Chris Todd’s U18 side went one step closer to securing the South West Counties Youth League title following a 3-2 victory over second placed Bridgwater at South Devon College on Saturday morning.
A bullet header by Lewis Brooks fired United into the lead in the 20th minute before the visitors levelled three minutes later. Callum Thomas re-established the lead in the 30th minute, before Theo Cadby made it 3-1 six minutes before the break. Five minutes into the second half the visitors got a goal back, however Todd’s men held on, with the game eventually finishing 3-2.
Torquay began on the front foot and enjoyed much of the possession in the opening ten minutes.
In the 2nd minute, Brooks drove into the right edge of the box, with his shot across goal forcing the Bridgwater goalkeeper to make an early save, before moments later, good build up play by the side saw Cadby get a low effort away on target which was again dealt with by the keeper.
Shortly after, it was Brandon Quinn’s turn to work the busy glovesman, as he nearly opened the scoring after seeing his drilled effort being palmed away.
Quinn continued to get involved in the action, and seven minutes later squared the ball for Brooks in the centre, before the Young Gull was denied once again by an increasingly overworked stopper in the Bridgwater goal. Having done his best to repel the rampant yellows though, he was eventually forced to concede with 20 minutes on the clock.
In a slick move, skipper Alfie Collings played a long ball forward for Sammy Stayt to chase, with Stayt then playing the ball out wide for Quinn to cross towards Brooks at the far post, who headed home to make it 1-0.
Having dominated the first quarter of the game, Torquay were pegged back just three minutes later, as confusion at the back allowed Bridgwater’s number 9 a free header at the far post to level the scores.
Undeterred, the Young Gulls continued to play some neat football along the floor whilst enjoying much of the possession, and in the 30th minute, they were rewarded with a second goal.
A great free kick by Jack Winsor midway inside the Bridgwater half evaded the rising defenders, and fell behind for Thomas, who slammed home from a tight angle to make it 2-1.
Nine minutes later, it got even better, as it was 3-1 after a deflected Stayt cross found Cadby in the centre, who was able to head home.
On the verge of half time the lads in yellow went close to securing a fourth after a Harvey Field header was blocked by the goalkeeper, however as the whistle went, Todd’s charges had to settle for just the two-goal margin .
Three minutes following the restart, there was controversy when United had a fourth goal chalked off.
Quinn played the ball into the centre for Cadby, who in turn, put Stayt through to slot home, however discussions between the referee and his assistant eventually produced an offside decision, and that was to prove costly two minutes later, as the arrears were reduced when the visiting No.12 made it 3-2.
Rather than boasting a comfortable lead, the outcome was now very much in the balance.
In what was to prove a tight second half, Torquay continued to create chances in their bid to re-establish their two-goal cushion, with Bridgwater’s goalkeeper again being forced to make a number of excellent saves.
In the 53rd minute Cadby drove centrally towards goal before firing in a shot that forced the goalkeeper to parry away, before moments later, Bridgwater’s No.1 clawed a United header off the line to keep his side in contention.
On 66 minutes, Joe Edmonds drove into the box before being denied by the keeper, with the rebound falling for Cadby beyond the far post, whose shot across goal was cleared off the line by the retreating Bridgwater defence.
With ten minutes left, Brooks nearly put the result beyond doubt after catching the visitors out when playing from the back, but in a rush to get an overhead kick away, his effort went wide.
The visiting keeper once again made saves in the 86th minute after Edmonds cut into the left edge of the box to be denied, before following that up by blocking Quinn’s close-range effort from the far post.
With the final whistle signalling a 3-2 success for United, Todd’s lads remain top of the table with two games to go, and now require just one more point from their remaining two fixtures to seal a first-ever South West Counties Youth League title.
United: 1. Matt Wonnacott, 3. Joe Edmonds, 4. Alfie Collings (c), 5. Callum Thomas, 7. Sam Bishop, 8. Brandon Quinn, 9. Theo Cadby, 11. Lewis Brookes (19. Jayden Gilbert 80′), 18. Sammy Stayt, 21. Harvey Field, 26. Jack Winsor.
Subs not used: 10. Jacob Mortimore, 2. James Rowe, 15. Jack Mogg, 17. Ben Aldous.