United 1
(Donnellan 82′)
Bath City 0
Match Sponsor:
Richard Brown, Martin Musgrove, Family & Friends
United claimed an important three points on Saturday, as they defeated Bath City 1-0 at Plainmoor.
It was Shaun Donnellan’s late strike that eventually decided the match, as Torquay secured a notable win about another high-riding side.
Manager Gary Johnson made two changes to the side that lost out at Hampton & Richmond last weekend, with Rhys Lovett and Tom Lapslie replacing Mark Halstead and Finley Craske. On the bench there were two new faces, with non-contract goalkeeper Filip Chalupniczak and Fleetwood Town loanee Theo Williams taking their places amongst the substitutes.
There was no doubt that The Gulls were on the front foot from the first whistle, with Jack Stobbs – as is so often the case – a prominent figure down the right wing.
Five minutes hadn’t elapsed before Stobbs had cut inside and fired a left-footer into Will Buse’s palms at the near-post, moments before his dangerous cross from the right flank was just taken off Brad Ash’s boot six yards out.
A sparkling move in the 12th minute nearly saw the deadlock broken.
A delightful cross-field ball from Dean Moxey saw Jack Stobbs take the ball down majestically to beat his man with one touch, and after cutting inside to run across the face of the 18-yard box, a simple but intelligent ball to the advancing Brett McGavin ended with a rasping 20-yarder that Buse did well to palm past his upright.
Buse was called into action again from the resultant corner, as Callum Dolan took up possession from a short corner before rifling a piledriver towards goal that was heading just under the crossbar, before the tip of the goalkeeper’s fingertips denied Dolan a first goal for the Fleetwood loanee.
Clear-cut chances dried up for spell thereafter – ironically as the rain began to fall.
City had to wait until the 38th minute for their first effort at goal, with Bath skipper Kieran Parselle striking ball with venom from 25 yards out, however it cleared the crossbar.
Lewis Collins tried his luck in similar fashion just before the break, with an almost identical result, as the first half ended with the scoreline blank.
The early stages of the second period were closely fought, however, during the final half-hour, things began to open up a little.
In the 62nd minute, Lewis Collins picked up on a Dean Moxey pass inside the box, and after turning his man, curled a low shot just past the post.
City came close themselves on 74 minutes, as a corner picked out the rising Jordan Dyer, with Lovett requiring a doubled parry to keep the ball out of the back of the net.
United created an opening from their ow flag-kick moments later, as Stobbs’ delivery was met by Donnellan’s header across goal, with Ross Marshall’s boot just failing to connect at the back stick.
Asa Hall, off the bench and into attack, added a new aerial dimension to Torquay’s attack, and alongside new addition Williams, they put the visiting side on the back foot in the latter stages.
On 82 minutes, the breakthrough finally came.
Donnellan looked set to launch a ball into the box having joined up with his attack-minded teammates 25 yards out. However, having got a taste for goalscoring in his last outing at Plainmoor a fortnight ago, the United right-back instead took aim and let fly, with a deflection off a City defender leaving the diving Buse with no chance.
Although The Gulls’ backline came under pressure during the final stages, Johnson’s men defended their lead manfully, with the final whistle confirming the three points they deserved.
Onto Tuesday, where another big challenge awaits.
UNITED: 22. Rhys Lovett, 4. Tom Lapslie (8. Asa Hall, 71′), 6. Ross Marshall, 10. Lewis Collins, 11. Brad Ash (19. Theo Williams, 56′), 14. Brett McGavin, 16. Shaun Donnellan, 20. Callum Dolan, 21. Dean Moxey (c) (15. Finley Craske, 67′), 23. Ollie Tomlinson, 27. Jack Stobbs.
SUBS NOT USED: 7. Ryan Hanson, 13. Filip Chalupniczak.
Yellow Cards: McGavin 9′, Ash 42′, Lovett 90+3′
BATH CITY: 13. Will Buse, 3. Danny Greenslade, 4. Jordan Dyer, 5. Jack Batten, 6. Kieran Parselle (c), 8. Dan Hayfield, 10. Tom Smith, 12. Ewan Clark (9. Cody Cooke, 59′), 15. Jordan Thomas, 17. Scott Wilson, 19. Luke Russe.
SUBS NOT USED: 2. Joe Raynes, 11. Elliott Frear, 14. Chris Lines, 23. Ben Morgan.
Yellow Card: Batten 58′
Attendance: 2,288 (217 away)