Weymouth 1
(Goodship 68′)
United 2
(Lewis 65′, Armstrong 70′)
United secured their second away win of the campaign in some style on Saturday, as Gary Johnson’s side strode to a 2-1 success over Weymouth.
With all the goal action taking place in the second period, it was two second half efforts that helped them to the three points, with Joe Lewis opening the scoring prior to Brandon Goodship’s swift equaliser, before Sinclair Armstrong responded equally quickly to ensure The Gulls returned home from Dorset victorious.
Gary Johnson made three changes to the defeat against FC Halifax, bringing Klaidi Lolos, Byron Moore and Dan Holman into the starting line up in place of Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, Harry Perritt and Armstrong, with the latter dropping to the bench.
United started the game on the front foot with the wind behind them, forcing two corners in quick succession at the start of the half. It took Torquay only six minutes to create the first real opening of the game with Dan Holman advancing down the right before laying the ball across the edge of the area. With the ball coming out to Armani Little, he whipped the ball to the back post where Tom Lapslie headed back across the goal, seeing his chance go inches wide.
Despite a dominant opening ten minutes from Johnson’s men, Weymouth fired their own warning shot when on twelve minutes a move down the left wing led to Taylor-Crossdale cutting inside and firing a shot which MacDonald did well to parry behind for a corner. United came back at their opponents two minutes later when Dan Martin advanced down the left wing before laying off the ball to Little in a central position. With the Yellow Army encouraging him to shoot he didn’t disappoint, launching a long range shot that Fitzsimons in the Weymouth goal parried away only to Byron Moore, however his follow up shot went well wide of the far post.
Martin again was finding success down the left moments later, this time passing to Holman but his shot was placed wide.
The Yellows continued to control the first half with half chances coming and going. In response, Weymouth had a few chances from corners, but United continued to defend them well.
On 36 minutes Holman played the ball to Lolos, whose shot fizzed just wide, as they continued to dominate as the half was into its latter stages.
Weymouth briefly roused themselves just before the break though, as Omar Moussa had a cross-shot tipped over the bar by MacDonald on 40 minutes, before normal services was resumed as a move between Moore, Hall and Little ended with United’s vice-captain having a shot comfortably saved by Fitzsimons.
That was to prove to be the final chance of a very entertaining first half that United controlled for long periods.
Despite no longer boasting the wind in their favour, Johnson’s men set about their opponents in much the same vein following the restart, with Lolos firing over from the edge of the box one minute in.
A minute later, the same man went much closer from a corner, as Holman’s deflected effort fell into his path, resulting in a desperate clearance of the line from a Terras defender.
With the scoreline remaining blank at the hour mark, it was the visitors who continued to ask all the questions, with Little shooting wide on 58 minutes.
When Lolos, on a Martin pass through the centre, failed to convert following a marvellous save from the Fitzsimons on 64 minutes, the frustration amongst the Yellow Army began to increase.
They didn’t have to wait much longer though.
From the resulting corner, Little’s delivery towards Lewis was floated to perfection, allowing the centre-back to glance home his near-post header into the opposite corner of the net to make it 1-0 to The Gulls.
Having remained so patient in the search for a goal, it was therefore disappointing that the lead lasted just two minutes before Weymouth drew level.
A quickly-taken free-kick from former Gull Josh McQuoid appeared to catch Torquay’s otherwise well-drilled backline out, as his ball out wide to Leon Davies saw the latter’s right-wing cross steered home by Goodship’s stooping header from eight yards.
As soon as they had been pegged back though, they promptly restored the lead after a moment of individual brilliance from Little.
After picking up possession on the halfway line, his trickery and pace saw him break clear of a stunned home backline, before he showed admirable composure to lay the ball of to Lolos. After steadying himself, his low effort may have diverted away from goal, however the bounce fell kindly for substitute Armstrong, who duly put the ball into the back of the net to re-establish his team’s advantage.
Having given up their lead far too quickly for their manager’s liking previously, it was imperative they didn’t repeat that mistake, however it took a goal-saving intervention from Dean Moxey in the 74th minute to prevent Tom Blair from tapping home a Cameron cross from six yards.
To their credit though, it was United who looked the more likely to score during the remainder of the match.
Firstly, a delightful flick of the boot between Weymouth’s central defensive pairing saw Armstrong race clear, with another excellent stop from the overworked Fitzsimons the only thing preventing Johnson’s men increasing their lead.
Even he could do nothing three minutes later though, as following a half-cleared corner, Little’s cross was met by a firm header from Lolos, whose luck was out once more, as his effort rattled the crossbar.
There was to be one more warning fired by the hosts, as a free-kick from the home ‘keeper saw the ball travel all the way towards Blair inside the box, however with the goal at his mercy, the Terras man fluffed his lives by firing his half-volley into the jubilant United fans behind Shaun MacDonald’s goal.
With three minutes of additional time signalled, the Yellow Army may have braced themselves for a few nervy moments, however it proved to be quite the opposite as twice more the woodwork denied them a healthy advantage, as Fitzsimons tapped O’Connell’s 15-yard drive onto the ‘bar, before Lapslie’s low effort from the edge of the D saw the ball strike the upright, just when it looked to sneak inside.
Seconds later, the final whistle blew, with the celebrations on and off the pitch heralding a not only a dearly sought-after away day triumph, but also hope for the remainder of the campaign, following this impressive showing on the Jurassic Coast.
WEYMOUTH: 1. Ross Fitzsimons, 2. Leon Davies, 5. Ben Morgan (15. Josh Leslie-Smith 82), 6. Tyler Cordner, 7. Brandon Goodship, 8. Omar Mussa(32.Sean Shields 71), 10. Josh McQouid(c), 19.Martell Taylor-Crossdale (20.Tom Blair 71), 23. Cameron Murray, 26. Ollie Harfield, 30. Taofiq Olomowewe.
SUBS NOT USED: 9.Ben Thompson, 14.Tom Bearwish.
UNITED: 37. Shaun MacDonald, 2. Ben Wynter, 3. Dan Martin, 4. Tom Lapslie, 8. Asa Hall(c), 10. Armani Little, 19. Klaidi Lolos, 21. Dean Moxey, 27. Byron Moore (16.Keelan O’Connell 45′), 30. Dan Holman (25.Sinclair Armstrong 66′), 31. Joe Lewis.
SUBS NOT USED: 1. Mark Halstead, 5. Ali Omar, 11. Jake Andrews.
Attendance: 1,559