Farnborough 0
United 0
United and Farnborough cancelled each other out on Tuesday evening, as the two sides played out a goalless draw in Hampshire.
Gary Johnson made three changes from the side beaten at Braintree on Saturday, as Kevin Dawson, Aaron Jarvis & Ronny Nelson were brought into the starting line up, with Nelson making his full debut. Duane Ofori-Acheampong & Brad Ash dropped to the bench, where also making his return to the United squad following his hamstring injury was Jack Stobbs.
In what was a scrappy start to proceedings, neither side were initially able to throw if the shackles to create any clear-cut chances, although a lashed effort over the crossbar from a tight angle saw Farnborough’s Ricky Holmes set his sights on the United goal on 15 minutes.
The Gulls gradually imposed themselves, and came close to opening the scoring in the 21st minute, as Dawson laid the ball off to Will Jenkins Davies on the edge of the box, before the on-loan Plymouth man drilled a low shot into the side netting.
Although the hosts were bossing the possession stakes, the Torquay backline remained composed, and dealt with everything thrown at them with the minimum amount of fuss.
A 35-yard free-kick from Boro’s Ollie Pendlebury on 42 minutes was the next opening of note, however the long-range effort had a little too much on it, as it cleared Halstead’s crossbar.
As the game headed towards the interval though, it was Johnson’s side who were looking the more threatening.
Following the restart, it was Boro who were in the ascendancy initially.
On 53 minutes, Jordan Norville-Williams tried his luck from 35 yards following a half-cleared corner, with a deflection seeing the ball clip the top of the bar.
From the resulting corner, a dangerous delivery went across the face of goal, with the home side just unable to profit, before the loose ball was cleared off the goal line.
Next to try his luck was Aron Kuhl, whose 20 yarder on 55 minutes forced Halstead into a low gather.
Johnson’s men remained determined and resolute in equal measure, and as the match wore on, they gained a foothold in the contest once again.
Although Halstead had to remain alert to keep out Hady Ghandour’s close-range effort in the 69th minute, Torquay’s defence continued to deal with the threats posed by the Boro attackers.
With seven minutes remaining, United came within a whisker of breaking the deadlock, as a Stobbs cross from the right landed kindly for the lurking Jenkins Davies, who saw his eight-yard effort saved by the feet of Jack Turner in-between the Boro goalposts.
With two minutes to go, The Gulls went close again, as a ball from the left picked out substitute Duane Ofori-Acheampong, however his close-range header was off-balance, and off-target.
The match stubbornly refused to find a winner though, as the points were shared.
FARNBOROUGH: 1. Jack Turner, 3. Jordan Norville-Williams, 4. CJ Fearn (c), 6. Guy Hollis, 8. Edon Pruti, 11. Reggie Young, 15. Ollie Pendlebury, 17. Hisham Kasimu (9. Harvey Bradbury, 62′), 25. Aron Kuhl, 26. Ricky Holmes (18. Taylor Clark 83′), 32. Hady Ghandour.
SUBS NOT USED: 2. Jack Ball, 5. Oliver Robinson, 24. Selim Saied.
Yellow Cards: Fearn 47′, Norville-Williams 62′, Kuhl 90+2′
UNITED: 1. Mark Halstead, 2. Arkell Jude-Boyd, 4. Tom Lapslie, 5. Austen Booth, 6. Ross Marshall, 9. Aaron Jarvis, 14. Brett McGavin, 16. Ronny Nelson, 18. Will Jenkins Davies, 21. Dean Moxey (c) (27. Jack Stobbs, 80′), 28. Kevin Dawson (19. Duane Ofori-Acheampong, 64′).
SUBS NOT USED: 3. Dan Martin, 11. Brad Ash, 22. Rhys Lovett.
Yellow Cards: Marshall 40′, Jarvis 47′, Moxey 79′
Attendance: 980