Match Report: Hereford 2 Torquay United 0

Hereford 2
Pugh 20
Ceesay pen 37

Torquay United 0

A lacklustre display saw Torquay United bow out of the FA Trophy at Hereford.

The Gulls struggled in attacking areas and two first-half goals from the Bulls gave them a fairly comfortable route into the last 16.

Tom Pugh opened the scoring from a free-kick on 20 minutes and when Yusifu Ceesay converted a penalty before the break, it was game over for United.

The headline act in manager Gary Johnson’s team selection for United was the inclusion of new signing Duane Ofori-Acheampong, making his return to the club nine years after his first Plainmoor stint.

Sadly for United, the injury jinx hit the new man inside six minutes, as Ofori-Acheampong was forced off, Dan Martin his replacement, and the disruption played a part in the hosts enjoying the better of the play in the early exchanges.

The Gulls broke the shackles with a dangerous cross from Dillon De Silva forcing Curtis Pond into solid handling in the Hereford goal but the Bulls were soon back up the other end, and asking tricky questions of the United defence.

A dazzling run from Ceesay threatened to break the deadlock before Mark Halstead raced off his line to smother the danger, but it proved to be a brief reprieve for the Gulls, as they fell behind from the next attack.

The trickery of Ceesay won a free-kick just outside the penalty area and Pugh rifled the set-piece beyond Halstead to put the National League North outfit in front.

United replied with a decent low strike from Osman Foyo, well saved by Pond before a scrappy spell that saw neither side create a chance of any real worth. That all changed on 35 minutes, when Hereford won a penalty after a foul by Archie Harris.

Ceesay took the responsibility and his spot-kick just about had enough power to beat Halstead, who had guessed the right way, but there was no masking a disappointing 45 minutes for the Gulls. A massive improvement required to extend their FA Trophy journey for this season.

Asa Hall replaced Foyo early in the second period, as United sought to find some attacking momentum. A good save from Halstead, thwarting Lassana Mendes, kept the Gulls in the game before an ambitious drive from Dean Moxey was a fraction too high.

The second United change saw Callum Thomas replace Lewis Collins and Moxey was soon back on defensive duty, clearing a dangerous cross from Tope Obadeyi, but the Gulls were struggling to penetrate the home defence.

Hall took matters into his own hands with an audacious effort from distance that very nearly beat a scampering Pond but it was all a bit hopeful for the Gulls. Brett McGavin had a free-kick comfortably held by the Hereford custodian and United had nothing more to offer.

A disappointing end to the FA Trophy run but the Gulls have bigger games to come in the league.

Hereford: 1 Curtis Pond; 2 Aaron Skinner, 4 Aurio Teixera, 7 Yusifu Ceesay (31 Arwyn Walby 90+1), 15 Tom Pugh, 17 Tope Obadeyi (16 Jack Tolley 75), 20 Lassana Mendes, 21 Oliver Southern, 22 Adam Rooney, 27 Nathan Cameron, 28 Kyle Howkins (3 Adam Livingstone 45). Substitutes (not used): 12 Shay Sterry, 14 Mark Derricott.

Booked:

Torquay United: 1 Mark Halstead; 6 Ross Marshall, 10 Lewis Collins (24 Callum Thomas 65), 14 Brett McGavin, 17 Dillon De Silva, 18 Will Jenkins Davies, 19 Duane Ofori-Acheampong (3 Dan Martin 6), 21 Dean Moxey (capt), 23 Ollie Tomlinson, 26 Archie Harris, 32 Osman Foyo (8 Asa Hall 51). Substitutes (not used): 22 Rhys Lovett (GK), 35 Tom Chastey.

Booked: Foyo 26

Referee: Richard Eley

Attendance: 2,264 (267 away)