Frome Town 1
(Meakes 73′)
United 4
(Williams 19′, 61′, Tomlinson 29′, Jenkins Davies 63′)
United made it through to the Isuzu FA Trophy 4th Round, following a confident showing against Frome Town at Badgers Hill on Saturday.
After goals from Theo Williams and Ollie Tomlinson gave Torquay a two-goal advantage at the break, further strikes from Williams and Will Jenkins Davies took the game away from the home side, although they did net a consolation late on through Sam Meakes.
With United manager Gary Johnson forced to grapple with a whole host of injury problems, it was to the Club’s youth department that the Gaffer turned, with Under-18 starlet Jacob Wellington awarded his first senior appearance, whilst his U18 teammates Charlie Wills, Harvey Coggins, Kai Swann and Thomas Chastey took their places on a youthful bench alongside Jenkins Davies, who returned to the Club on loan from Plymouth yesterday.
A strong wind made things difficult for both sides in the opening stages, with neither side able to enjoy enough time on the ball to gather any real momentum.
From the first real opening of the game, Torquay broke the deadlock.
A superb run and pass from Ryan Hanson gave Williams space and time inside the box to pick his spot, with the on-loan Fleetwood man duly delivering with a fine shot across goal that beat home goalkeeper Kyle Phillips to put The Gulls one-up.
Ten minutes later, and it was 2-0.
This time a high ball into the box was headed across goal into the path of Tomlinson, and although the centre-half had plenty to do with it, he responded with a marvellous strike that soared into the net to put his side in control.
Desperate for a foothold, Frome were presented with an opportunity for just that shortly after.
With the referee adjudging that Calum Thomas’ challenge on Kane Simpson was an illegal one, a penalty was awarded to give Town the chance to reduce the arrears.
However, Rhys Lovett reacted superbly to divert Jon Davies’ spot-kick away from danger, and preserve United’s margin.
Both sides created half-chances before the change of ends without too much danger of amending the scoreboard, leaving Johnson’s men in control at half time.
Frome nearly pulled a goal back inside the first five minutes after the restart, as Alex Monks’ shot through a crowd of players rattled the woodwork.
United responded well though, as a Lewis Collins delivery found Williams, who forced Phillips into a brave smother, before Wellington’s bid for a debut goal was denied by a last-gasp defensive block.
A Brett McGavin free-kick on the hour-mark, which just cleared the crossbar, illustrated that The Gulls were in no mood to let up in their dominance, and it wasn’t long before more goals were forthcoming.
In the 61st minute, Williams’ run into the box saw him fire confidently into the net for his second of the game.
Almost immediately, Jenkins Davies was re-introduced into action in a Torquay shirt, and with the his previous loan spell ending only moments after opening his goalscoring account for the Club, he re-started his second loan spell just where he left off.
After breaking up a Town move, the Plymouth man found himself bearing down on goal, and duly crowned his return with a calm finish to make it 4-0.
United were now running away with it.
The introduction of youth teamers Swann and Chastey gave the travelling Yellow Army even more reason to smile, with the day’s potentially tricky Trophy tie being navigated with no less than four youth team products on show – three of whom are still in the current Under-18 squad.
To their credit, Frome were determined not to let their big day end without a fight, and after Meakes bundled in from close range with 17 minutes remaining, ‘The Dodge’ thought they had broken through again with eight minutes left, only for an Assistant’s flag to bring the home celebrations to a premature conclusion.
On a day when all the ingredients were present for an upset, United served up a dish full of passion and positivity, to see them march into Round Four in 2024.
FROME TOWN: 1. Kyle Phillips, 3. Ross Staley (11. Marcus Day, 60′), 4. Sam Teale (c), 5. Pierce Mitchell, 7. Jon Davies (12. Joe Budd, 69′), 8. George Rigg, 9. Kane Simpson, 10. Zak Drew, 14. Warren Maidment, 17. Alex Monks, 19. Sam Meakes (18. James Ollis, 82′).
SUBS NOT USED: 2. Caleb Summerfield, 6. Matt Wood, 13. Tom Roberts, 16. Will Taylor.
Yellow Cards: Teale 35′, Simpson 47′, Monks 90+3′
UNITED: 22. Rhys Lovett, 2. Dylan Crowe, 6. Ross Marshall, 7. Ryan Hanson, 10. Lewis Collins, 14. Brett McGavin (33. Kai Swann, 69′), 19. Theo Williams (35. Thomas Chastey, 81′), 23. Ollie Tomlinson, 24. Calum Thomas, 26. Archie Harris, 34. Jacob Wellington (18. Will Jenkins Davies, 61′).
SUBS NOT USED: 1. Mark Halstead, 31. Charlie Wills, 32. Harvey Coggins.
Yellow Card: Lovett 82′
Attendance: 1,305