Bristol City 6
(Donnellan o.g. 8′, Bell 39′, Mehmeti 64′, 66′, Cornick 80′, 85′)
United 2
(Ash 3′, Jarvis 19′)
United were defeated in their second pre-season outing, as four second-half goals saw Bristol City come out on top.
It was Gary Johnson’s men who struck first though, as just as they had done last week, United scored inside the opening three minutes.
This time it was a low cross from Lewis Collins that did the damage, as his drilled ball from the left was stabbed home by Brad Ash at the near-post to put The Gulls a goal up against their Championship opponents.
The lead didn’t last long on this occasion though, as five minutes later, a low cross from the right wing caused trouble inside Torquay’s penalty area, with the ball eventually diverted into the net by the unfortunate Shaun Donnellan.
The exchanges immediately after the two goals fully merited the 1-1 scoreline, as both sides traded proverbial punches in what was a very open encounter.
It was the men in yellow who regained the lead on 19 minutes.
With a City defender spending too long getting a high ball under his control, the ever-willing Tom Lapslie reacted by robbing him inside the box, and as the United midfielder began to bear down on goal, he unselfishly laid the ball off to the unmarked Aaron Jarvis to his left, who promptly fired home to make it 2-1.
When The Robins levelled things up again six minutes before the break, it wasn’t without an element of good fortune, as the referee deemed an apparent tug on Brett McGavin legal, allowing Sam Bell an easy tap-in at back post.
Despite it being a pre-season friendly, several United players voiced their displeasure at the decision, but it was level-pegging at the change of ends.
As is normal in pre-season outings, a plethora of changes for both teams at the break changed the pattern of the game somewhat, with the home side nearly taking the lead five minutes after the restart, as Mehmeti rattling the crossbar with a 20 yard free-kick.
City remained on the offensive though, and the pressure finally told as the second half edged towards the midway point, as City struck twice in the space of two minutes to pull clear.
First, a right-wing cross found Anis Mehmeti unmarked at the back-post to send a first-time volley into the roof of the net, before the Albanian-born midfielder followed that up moments later by drilling a low shot past Rhys Lovett to make it 4-2.
Two more goals from Harry Cornick in the dying stages added further gloss to City’s win and wrap-up a worthwhile exercise for both teams.
With their two Behind-Closed-Doors warm-ups now completed, 2023/24 preparations now move up another gear, as the Yellow Army descend on Plainmoor on Tuesday evening for the visit of Plymouth Argyle (18/07/23 7.30pm KO). Tickets are available HERE.
UNITED Starting XI: Mark Halstead, Shaun Donnellan, Ollie Tomlinson, Trialist A, Jack Stobbs, Tom Laplsie, Brett McGavin, Asa Hall, Aaron Jarvis, Brad Ash, Lewis Collins.
SUBS USED: Rhys Lovett, Callum Thomas, Dylan Crowe, Dan Martin, Trialist B, Trialist C, Trialist D.