Spectacular victory for Torquay United

On a very special night at Plainmoor, ten-man Torquay United delivered their finest performance of the Paul Wotton / Bryn Consortium era to defeat league leaders Weston-super-Mare 4-2 in monsoon conditions.

It was one of those fabulous matches that had everything: attacking flair, superb goals, defensive slips, missed penalty, red card and a jubilant home crowd.

After a run of four clean sheets in five games and three successive draws in the National League South, United moved up to third in the table with a performance packed with passion and drama.

The Gulls started brightly on a slick surface and were asking the more pressing questions when a swift break from Weston saw Luke Coulson released through the middle and he composed himself before firing past an exposed James Hamon.

United took a few minutes to recover from the setback, Sam Pearson going close to a second for the visitors, but parity was restored in spectacular fashion, Lirak Hasani curling a sumptuous 20-yarder into the top corner after an initial drive from Will Jenkins Davies had been blocked.

The ball was zipping around on a greasy surface, which was again superbly prepared by groundsman Julian Gouldthorpe and his team, United playing with impressive belief and fluency.

Weston were creaking and a sloppy backpass was pounced on by Jenkins Davies, who steered a neat low finish across goalkeeper Max Harris to give United a 2-1 lead on 35 minutes.

Plainmoor was rocking but a soft goal briefly popped the home balloon, as a routine corner was missed by Hamon and his defence, gifting Sam Avery the easiest close-range finish to restore parity for the visitors.

A pulsating first period still had time for another twist, as a slick United move was ended by a scything challenge of Jay Fouslton. Referee Tom Ellsmore pointed to the spot, Cody Cooke struck his penalty sweetly enough but it was at a good height for Harris to make a sprawling save.

Plainmoor had 15 minutes to catch its breath before another enthralling half of football commenced, but it started horribly for Hasani, as he was shown a straight red card for a lunging tackle just moments after the restart.

Wotton introduced the experience of Oscar Threlkeld to his midfield and the Gulls quickly adjusted to their numerical disadvantage, largely controlling possession, although experienced forward Reuben Reid forced a top save from Hamon after a rapid Weston counter.

The slick conditions of the first period had become more bogged down in the relentless rain, a scenario that probably helped United, as Cooke jumped on a loose ball in the penalty area to earn spot-kick redemption with a prodded finish 20 minutes from time.

The Yellow Army were thoroughly enjoying their soggy evening entertainment, as United survived a spell of Weston pressure before sealing a thrilling three points with a terrific second for Cooke, calmly steering a neat finish beyond Harris after a swift counter from Dan Hayfield.

The closing minutes were safely navigated by the Gulls. What a night!