United 0
Bromley 0
Match sponsored by:
Darren Cowell & Friends
Ten-man United showed spirit in abundance on Saturday, as they held play-off chasing Bromley to a goalless draw at Plainmoor.
Despite being a man down following Joe Lewis’ first-half red card, Torquay continued to take the game to their opponents, and created the better chances in both halves of an absorbing encounter.
For the match against Andy Woodmna’s side, United boss Gary Johnson named the same squad that drew at Wealdstone last weekend, with no changes made to the personnel in the starting line-up, or on the bench.
After the whole stadium joined as one to show their solidarity with the people of Ukraine via a minute’s applause, there a relatively quiet opening to proceedings. The first opportunity fell the way of Johnson’s men on ten minutes, as Stephen Wearne cut in from the left before sending a deep cross to the back post, where Danny Wright narrowly failed to connect with it.
Moments later, and The Gulls went close again, this time from a set piece, as Armani Little’s corner met the diving Connor Lemonheigh-Evans at the front stick, with the Welshman’s header nearly catching out visiting goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe, who was relieved to see the powerful effort go just wide.
Balcome was called into action on 22 minutes though, with Wearne again turning provider, as his curling ball towards the penalty spot found Lemonheigh-Evans, with the subsequent header forcing Bromley’s debutant stopper to palm the effort over the crossbar.
The men in yellow were now on top and four minutes later that went even closer to breaking the deadlock.
After a half-cleared corner fell to Stephen Duke-McKenna on the edge of the 18-yard box, his well-executed volley fell at the feet of Ben Wynter six yards out, however just as the Yellow Army were braced to acclaim the opening goal, as last-gasp intervention saw the ball hacked away by an away defender.
Within a minute, Torquay were at it again, as Wynter’s cross from the right found the onrushing Tom Lapslie, however the Gulls’ favourite couldn’t quite get over the ball enough to divert his header underneath the bar, rather than over it.
Shaun MacDonald had to produce a marvellous brief exhibition of sweeper-keeper play on 34 minutes, as a ball over the top gave George Alexander something to run onto. After making an excellent blocking save on the very edge of the box, he followed that up producing not one, but two opportunist sliding tackles outside his area to keep parity intact.
United continued to hold firm though, prior to the game taking a turn on 38 minutes.
A long ball forward again threatened to set Alexander free, leaving Joe Lewis with no option than to act, 20 yards from goal. Although Lewis succeeded in putting paid to the visiting forward advancing on goal, the referee adjudged he had done so illegally, and produced a straight red card for the United man.
After readjusting, Johnson’s men responded well, and on the stroke of the interval, they so nearly claimed the goal their first-half showing deserved.
After winning a free-kick on the very corner of the penalty area, Little’s low ball into the area fell to Lemonheigh-Evans, who after seeing his initial shot blocked, was delighted to see the ball rebound straight back to him, before watching in despair as his second strike went wide of the post.
Honours-even at the break, but with the remaining ten Torquay men facing a sizeable task in the second period.
No doubt buoyed by the man advantage, Bromley were on the front-foot following the restart, although it didn’t transfer itself into clear-cut chances, with the next twenty five minutes passing by without any real danger of the scoreboard being amended.
When a chance came, it actually fell the way of the hosts.
After nicking the ball off a defender in the 71st minute, Lemonheigh-Evans fed Wearne 25 yards from goal, before the on-loan Sunderland man set his sights and sent a curling effort, which had just a little too much on it, as it just cleared the upright.
He held his head, as did many in the home stands.
Three minutes later, the action switched up to the other end.
When a corner from Bingham found its target at the far post, a header into the six-yard box fell straight to Liam Trotter with his back to goal. Amazingly, he hooked effort went the one place that wouldn’t trouble MacDonald directly behind hi – straight into his arms.
It was an escape, yet as the game entered its final stages it was the ten men of United – rather than the eleven of Bromley – that looked the more likely to strike, as they bossed the territorial stakes.
With the game deep in injury time, MacDonald did have to produce another parry at the hands of Luke Coulson to keep his clean sheet intact, which was the absolute minimum his side deserved following a display of heart, passion and desire against the odds.
Some draws feel like two points dropped, some like one won. In the circumstances, this stalemate definitely falls into the latter.
United: 37. Shaun MacDonald, 2. Ben Wynter, 4. Tom Lapslie, 7. Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, 9. Danny Wright (29. Joe Felix, 84′), 10. Armani Little (c) (5. Ali Omar, 47′), 12. Stephen Wearne, 14. Choiri Johnson, 15. Stephen Duke-McKenna, 21. Dean Moxey, 31. Joe Lewis.
SUBS NOT USED: 1. Mark Halstead, 16. Keelan O’Connell, 19. Klaidi Lolos.
Yellow Card: Lemonheigh-Evans 39’, Johnson 51′, Duke-McKenna 84′, Felix 90+1′
Red Card: Lewis 38′
Bromley: 13. Ellery Balcombe, 4. Billy Bingham, 6. Omar Sowunmi, 8. Jude Arthurs (16. Liam Trotter, 59’), 9. Michael Cheek, 12. Scott Wagstaff, 17. Byron Webster, 18. Corey Whitely (7. Jude Coulson, 80′), 22. George Alexander (10. James Alabi, 59’), 34. Jack Cawley, 39. Connor Parsons.
SUBS NOT USED: 2. Joe Partington, 5. Chris Bush.
Yellow Card: Cheek 43′
Attendance: 2,350 (141 away)