United 5
(Kaptein 13′, 67′, 85′ Franchi 65′, Barker 90+8′)
Gloucester City 2
(Grun 10′, Eggleton 80′)
Torquay United’s women marched one step closer to promotion on Sunday, following an impressive 5-2 win over Gloucester at Plainmoor.
Having shared sixteen goals already this season, it was unsurprising that the two sides traded early goals at Plainmoor.
Gloucester drew first blood in the 10th minute, after Sachi Keneko-Grun darted in behind the Torquay backline before slotting a low shot past Ellie Mitchell and into the back of the net.
The lead lasted just three minutes though.
Kaptein found a bit of space 20 yards out, and after deciding an effort at goal was the best chance at a quick leveller, her confidence paid off handsomely as City Katie Thatcher initially got her hands to the ball, before seeing it squirm through her grasp to make it 1-1.
It remained 1-1 at the halfway point.
The second half belonged to United though.
With Carmen Morison starting to enjoy more and more down the left flank, Gloucester were starting to look more and more stretched, and in on 65 minutes, the pressure finally told.
Matilda Franchi’s diagonal effort from just outside the box looked to be a little to close to Thatcher, but with the ball bouncing just in front of the City custodian, the effort creeped past her and inside the far post to give Torquay the lead.
Two minutes later, the lead was doubled.
It was Kaptein again who produced the goods, lashing home a rising drive from inside the box to make it 3-1.
Gloucester were thrown a lifeline after Maddie Eggleton’s heavily-deflected strike cannoned off Amii Kearley and into the net with ten minutes left, but it was to be Kaptein’s day.
This time Kaptein fired home a firm effort inside the near-post from fifteen yards, and although injured in the process, the match finished on a high note for United, as Jasmine Barker crowned her appearance off the bench with a pacy run and expert low finish to round things off at 5-2.
Torquay aren’t quite there yet due to results elsewhere, but one more win will do it.
UNITED: 13. Ellie Mitchell, 3. Roxy Thomas, 5. Amii Kearley, 6. Matilda Franchi (2. Lucy Palmer, 71′), 7. Carmen Morison, 8. Katelyn Bell ( 26. Ella Pawley, 90+9′), 10. Connie Pengelly (14. Jasmine Barker, 74′), 15. Georgie Knott, 16. Jess Geach, 20. Tee Kaptein (12. Hillier-Nickels, 86′), 29. Mollie Taylor. (c)
SUBSNOT USED: 1. Esme Bradley.
