Bishops Cleeve 3
(Langworthy 10′, 51′, Dunbar 70′)
United 0
United exited the FA Cup at the 2nd Qualifying Round stage on Saturday, as Bishops Cleeve ran out comfortable winners at Kayte Lane.
Two goals at the start of each half from Ross Langworthy put the home side in dreamland, and those dreams soon became a reality, as Ethan Dunbar made it three.
Seven days on from the 2-0 defeat at Welling last weekend, Gulls boss Paul Wotton opted to make two changes to the starting eleven, with Roddy Collins and Cody Cooke replaced by Omar Mussa and Brad Ash.
United’s opening chance came in the sixth minute, as Finn Tonks’ cross from the right picked out Brad Ash perfectly at the back post. Ash’s header back across goal looked goalbound, until a well-placed Cleeve defender cleared the ball just short of the goal line.
When the breakthrough came just four minutes later though, it was the hosts who took an early lead.
A ball over the top saw United’s backline stretched, and with Dean Moxey’s header not carrying through to James Hamon, Mitres skipper Langworthy nipped in between the Gulls’ goalkeeper and Sam Dreyer to poke the ball home from inside the box.
A free-kick from Dunbar from the edge of the Torquay box on 18 minutes was another close-call, and that was followed by an even clearer opening three minutes later, as a ball over the top found leading scorer Jay Malshanskyj bearing down on Hamon, only for the Bishops striker to fire wide. That was a big let-off.
A traumatic opening for the travelling Yellow Army was seeing little signs of improving by the half hour, as another promising ball forward saw Malshanskyj hold off the challenge of Dreyer before forcing Hamon into a smothering save to preventing the deficit being doubled.
Malshanskyj fired over from another promising position shortly after, and as the half-time whistle sounded, Wotton’s men could count themselves fortunate to only be a goal behind at the change of ends.
There was plenty of fine-tuning required in the away dressing room at the break.
Despite an improved to start to the second period though, United fell 2-0 behind five minutes following the restart.
A swift counter attack seemed to catch The Gulls’ defence out, and after switching the play from one side of the pitch to the other, an inviting cross from the left found Langworthy unmarked inside the six-yard box to head home and double his side’s advantage.
Torquay players and fans alike looked stunned.
Left with no option but to chase the game, a reshuffled side finally began to ask a few questions of their Southern League opponents.
A 62nd minute corner from Matt Carson saw substitute Finley Craske send in a fine header, with home ‘keeper Lewis Clayton reacting smartly to tip the ball over his crossbar, in what was his first real save of the afternoon.
Somehow, things got even worse.
On 70 minutes, another ball over the top found Dunbar one-on-one with Hamon, and after firing the ball past the United glovesman, Torquay were left with the proverbial mission impossible.
There was still time for Dunbar to fire over from a good position twelve minutes from time, as the damage, unbelievably, threatened to get even worse.
The scoreline mercifully remained at 3-0, but this was a day to forget for The Gulls.
BISHOPS CLEEVE: 1. Lewis Clayton, 3. Will Turner, 4. Joe Turley (16. Steve Davies, 75′), 5. Josh Nelmes, 6. Matt Liddiard, 8. Ben McLean, 9. Ethan Dunbar (20. Bryan Stalley, 82′), 10. Ross Langworthy (c) (19. Edward Scott, 90+3′), 11. Jay Malshanskyj, 12. Isaac Pearce (7. Aaron Evans-Harriott, 61′), 18. Matt Bower.
SUBS NOT USED: 13. Charles Lovell (GK), 14. Noah Parker, 15. Joe Selman.
UNITED: 1. James Hamon, 5. Sam Dreyer, 7. Lirak Hasani, 9. Ben Seymour (15. Jadyn Crosbie, 53′), 10. Omar Mussa, 11. Brad Ash (23. Ollie Tomlinson 83′), 14. Matt Carson, 16. Ed Palmer, 17. Finn Tonks, 18. Oscar Threlkeld (c) (8. Roddy Collins, 57′, 21. Dean Moxey (2. Finley Craske, 53′).
Yellow Card: Tonks 18′