United 1
(Young 21′)
Ebbsfleet 0
CLEAN SHEET MAINTAINS PERFECT HOME RECORD
United recorded their first clean sheet of the season, with a quality display in all departments to make it five wins from five at Plainmoor.
Paul Wotton was able to recall no fewer than four fit-again players to his matchday squad, with Louis Dennis and Callum Dolan in the starting eleven, in place of Ed Palmer and Matt Jay, both of whom dropped to the bench. Dylan Morgan and Sonny Blu Lo-Everton were named amongst a full complement of substitutes.
Ebbsfleet, relegated from the National League last season, retained several of their high calibre players, and for the opening quarter of the contest, United struggled to get to grips with a strong and well executed rearguard from the visitors.
United kept on probing, growing stronger with each foray forward, and eventually got the goal their play deserved in the 21st minute. A back-peddling Jay Foulston did well to keep the ball alive, and he fed Dolan on the left flank, Jordan Young on the end of the perfect cross, his header too strong for Cousins.
United could have been out of sight within ten minutes of the restart. First Keane Anderson fed Dennis, but he shot straight at Cousins. Then Anderson and Dennis combined again, only for Dolan to see his shot blocked, before Cody Cooke again fired straight at the Ebbsfleet keeper, after being played in by Dennis.
As the half wore on, the hosts dropped a little deeper but maintained their shape, allowing Ebbsfleet more possession but no real chances. Defensively United looked sound, limiting supply from either flank, and allowing Ebbsfleet very few touches in the penalty area, also dealing comfortably with the four corners they conceded throughout the contest.
The closest the visitors came to snatching a point was five minutes from time, a cross from the Ebbsfleet right, glanced wide by the head of Josh Passley.
United missed a golden opportunity to put the result late on, as a slick counter attack saw stand-in striker Matt Carson played in Young, who forced a fine save from Mark Cousins deep into stoppage time.
Torquay move up to third on goals scored with a fortnight off now before they head to lowly Salisbury on October 4th.
UNITED: 1. James Hamon, 2. Denzel Akyeampong, 3 Jay Foulston, 4. Jordan Dyer (14. Matt Carson 90+3′), 5. Sam Dreyer, 7. Louis Dennis (14. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton 86′), 8. Jordan Young, 9. Cody Cooke (16. Ed Palmer 90+3′) 10. Callum Dolan (11. Dylan Morgan 63′), 18. Matt Worthington © (20. Dan Hayfield 81′), 22. Keane Anderson
SUBS NOT USED: 13. Matt Wonnacott (GK), 27. Matt Jay
Yellow Card: Cody Cooke 43′, Jordan Young 83′, Dylan Morgan 84′, Jay Foulston 90+1‘
EBBSFLEET UNITED: 1. Mark Cousins, 2, Charlie Seaman (7. Josh Passley 55′), 3, Ben Coker, 5. Max Ehmer ©, 8. Toby Edser, 9. Aaron Cosgrave, 12. Ronny Nelson, 17. Lennon Peake (10. Kwesi Appiah 55′), 18. Gene Kennedy (22. Ben Chapman 61′), 21. Josh Coley (19. Finlay Barnes 77′), 24. Mustapha Olagumju
SUBS NOT USED: 13, Gio Bellagambi, 15. Jamie Fielding, 20. Maxx Manktelow,
Yellow Card: Gene Kennedy 45‘
Attendance: 3,246 (104 away)
