Match Report: Weston-super-Mare 3 Torquay United 2

Lacklustre almost from the first to last whistle, Torquay United dismayed 850 of their travelling fans as they slumped to a desperate defeat against struggling Weston-super-Mare at a rain-soaked Optima Stadium (writes Dave Thomas).
Only for a brief spell after Aaron Jarvis equalised with his ninth goal of the season did Gary Johnson’s look anything like the promotion contenders they’re supposed to be.
And even then they shot themselves in the foot against a side which had just suffered three successive defeats without scoring a goal.
Those rain-soaked fans made their feelings towards Johnson and his players abundantly clear after a match which finished with United down to ten players with both Jarvis and Dean Moxey helped off the pitch with nasty injuries.
It was a thoroughly bad night for Torquay, and a complete contrast to the 5-1 home win over Welling United at the weekend.
Johnson made one change from the starting XI against Welling, Asa Hall coming in for Tom Lapslie, who had sustained a training ground injury, in midfield.
After a minute’s silence in the pouring rain for the late Sir Bobby Charlton, Weston tore into a Torquay side which seemed almost unprepared for the pressure they found themselves under.
Johnson had warned of just such a scenario before the kick-off, but the message didn’t look to have got through.
Mark Halstead dropped a Robbie Willmott free-kick, but smothered the ball at the second attempt. Willmott, causing plenty of problems down the left with Jordan Bastin, also drove a 25-yard shot just over the angle of post and bar.
United’s start smacked of the first 20 minutes against Welling – off the pace on and off the ball, with not enough urgency or intent to their play.
Reuben Reid made everything stick up front for the Seagulls, and it was no surprise when he gave the hosts the lead in the 17th minute.
He laid the ball off the ex-Gull Opi Edwards on the right, made ground to receive the low cross and then muscled his way between two defenders before driving an angled right-foot shot in off the near post... 1-0 to Weston.
It took Torquay nearly half-an-hour to cause any real concern in the home defence, Harry Lee tipping a Jack Stobbs free-kick behind.
Moxey hit a 25-yarder over the bar, before Brad Ash wasted a through-ball by Shaun Donnellan with a poor touch when he was all but away.
United were lucky to be only one goal down before Torquay-born Lee, 18, nearly gave them an equaliser.
Ash’s determination enabled him to get the better of Lloyd Humphries, whose last-ditch backpass caught Lee out.
Ash scrambled the loose ball towards the net, only for Lee to recover in time to claw it off the line.
United didn’t start the second half any better than they had done the first.
Johnson had sent on Ross Marshall for Hall at the interval, which involved a reshuffle in defence and Donnellan moving into midfield.
Edwards drove a 15-yard drive over the bar when he should have hit the target, and Torquay were showing few signs of improvement when Jarvis suddenly hauled them back into the match in the 61st minute.
Not only did he win a first header on a hopeful ball, but he seized on the ‘second’, brushed past a defender and fired low past Lee from 12 yards... 1-1.
The whole mood of the game changed, United were at last in full voice and many of them would have had a few bob on the Gulls going on to win from there.
Instead, they pressed the self-destruct button.
Halstead just tipped a deflected shot by Thomas onto the top of his bar and over.
Then, in the 72nd minute, Torquay turned a nothing situation into a calamity.
Marshall didn’t seem sure whether Halstead was coming to collect a harmless through ball, appeared to handle in that moment of uncertainty and referee Sam Read pointed to the spot.
Reid doesn’t miss them...2-1.
Ash had a wonderful chance to tie it up again, but he shot over from close range with Lee to beat on Jarvis’ flick.
Halstead then made one nervy save from another Thomas 30-yarder, but when the Weston right- back tried his luck again in the 89th minute, the ball flew through the keeper’s hands and it was 3-1.
Moxey had a header saved before Thomas completed an eventful night by heading into his own net in stoppage-time...3-2.
But there was still time for United to lose both Jarvis, who crashed into the fence behind Lee’s goal, and Moxey with a facial injury.
What else could have gone wrong?
Weston-super-Mare (5-3-2): Lee; Thomas, Canes, Humphries, Pope, Bastin; Willmott (Avery 90+1), Dodd (Mannings 49), Morton; Edwards (Pearce 85), Reid; subs not used – Purnell, Roddy.
Booked: Humphries 78, Lee 88.
Torquay United (4-1-3-2): Halstead; Donnellan, Tomlinson, Moxey, Craske; McGavin (Hanson 83); Stobbs, Hall (Marshall 46), Collins; Jarvis (Crowe 90+4), Ash; subs not used – Lovett, Thomas.
Booked: McGavin 43, Marshall 59), Donnellan 81.
Referee: Sam Read (Swindon).