Torquay United swept aside at Notts County

The result was not a shock, but the scoreline inflicted even more pain on bottom-of-the-table Torquay United and manager Gary Johnson as the Gulls were eventually swept aside by National League leaders Notts County.

More than 300 Gulls fans were in the 7,500-plus crowd at Meadow Lane, where Johnson introduced three new signings, including former Plainmoor favourite Mark Ellis in defence, to help his squad through a nightmare injury and suspension crisis.

United fought hard and two key refereeing decisions went against them, but County goalkeeper Sam Slocombe did not have a serious save to make and the facts make grim reading.

This defeat, care of goals by Connell Rawlinson and Ruben Rodrigues (pen) in the first half and Sam Austin and Geraldo Bajrami in the last two minutes, was United's tenth in the last 14 league games.

They have taken only six points in that period and now stand three points adrift and effectively six from safety.

Johnson was without three men who started the 1-0 midweek loss at Eastleigh - Dylan Crowe, Chinwike Okoli and the suspended Aaron Jarvis.

Crowe was injured, centre-forward Jarvis suspended and Okoli had to drop out under the maximum five-loanee rule.

Johnson threw two new loan signings, 35-year-old Ellis (Barrow) and young centre-back Lucas Ness (Charlton Athletic) into his defence, named former Barnsley forward Cameron Thompson (non-contract) on the bench and recalled Tom Lapslie in midfield.

United's bench was still a man short, despite the new arrivals, which underlined just how short of players the club currently is.

Notts were without the suspended Richard Brindley, so Luke Williams made one enforced change, Aden Baldwin taking his place in defence.

United set up well, frustrated County in the early stages and, when they found Dillon De Silva on the left wing, posed an attacking threat themselves.

Adam Chicksen did miss a good heading chance on a cross from the left by Matt Palmer, but a De Silva delivery at the other end was nearly finished by both Will Goodwin and Asa Hall.

Home keeper Sam Slocombe also did well to stretch out and catch a De Silva cross after good work by lone striker Goodwin.

But the longer the first half went on, the more Notts began to dominate and, hard as United worked to keep them out, the gaps started to appear.

Mark Halstead had to pull out good saves from Palmer, on a cross by former Gulls winger Aaron Nemane, and the breakthrough came in the 27th minute.

United managed to foil a free-kick move, but the ball dropped for Palmer, who set Rawlinson up for a curling shot from the end of the area into the bottom right-hand corner…1-0.

Although De Silva often did his best to get back and help, Nemane looked increasingly dangerous down County's right, but he needed the help of referee David Richardson to take a really decisive hand in the game.

In the 33rd minute, after a heavy touch, Nemane appeared to go down all too easily as Ellis checked his challenge, but the referee pointed to the spot and no amount of protests was going to change his mind.

After a pause, Rodrigues dispatched the penalty…2-0.

It was all County from then until half-time.

Halstead produced two more good saves from Macaulay Longstaff, even though he was just offside, and Cedwyn Scott, the second effort after a Rodrigues shot rebounded off the bar to the Magpies striker.

The priority for the Gulls was to stay in contention as long as possible, and they just about did it despite conceding territory and possession for long periods.

Palmer and Longstaff both went close with shots and, in the 65th minute, County sub Sam Austin hit the bar.

United's quality on the ball was good at some moments and poor at others, and they were asking for trouble by giving the ball away several times in quick succession midway through the second half - Donnellan at fault for a couple of mistakes.

When another big refereeing moment came in the 70th minute, it again went against the Gulls.

Donnellan crossed, the hard-working Lapslie appeared to be the victim of a push by Rawlinson, but Mr Richardson wasn't interested.

After County had made all their changes, Johnson sent on first new boy Thompson for Lapslie and then Ollie Tomlinson for Ellis, who was playing his first competitive game of the season, and finally Ali Omar for Moxey.

Thompson sent one shot not far wide, but in the last two minutes of normal time County finally made their superiority count.

In the 88th minute United were caught on the counter as Austin ran from halfway before scoring from range…3-0.

It was no more than Notts deserved, but it was rubbing salt into United's wounds when Bajrami made it 4-0 in the 90th minute.

Aldershot at Plainmoor on Tuesday is looming as a hugely important night for the club…

Notts County (3-5-2): Slocombe; Rawlinson, Baldwin, Cameron; Nemane (Adebayo-Rowling 75), Bajrami, Scott (Austin 65), Palmer, Chicksen; Rodrigues (De Castro 75), Langstaff; subs not used -Francis, Mitchell.

Booked: None.

Torquay United (4-5-1): Halstead; Donnellan, Ness, Ellis (Tomlinson 80), Moxey (Omar 87); Smith, Lapslie (Thompson 76), Hall, McGavin, De Silva; Goodwin; subs not used - Lovett.

Booked: Hall 26.

Referee: David Richardson (W. Yorks).

Attendance: 7,563 (330 Gulls fans).