United 4
(Moore 22′, 59′ Young 31′, 78′)
Dorking Wanderers 2
(Knight 82′, Rutherford 89′)
united will take their bid for promotion into next saturday’s National League South Play-Off final, after a thrilling victory over dorking.
Braces from Deon Moore and Jordan Young saw United race into a four-goal lead, and although Dorking responded with late goals from George Knight and Alfie Rutherford,
Manager Jimmy Ball made two changes to the side that won at Tonbridge last weekend, with Munashe Sundire and Young coming into the starting eleven for Charlie Osborne and Matt Jay.
In what was a highly charged atmosphere, Dorking seemed to settle the quicker, before Young’s free-kick skimming a post saw The Gulls’ confidence rise.
A series of Torquay corners preceded Matt Worthington seeing a header disallowed for offside, before Moore lit the yellow and bluetouch paper on 22 minutes.
A swift Gulls counter-attack saw Sonny Blu lo-Everton lead the charge as United’s attackers descended on the Dorking penalty area en mass. After an inch-perfect pass found Moore in space twelve yards out, the Torquay centre-forward possessed the coolest head in the house to fire past Harrison Foulkes to make it 1-0.
Plainmoor erupted.
It did so again just past the half-hour.
Dylan Morgan, who had already forced a fine save from Foukles with a typical cut-in from the left wing, saw another effort blocked, but with ball rebounding to the benefit of Young, the recalled Gulls forward calmly slotted the ball between the Dorking glovesman’s legs to double his side’s advantage.
2-0 at the change of ends then.
Torquay had put themselves into a position of real strength as they ended up dominating the first 45 minutes, and fourteen minutes into the second half, things got even better.
A collision between teammates Dan Hayfield and Sundire saw the latter forced to leave the field, but looks of anguish at the early departure were soon replaced with the joy of a third goal.
After working the ball slickly from right to left, Morgan’s low curler struck the outside of the far-post, but fell straight to Moore eight yards out, and he duly sent the Yellow Army into raptures once again by slamming the ball into the back of the net.
Unbelievably, with thirteen minutes left, it was 4-0.
Switching the ball from left to right, a stretched Dorking defence failed to pick out Young on the right of the box, and after sending the keeper the wrong way, the ball rolled into the back of the net to put the Yellow Army in dreamland.
To their credit, Dorking – like any good side – rallied and got some reward via late goals from Knight and Rutherford, but they served as mere consolations in the final report.
The final word must go to you, the Yellow Army. The wall of noise you all created today undoubtedly played a huge part in today’s success. With you on our side, there’s every chance we can go one step further.
The job isn’t done yet, but next weekend will present Torquay United with the opportunity to complete it.
See you there!
UNITED: 15. Seb Stacey, 3. Jay Foulston, 4. Jordan Dyer, 5. Sam Dreyer, 6. Munashe Sundire (28. Will Tizzard, 57′), 8. Jordan Young (10. Callum Dolan, 79′), 11. Dylan Morgan, 18. Matt Worthington (c) (16. Ed Palmer, 83′), 19. Deon Moore (22. Reece Evans, 77′), 20. Dan Hayfield, 24. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton (7. Louis Dennis, 83′).
SUBS NOT USED: 1. James Hamon (GK), 27. Matt Jay.
Yellow Card: Worthington 13′, Morgan 38′, Moore 69′, Dolan 80′
DORKING WANDERERS: 1. Harrison Foulkes, 2. Brennan Camp, 8. Dennon Lewis, 9. Jason Prior (26. Paul McCallum, 20′), 10. Alfie Rutherford, 16. Charlie Carter (c), 27. Harry Sidwell (33. Frank Vincent, 68′), 28. George Knight, 37. George Francomb (39. Liam Vincent, 34′), 38. Kai Ensilin (7. James Muitt, HT), 41. Harry Pinchard.
SUBS NOT USED: 4. Dan Pybus, 11. James McShane, 40. Sam Pearson.
Yellow Card: Francomb 27′, Paul McCallum 90+5′
Attendance: 4,800 (412 away)
