Reading U21s 0
United 5
(Hall 3′, Collins 8′, McGavin 14′, Jarvis 27′ pen, 31′)
Gary Johnson’s side kicked off their pre-season campaign in excellent fashion, as they ran out 5-0 winners against Reading U21s in Berkshire.
United wasted little time in getting down to business.
With the match was just three minutes old, some hesitant defending inside the home penalty area resulted in Asa Hall allowed too much space eight yards out, and although the angle was against him, Torquay’s skipper calmly drilled home his effort to give his side an early advantage.
The Gulls’ young opponents seemed somewhat startled by the intensity of United’s play, and just five minutes later, Johnson’s men doubled their lead.
This time it was Jack Stobbs who made the most of the freedom afforded to him on the right flank, with the winger promptly sending a pinpoint low ball to the back post, where Lewis Collins gleefully slotted into the back of the net.
Two quickly became three.
Stobbs again was the architect, this time with a threaded delivery to Brett McGavin inside the penalty area, and having taken the ball under his control, McGavin confidently powered home to make it 3-0.
Last season’s leading scorer Aaron Jarvis had already gone close on a couple of occasions, and just short of the half-hour a rash challenge on Brad Ash inside the area left Jarvis with the perfect chance to open his pre-season tally via the penalty spot.
It was an opportunity he duly took with both hands, sending the ball low past the beleaguered Reading goalkeeper.
The scoring did stop there.
Fresh from netting his first, Jarvis outmuscled a Reading defender, before keeping his nerve by rounding the onrushing home ‘keeper, and steering the ball into the empty net.
Five without reply in just 31 minutes.
As is so often the case, wholesale changes at the interval resulted in a slightly different second-half showing, although it must be said that Reading’s young charges stuck to their challenge manfully.
Neither Mark Halstead or Rhys Lovett had too much to concern them in between the posts, and at the other end, the men in yellow continued to create the bulk of the openings.
Having come up with a timely intervention to prevent a Reading counter attack moments earlier, Dylan Crowe’s appearance on the right of United’s attack on 61 minutes nearly paid dividends, as his delightful cross from the right found Dan Martin by the penalty spot, with only a fine parry from the home glovesman keeping Martin’s powerful header out.
Three minutes later, a Torquay trialist tried to get in on the act, however after turning on the edge of the 18-yard box, his left-footed strike curled just wide of the far upright.
Johnson’s men saw out the remaining time with relative ease, as they came through their first test of pre-season 2023 with top marks.
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, Ryan Hanson, Trialist B, Trialist C, Trialist D, Trialist E, Trialist F.