Weymouth 1
(McCarthy 44′)
United 5
(Cooke 22′, 50′, 51′, Young 48′, Carson 82′)
United round off their pre-season preparations in clinical fashion, as they ran out clear winners in Dorset.
The early stages provided ample evidence that this fixture would provide Gulls boss Paul Wotton with just the kind of workout his side needed ahead of next weekend’s season opener, before Torquay eventually broke the deadlock midway through the first half.
In the 22nd minute, Dylan Morgan continued his fine pre-season with a perfect ball into the path of former Terra Cooke, with United’s No.9 showing his former employers no mercy at all, coolly slotting home past home ‘keeper Ben Clark to open the scoring.
That goal sparked a period of dominance from the men in yellow, as Wotton’s side continued their fine-tuning whilst launching a number of promising attacks in their bid for a second goal.
However, it was the hosts who struck just before the break, as Jake McCarthy punished a moment’s hesitation inside the United goalmouth by slotting home an equaliser to make it 1-1.
Plenty of positives in The Gulls’ favour in the first 45 minutes, however there was nothing to separate to two sides at the interval.
It didn’t take too longer after the restart for Torquay to put that right though.
Just three minutes in, and poacher turned provider, as Cooke laid the ball on a plate for Jordan Young to fire the Yellows back in front.
United then raced clear, with two goals in as many minutes.
First, a lovely pass from the right from half-time substitute Sonny Blu Lo-Everton saw Cooke fire home from fifteen yards, before last season’s leading marksman turned a brace into a hat-trick 60 seconds later by making it 4-1.
Wotton’s men continued to play some delightful stuff for the remainder of the match, and the only surprise was that it wasn’t until the 82nd minute that Torquay made it five.
It was two more subs that combined for United’s final flourish, as a marauding run down the right from Ed Palmer was the prelude to his inviting ball across the face of goal, with Matt Carson gleefully applying the gloss with an instinctive finish.
All in all, an excellent afternoon’s work at the Bob Lucas Stadium.
So, that’s the practice stuff over and done with.
It’s all about the real thing now, starting at home to Enfield next Saturday… see you there, Yellow Army!
UNITED: 1. James Hamon (13. Matt Wonnacott), 3. Jay Foulston, 4. Jordan Dyer, 5. Sam Dreyer,6. Munashe Sundire (29. Aiden Edwards, 60′), 8. Jordan Young (14. Matt Carson, 60′), 9. Cody Cooke (15. Jadyn Crosbie, 66′), 10. Callum Dolan (24. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, HT), 11. Dylan Morgan , 19. Matt Worthington (c) (20. Dan Hayfield, 36′), 26. Jordan Thomas (16. Ed Palmer, 60′).
Yellow Card: Worthington 35′
Attendance: 658
