United 1
(Jarvis 79′)
Maidstone 0
A single goal from Aaron Jarvis was enough to see United take all three points against Maidstone United at Plainmoor.
A tense encounter between two sides desperately striving for a crucial victory was eventually decided in the closing stages, as leading scorer Jarvis fired home to seal victory for The Gulls.
Boss Gary Johnson made two changes to the side that secured a 4-2 FA Trophy win over Taunton last time out, with Dean Moxey and debutant Tope Fadahunsi replacing Ali Omar and Ross Marshall, whilst another new addition, ex-Maidstone defender Jacob Mensah, took his place on the bench for the visit of his old club.
A tight encounter saw Torquay create the first opportunity on fifteen minutes.
A great run by Dillon De Silva down the right flank saw the winger opt for a low cross towards debutant Fadahunsi, who arrived at the near-post, but had his path to goal blocked by the Maidstone goalkeeper and the visitors were able to clear.
Four minutes later the men in yellow threatened again, as a Kieron Evans corner towards the far-post found Dean Moxey, whose header was safely gathered by Daniel Barden.
Although chances were at a premium, the opportunities that did arise were all falling United’s way.
Just short of the half-hour, a free kick ten yards outside the Maidstone box saw Evans’ high ball into the penalty area was flicked on into the path of Tom Lapslie, and although his initial effort was blocked, Moxey was on hand to react to the rebound, however the skipper’s effort went high over the crossbar.
The captain went close to breaking the deadlock four minutes after. From a free kick in a similar position to the one previous, his low-curled effort was curling in towards the bottom corner of the far-post, forcing Barden to save.
At the halfway stage it remained goalless though.
The second half began in the same way the first half had ended with United on the front foot, with a Moxey free kick on 48 minutes being met by the head of Shaun Donnellan, but Barden in the Maidstone goal was equal to it to tip the goal-bound header over the bar.
With the game then settling down, and with both teams getting equal amounts of the ball, it was the visitors who created the next chance on 63 minutes, when a corner was delivered to the back post but Sam Barham’s effort was blocked by Lapslie.
Two minutes later it was United who won a free kick and this time Evans’ set-piece was once again met by Moxey at the far post, but his effort was blocked and cleared.
Sri Lankan winger De Silva was next to test the Maidstone backline on 68 minutes, when he cut in from the right – his close control took him past a few defenders to create him some space, but his shot was fired over the crossbar, as another chance went begging for the home side.
With the game opening up – primarily for The Gulls, Evans looped the ball into the box before seeing Jarvis’s shot blocked by Barden, and though the ball looked to be falling to Ben Wyatt, he was unable to put the ball into the empty net, as the ‘keeper’s intervention saw the ball diverted behind the wing-back.
The breakthrough finally came on 79 minutes.
Taking a moment to control the ball on the turn, Fadahunsi played a beautifully weighted ball into the path of his new strike partner, before Jarvis applied the finishing touch by firing across Barden and into the back of the net.
United deserved their lead, and they followed that up by confidently holding onto it, as despite a late flurry of corners the backline did what was required to clinch a much-needed, and very valuable win at home.
Three wins on the trot, back-to-back clean sheets, just one home defeat in twelve.
Plenty more work to be done yet, but plenty of reasons to be cheerful – and hopeful – at Plainmoor.
United: 1. Mark Halstead, 4. Tom Lapslie, 9. Aaron Jarvis, 10. Tope Fadahunsi (2. Dylan Crowe 82′), 11. Kieron Evans, 15. Ben Wyatt (6. Ross Marshall 89′), 16. Shaun Donnellan, 17. Ricky Aguiar (7. Ryan Hanson 75′), 19. Nico Lawrence, 21. Dean Moxey (c), 27. Dillon De Silva.
SUBS NOT USED: 12. Jacob Mensah, 22. Rhys Lovett.
Yellow Cards: Lapslie 90+2′
Maidstone: 31. Daniel Barden, 3. Ryan Galvin (7. James Alabi HT’), 5. George Fowler, 8. Sam Corne, 10. Jack Barham (16. Josh Fawole 83′), 15. Regan Booty, 18. Jerome Binnom-Williams (c), 21. Roarie Deacon, 22. Sam Bone, 24. Mamadou Jobe, 32. Sha’mar Lawson (17. Christie Pattisson 79′).
SUBS NOT USED: 30. Yusuf Mersin, 34. Jack Cawley.
Yellow Cards: Bone 31′, Lawson 73′, Booty 74′
Attendance: 2,308 (165 away)