United 5
(Ash 23′ Booth 27′ Jenkins Davies 30′, 44′, Jude-Boyd 83′)
Havant & Waterlooville 0
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United saved their best for last at Plainmoor on Saturday, as they ran out 5-0 winners over Havant & Waterlooville.
Goals from Brad Ash, Austen Booth and a double from Will Jenkins Davies saw Torquay in full charge at the break, before Arkell Jude-Boyd rounded off a difficult season on a positive note.
For United’s final match, it was little surprise that Interim Manager Aaron Downes named the same side that dispelled any lingering relegation worries with that 2-1 win at Taunton on Tuesday night, with the only amendment coming on the bench, where youth team starlet Jacob Wellington replaced Lewis Collins.
With the English Riviera living up to its name, and with the Yellow Army in full voice at a bouncing Plainmoor, the men in yellow started well in the sun.
With ten minutes on the clock, Tom Lapslie picked up on a pass on the edge of the D before firing a low shot past visiting goalkeeper Ross Worner, only for his left post to come to his rescue.
The woodwork intervened again ten minutes later.
Brett McGavin, who has made it his mission to make the 2023/24 Goal of the Season competition a personal affair, very nearly brought the house down with a 30 yard thunderbolt that cannoned down off the crossbar, onto the goal line, and away.
Having struck the post and bar, no-one could deny United deserved to be ahead, and once they broke the deadlock, they continued with a vengeance.
In the 23rd minute, a ball from the left found the head of Ash, and despite his header being blocked, he leapt onto the loose ball and lashed home the rebound from six yards.
Four minutes later it was two.
Having entered the fray in place of the injured Lapslie, Booth seized upon a loose ball in the centre of midfield like a flash, and after seeing it sit up nicely for him, let fly with an outrageous half-volley from 30 yards to double his side’s advantage.
It didn’t end there. Far from it.
On the half hour, a delightful through-ball by McGavin picked out Jenkins Davies on the right of the box, with the Plymouth loanee responding to the invitation by drilling the ball past Worner to make it 3-0.
There were several chances to extend the lead further before the change of ends, and in the final minute of the first period, they did just that.
Another foray down the left saw Jude-Boyd produce a near-post flick that the overworked Worner just about kept out, however with the ball palmed up into the air, Jenkins Davies was well-placed to head the ball home at the far-post from point-blank range.
A standing ovation at half-time.
United had the ball in the net again three minutes after the restart, however on this occasion, Dean Moxey’s finish from six yards, following a Jenkins Davies free-kick, was ruled out for offside.
Seven minutes later, and Havant received similar disappointment, as Ryan Seager’s turn and shot found the the net past Halstead, only for the Assistant’s flag to curtail any muted celebrations.
It wasn’t long before Downes’ side were on the attack again though, with Jude-Boyd the next to threaten, with a diagonal low drive that forced Worner into action with an uncomfortable parry.
It’s only fair to say that the visiting side did lift themselves in the second half, and although it was no longer one-way traffic, Jude-Boyd and Ash both went close to making it five, before the introduction of youth team product Wellington provided the key to make it happen.
After darting in front the left wing, Wellington saw his goalbound effort blocked, but the ball fell kindly for Jude-Boyd, who calmly slotted home from eight yards out.
Still The Gulls poured forward, as if to make up for lost time this season.
Jenkins Davies and Archer both drilled low shots wide from opposite flanks, and both went narrowly wide.
For today, that was the end of the goalscoring fun, but hopefully, it serves as just a preview of better times ahead, beginning next season.
Thanks for sticking with us, Yellow Army – have a great summer, because you’ve certainly earned it.
UNITED: 1. Mark Halstead, 2. Arkell Jude-Boyd, 4. Tom Lapslie (5. Austen Booth, 14′), 8. Asa Hall (c), 11. Brad Ash, 14. Brett McGavin, 18. Will Jenkins Davies, 21. Dean Moxey (24. Calum Thomas, 77′), 23. Ollie Tomlinson, 27. Jack Stobbs (34. Jacob Wellington, 81′) 30. Ethon Archer.
SUBS NOT USED: 22. Rhys Lovett.
Yellow Card: Booth 75′
HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE: 1. Ross Worner, 2. Devante Stanley, 3. Kai Innocent (30. Taylor Crook, HT), 7. Jake McCarthy (c), 8. Nathan Carlyle (23. Amadou Jallow, HT), 9. Ryan Seager, 12. Brendan Willson, 15. Callum Kealy (11. Jonas Makuna, 77′), 17. Jack Jebb, 21. James Roberts, 32. Preston Woolston.
SUBS NOT USED: 5. Joe McNerney, 13. Alan Walker-Harris.
Yellow Card: Stanley 73′
Attendance: 3,379 (163 away)