Torquay United 2 Enfield 1 - Brad gives United lift off for victory in first game of season

We Have Lift-Off! They had to survive a frantic and nerve-jangling last few moments, but the ‘new’ Torquay United are up and running after a tight but deserved win over Enfield Town in front of nearly 4,000 fans at Plainmoor.

Enfield took a shock lead through Lewis Taafe’s third minute header, and they so nearly forced an equaliser at the end.
But in between, goals by Matt Carson and Brad Ash saw Paul Wotton’s Gulls deservedly in front by half-time, and they had more than enough chances to have made the game safe.
Only one player, Ash, survived from the final game of 2023-2024 to the first match under Wotton – aclear measure of the scale of squad overhaul.
Wotton also preferred Omar Mussa to Roddy Collins in midfield, and he went for the combination of Ash and Cody Cooke up front.
The new five-subs-available rule had also prompted the decision to send reserve goalkeeper Matt Wonnacott to Tiverton Town on loan.
Several bursts of heartfelt applause answered calls to remember former United director Mervyn Balson, and ex-players Paul Holmes and Alan Little, who had all passed away since the end of last season.
But the raucous atmosphere around Plainmoor was rudely interrupted after only three minutes when Enfield took a surprise lead.
Oliver Knight finished a slick move down their left with a good cross and right-winger Taafe stole in to glance a 12-yard header across James Hamon and inside the right-hand post... 0-1.
Moments earlier Hamon had come for a Knight corner, only for Josh Nembhard to get there first and head wide.
It wasn’t a great start, but United soon found their stride.
Oscar Threlkeld scraped the bar with a 20-yard volley, and in the 15th minute the Gulls equalised.
Enfield only half-cleared a Mussa free-kick from the left and Carson’s goalbound shot was helped past Forster by a flick from Ash... 1-1.
The goal was rightly given to Carson, who had made a positive start at left wing-back.
Cooke, putting himself about at every opportunity, scuffed a good chance from Ash, but in the 28th minute United’s growing pressure told again – with a quality goal.
Jay Foulston fed Carson on the left, his cross was right on the money and Ash rose at the near post to head across Forster and in off the far post... 2-1.
Ash should have made it 3-1 moments later when he shook off a defender and shot just wide across Forster with an unmarked Cooke pleading for a pass.
It was Cooke’s turn to miss soon after half-time, although it did take a terrific block by Nembhard to deflect the effort behind.

The introduction of Lirak Hasani for Mussa quickened up United’s passing for a while, but too many of Hasani’s teammates failed to match his urgency and the side began to stutter as a result.
Sensing that they were still in with a real chance, Enfield played with admirable spirit in the second half.
The longer it went on without a third goal, the more the Gulls started to doubt themselves.
Ash, again denied by Nembhard, sub Ben Seymour with a ‘goal’ narrowly disallowed for offside, and Dyer with a close-range hook against a post all went close as personnel changes came and went.
Seymour, Collins and Jayden Crosbie went on for Ash, Threlkeld and Cooke.
It took a goal-saving block by Sam Dreyer from Town’s new signing Hisham Kasimu to keep United in front in the 78th minute.
But that was nothing compared to the desperate goal-line ‘saves’ by Dreyer and Hamon in quick succession which kept Enfield out deep into stoppage-time.
It was too close for comfort, and there was plenty of relief in the roar which greeted the final whistle.
Torquay United (3-5-2): Hamon; Dyer, Dreyer, Foulston; Tonks, Threlkeld (Collins 82), Mussa (Hasani 57), Hayfield, Carson; Cooke (Crosbie 82), Ash (Seymour 70); subs not used – Palmer.
Booked: Tonks 56,
Enfield Town (4-5-1): Forster; Oyenuga, Tanner, Nembhard, Payne; Taafe (Adjey-Hersey 61), Youngs, Thomas (Kasimu 73), Krasniqi, Knight; Folivi (Beckles-Richards 82)subs not used – Alves, Parcell.
Booked: Krasniqi 25,
Referee: Phillip Eddie (Royal Navy).
Attendance: 3,837 (214 away).