tom Derry, 11 Jack Simmons Substitutes (not used): 15 Lewis Wright, 16 Gabriel Kellum
Referee: Richard Gardner
Attendance: 1,672
Report: James Clements & Zac