Torquay United were unable to hold back a second-half tidal wave from Plymouth Argyle, as the League One visitors powered to a 6-0 pre-season victory at Plainmoor.
Xavier Amaechi had opened scoring with a tidy finish on the half-hour but three goals inside 20 second-half minutes ultimately killed the game as a contest. Amaechi notched another beauty and there were further strikes from Bim Pepple and Joe Edwards. Argyle inflicted further damage through Bali Mumba and Edwards.
The Gulls survived a scare in the opening minute, eventually scrambling clear under heavy pressure before the game settled into a steadier rhythm, with the fans from both sides making terrific noise in the evening sunshine.
Dylan Morgan, enjoying a super pre-season so far, raised the tempo with a sparkling run down the left, only ended by a stray pass, before Argyle’s flying winger Mumba responded with an equally tricky surge, but the final shot was dragged wide.
The Pilgrims began to enjoy a spell of decent possession, resulting in an Amaechi cross headed off target by Mumba. The United riposte was a Cody Cooke cross charged down and then Jordan Young sauntered inside for a fizzing low drive into the side-netting.
The next attack served up an opening goal for Argyle and it was some lovely play to create room for the impressive Amaechi to steer a guided left-footer beyond James Hamon and into the bottom corner.
It was enough to give the visitors a narrow advantage at the break, an advantage they soon doubled. Moments after Brendan Wiredu had headed narrowly wide, the irrepressible Amaechi did his Young impression by dancing in from the left and powering a super strike into the top corner.
United’s evening soon got a notch harder, as the visitors added a third. Amaechi, inevitably, was involved, clipping a free-kick to Kornel Szucs, who nodded into the path of Pepple for an emphatic finish.
After that double blow, United settled back into their game and began asking some searching questions of the Argyle defence. First, Louis Dennis was just crowded after good work on the left from Morgan, and then the same Gull was unable to find the target with a looping header.
The brief momentum was halted by another goal for Argyle, Edwards applying the simple finish from a Malachi Boateng cross. Further goals from Mumba and Edwards again completed the evening.
United go again with the visit of Exeter City on Friday evening.
United: 1 James Hamon (GK); 3 Jay Foulston, 4 Jordan Dyer, 5 Sam Dreyer, 7 Louis Dennis (27 Matt Jay 69, 8 Jordan Young (29 Aidan Edwards 86), 9 Cody Cooke (15 Jadyn Crosbie 74), 11 Dylan Morgan (21 Finley Herbert 86), 18 Matt Worthington (10 Callum Dolan 58), 24 Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, 26 Jordan Thomas (23 Trialist A 80). Subs (not used): 13 Matt Wonnacott (GK), 14 Matt Carson, 16 Ed Palmer.
Booked: Dreyer
Referee: Steve Swann
Attendance: 5,244
