United 4
(Young 8, Dennis 13, Goddard og 27, Cooke 32)
Slough Town 2
(Myers 11, Makowski 40)
CLINICAL UNITED SEE OFF REBELS
A game of two contrasting halves saw Torquay United turn in another imperious performance to maintain their 100% record at Plainmoor this season.
United boss Paul Wotton made two changes from the side that drew 2-2 at Hampton in midweek. Fit-again skipper, Matt Worthington returned at the heart of midfield, with Matt Jay also back. Ed Palmer and Dan Hayfield dropped to the bench.
A pulsating first half saw a clinical United in front of goal, and slick passing that the visitors just couldn’t live with. In fact, they had the ball in the net inside fifty seconds only to see the assistant’s flag raised.
Seven minutes later it was an almost carbon-copy move from which United opened a barrage of first half scoring. Jay and Louis Dennis again combined on the left side of the area, with the latter pulling the ball back for Young to stroke home his fifth of the season.
The lead lasted just three minutes though, as a long ball into the United box, saw Jared Myers slot past Hamon.
Undeterred, United hit straight back, as Young’s corner from the right saw Dennis leaping highest in the 6-yard box to power a bullet header past Adam Debois.
Despite the end-to-end exchanges, the hosts always looked the most dangerous and underlined the fact with two goals in five minutes, either side of the half hour. First, Worthington and Dennis scissored open the Slough midfield and defence with a one-two-three, Johnny Goddard diverting the cross into his own net.
Then on 32 minutes, Dennis received the ball from a United free kick on the right, nutmegged a defender and crossed low for Cooke to convert for 4-1. Moments later it might even have been five, a sweeping move on the right culminating in Young’s sublime curling effort, just wide of Slough’s far post.
The visitors grabbed a lifeline five minutes before the break, again a route one ball over the top punishing United, Wiktor Makowski lifting the ball over James Hamon. And they may have been closer still but for Hamon’s acrobatic save to deny Petter Ojemen’s stoppage time volley.
After six goals in the first 45, the second half was pedestrian by comparison, still played at pace, but without the finesse of the first. United game-managed it perfectly, barely allowing Slough a touch in the penalty area.
Young might have extended the home advantage in the early stages, a low drive across the Slough evading the far post. Jordan Dyer had a header from a Young corner cleared from just in front of the line. And Cooke’s low 35-yard drive kept Debois interested with eleven minutes left.
And it’s a break from league action next week, as United begin their FA Cup campaign in the second qualifying round, away at AFC Totton.
UNITED: 1. James Hamon, 2. Denzel Akyeampong , 3 Jay Foulston, 4. Jordan Dyer, 5. Sam Dreyer, 7. Louis Dennis (20. Dan Hayfield 45), 8. Jordan Young (12. Josh Phillips 73), 9. Cody Cooke (29. Aidan Edwards 88), 18. Matt Worthington, 22. Keane Anderson, 27 Matt Jay (16. Ed Palmer 63)
SUBS NOT USED: 13. Matt Wonnacott (GK), 14. Matt Carson, 26 Jordan Thomas,
SLOUGH TOWN: 1. Adam Debois, 3, Peter Ojemen (17. Tyrese Dyce 45), 4. Henry Ochieng (15. Brian Nelson 79), 6. Reiss Greenidge (2. Tarik Gidaree 45), 7. Tyrique Clarke, 9 Jordan Greenidge (27. Ruben Bartlett-Antwi 79) 10. Johnny Goddard, 11. Wiktor Makowski (8. Jaiden Drakes-Thomas 73), 14. Scott Davies, 16. Dan Roth, 23. Jared Myers
SUBS NOT USED: 26. Josh Adepoju, 25. Kian Berry
Yellow Card: Dyce 76, Davies 90+5
Attendance: 3,159 (69 away)
Report by Ray Duffy
