United 2
(Cooke 45+5′, Jay 58′)
Slough 0
United claimed all three points on Yellow Day, as a goal in each half saw off ten-man Slough at Plainmoor.
After Slough’s efforts were hit by a red card just short of the half-hour mark, Cody Cooke’s goal on the stroke of half-time gave The Gulls a deserved lead, and with Matt Jay applying further gloss in the second period, it rounded off a comfortable afternoon in United’s penultimate home game of the season.
Following last week’s home setback against Chesham, Torquay boss Paul Wotton chose to ring the changes, with Finley Craske, Oscar Threlkeld and Offrande Zanzala being replaced by Jordan Thomas, Lirak Hasani and Omar Mussa in the starting line-up.
A stop-start opening to the game suddenly burst into life on 28 minutes, albeit for all the wrong reasons.
A reckless challenge by Slough’s Guy Hollis saw Cooke hit the deck following a clear elbow to the face, and with the referee well-placed, the man in the middle wasted no time in giving the Town player his marching orders.
United’s leading scorer is made of strong stuff though, and if anything, he only went up a gear thereafter.
Three minutes before the break, Foulston’s cross saw the Torquay No.19 rattle the crossbar, before the same man finally found a way through in time added on.
It was Foulston again that provided the invitation, with the defender’s shot falling kindly to Cooke, who slotted home from close range to make it 1-0 at the change of ends.
Having given up an interval advantage last time out, the men in yellow were in now mood to replicate that on Yellow Day, as they went on the offensive straight from the restart.
On 54 minutes, the post denied United once again, however they wouldn’t have to wait long before the advantage was doubled.
After forcing Slough’s ten men back against their own goal as Torquay pushed forwards in numbers, Jay was afforded too much space, and duly punished his opponents by dinking the ball into the net to make it 2-0.
Although there were no more goals, it wasn’t for the want of trying, with the woodwork amazingly coming to Slough’s rescue for a third time for the game was out.
Three points for United maintained their presence in the battle at the top of the National League South table, as attention shifts to Cornwall on Good Friday.
UNITED: 1. James Hamon, 3. Jay Foulston, 4. Jordan Dyer, 5. Sam Dreyer (16. Ed Palmer, 72′), 7. Lirak Hasani, 8. Jordan Young (25. Emmanuel Ilesanmi, 90+1′), 10. Omar Mussa (18. Oscar Threlkeld, 67′), 19. Cody Cooke (17. Offrande Zanzala, 66′), 20. Dan Hayfield (22. Will Jenkins Davies, 89′), 26. Jordan Thomas, 27. Matt Jay.
Yellow Card: Mussa 65′
SLOUGH: 1. Charlie Horlock, 2. Josh Jackman 4. Edon Pruti, 6. Jeanmal Prosper (11. Francis Amartey, HT), 9. Slavi Spasov (16. Dan Roth, 69′), 10. John Gilbert, 15. Henry Ochieng, 20. Johnny Goddard, 22. Nnaemeka Anyanwu (13. Taylor Clark, 28′), 23. David Ogbonna, 25. Guy Hollis.
SUBS NOT USED: 7. Odysseus Alfa, 21. Jaiden Bartolo.
Yellow Card: Horlock 8′
Red Card: Hollis 28′
Attendance: 4,141 (99 away)