Torquay United secured safe passage through to the next round of the FA Youth Cup, after a hard-fought victory over Weston-super-Mare.
A closely-fought first 45 minutes only saw one goal, with Jonah Shaw applying a superb volley to finish off a delicious ball over the top from Elliot Osman.
Even after the break, as the game approached the hour-mark, things remained very much nip-and-tuck.
Then, the floodgates opened.
Harry Truscott’s darting run onto an inviting through ball saw him round Weston glovesman Alfie Smith before steering the ball into the empty net.
When Shaw fired home with a powerful low drive from just inside the box moments later to make it 3-0, it looked like the result was in no doubt.
However, to the visitors’ great credit, Weston dragged themselves back into proceedings, with Owen Johnson’s header from a free-kick pulling one back, before right-back Dalton Ross smashed home a curling effort from the edge of the box to reduce the arrears to a single goal at 3-2.
When Weston sub Evans headed past Gulls ‘keeper Mack Stokes, United’s lead looked to have evaporated, before an Assistant’s flag – quite rightly – brought a repreive.
With time ticking away, the visiting side were forced to gamble, and after throwing all eleven players forward for a late, late free-kick, the Young Gulls repelled the danger well enough to send Truscott away with the freedom of half of Plainmoor to run into, with the rampaging frontman outpacing his opponents to slot home and round off the scoring at 4-2.
UNITED YOUTH: 1. Mack Stokes, 2. Harry Asante, 3. Elliot Osman, 4. Noah Bevan, 5. Jake Thomas, 7. Hoyt Spencer, 8. Jonah Shaw, 9. George Powell, 10. Ethan Ratcliffe, 11. Harry Truscott, 19. Ashton Harvey.
SUBS: 12. Luka Rice, 14. Kody Doo, 15. Albie Baker, 16. Tyler Steede, 17. Ross, 18. Will Leigh, 20. Jason Bowden.
