Torquay United 0 Marine Academy Plymouth 1
Torquay United slipped to their second successive defeat, and with it, for now, at least, controlling interest in the South West Regional Women’s Premier League.
It was an intriguing encounter and for a neutral, kept you on the edge of your seat until the very end, and could have just as easily ended in favour of United, so evenly matched were the two sides.
From the first whistle, it looked as though it might take an error, or moment of excellence to split the sides, and, in the end, it was both, two minutes after the interval that took the three points for the visitors.
The first half started with both sides looking for supremacy, and United with early forays down either flank showed they intended to use the full width of the Exwick pitch. But despite Emily Elliot and Chloe Williams finding space, there was never a quality supply of crosses for Lucy Solloway.
After an early spell, punctuated by free kicks to both sides, Marine Academy Plymouth grew in confidence and had their best spell of the half. Jas Read watched several half chances drift wide of her posts, before palming over a rasping drive from Beth Overton that was a tad too high to try and catch.
But as it looked like MAP were getting on top, United upped the tempo. Adele Brown looped the ball over from outside the area after a quickly taken free-kick and then MAP keeper, Leigh Black was forced into a full-length save to deny United an opener from the boot of Tee Kaptein.
Kate McKane replaced the luckless Williams at the interval, but before United could find out if her pace would make a difference, they were behind. Kaptein and Adele Brown both hesitated towards a loose ball in the Torquay half, and Overton took advantage, driving home from the edge of the area past the sprawling Read.
United responded well and almost forged an equaliser within a couple of minutes, in what became the afternoon’s biggest talking point. Solloway was played in, Black and a defender collided, Tracey Cross fired the ball goalwards but it was charged down by the recovering Black, outside the area. United were adamant the MAP keeper had used her hands, but referee Clive Parsons waived away the Torquay appeals.
Black smothered another Cross effort before Ellie Bishop replaced Emily Elliot. Kaptein struck the crossbar direct from a corner, then United’s number ten and Bishop set up Solloway who struck her shot straight at the advancing Black, the keeper riding her luck to gather at the second attempt.
As United pushed for parity though it was their turn to get lucky, Clara Martin’s shot on the counter-attack beat Read but came back off the inside angle of the Torquay post for the United keeper to gather.
Kayleigh Brown and Lexie Watts were thrown into the fray as Lee Mann withdrew fullbacks, Tash Bevan and Bex McMullin, switching to a back three.
Read saved at the feet of Kelsey Blight to keep Torquay in it before her long clearance was missed by everyone and Bishop running on to it saw her shot deflected wide of the advancing Black, and the post. Kaptein hit the outside of the post directly from the resulting corner, Cross hit almost the same spot on the goal frame with the rebound and Kayleigh Brown fired the second attempt over.
Moments later, Kaptein chased and won a lost cause and fed the supporting Bishop who cut in from the right and fired a wicked dipping shot off the MAP crossbar, with Black beaten. It was United’s last chance in an enthralling second half.
These may yet be the two teams that occupy first and second spots come the end of the season. And with a County Cup tie and the return league fixture to come in the next couple of months, there could yet be plenty more entertaining fair to come!
Torquay United: 24 Jas Read, 3. Bex McMullin, 4. Alex Sheppard, 14. Kaitlyn Harris, 17. Natascha Bevan, 6. Adele Brown, 7. Tracy Cross ©, 10. Anthea Kaptein, 9. Lucy Solloway, 11. Chloe Williams, 12. Emily Elliot
Substitutes: 8. Kayleigh Brown, 13. Katie Barriball, 15. Kate McKane, 16. Lexie Watts, 19. Ellie Bishop