Tonbridge 1
(Babajide 67′)
United 2
(Moore 60′, Morgan 61′)
United secured their passage through to the National League play-off semi-finals, after a hard-fought win at tonbridge
Goals from Deon Moore and Dylan Morgan were enough to see Torquay finish the regular season in style with strikes early in the second half, before Tonbridge’s Oluwabunmi Babajide replied for the hosts.
Manager Jimmy Ball once again shuffled his pack by making three changes to the side that lost out to Hemel last weekend, with Charlie Osborn, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton and Matt Jay replacing Will Tizzard, Callum Dolan and Jordan Young.
The first-half amounted to little, with both sides cancelling each other out.
The second half also took some time to get going, but once the clock clicked onto the hour-mark, United burst into life.
After winning their first corner of the game, in-form frontman Moore was well-placed to bundle the ball home, and within a minute, the lead was doubled.
This time it was Dylan Morgan – another player in sparkling form for Ball’s side in recent weeks, as his break from the flank ended in typically spectacular fashion, with the winger cutting in before slotting home to make it 2-0.
The match suddenly sprung into life, with the hosts then responding with a goal of their own.
It was an impressive one too, as Babajide took aim and beat Gulls stopper Seb Stacey from distance to halve the deficit.
Stacey came to United’s rescue soon after with an important save from Angels substitute Alfie Pavey, but apart from that, United weathered the storm to claim a place in the National League South Play-Off’s final-four.
The stage is set. See you at Plainmoor next Saturday.
TONBRIDGE: 1. Matt Rowley, 4. Scott Wagstaff (c) (3. Matthew Warren, 76′), 5. Ethan Sutcliffe (18. Nazir Bakrin, 77′), 7. Ricky Korboa, 8. Jordan Higgs (2. Bradley Williams, 55′), 9. Frankie Baker (29. Alfie Pavey, 51′), 11. Oluwabunmi Babajide, 14. Tom Leahy (10. Marcus Sablier, 61′), 16. Tobi Omole, 20. Jordon Thompson, 27. Bailey Akehurst.
SUBS NOT USED: 13. Sam Cockwell (HK), 15. Francis Mampolo.
Yellow Card: Sutcliffe 69′
UNITED: 15. Seb Stacey, 3. Jay Foulston, 4. Jordan Dyer, 5. Sam Dreyer, 11. Dylan Morgan, 18. Matt Worthington (c), 19. Deon Moore (Jordan Thomas, 77′), 20. Dan Hayfield (6. Munashe Sundire, 77′), 23. Charlie Osborne (28. Will Tizzard, 62′), 24. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton (10. Callum Dolan, 77′), 27. Matt Jay (22. Reece Evans, 59′).
SUBS NOT USED: 1. James Hamon (GK), 16. Ed Palmer.
Yellow Card: Foulston 23′, Osborne 50′
Attendance: 2,026
