Match Report: Torquay United 0 Taunton Town 3

Torquay United 0

Taunton Town 3
Jarvis 22
Evans 26
Stearn 60

Torquay United slumped to a disappointing 3-0 defeat at home to a resurgent Taunton Town.

The Somerset side enjoyed one of the top results in their history, and it was largely down to two first-half goals in the space of four minutes, Nat Jarvis and Cameron Evans punishing poor defending from United.

Taunton then added a gloss to their win with a second-half scorcher from Ross Stearn.

United boss Aaron Downes had the pleasant luxury if naming the same side that defeated Dartford 4-1 on the weekend. The only change came on the bench, where Ross Marshall returned from suspension to replace Asa Hall.

The Peacocks of Taunton Town secured a superb 3-1 victory at promotion-chasing Worthing on Saturday and included a familiar face between the sticks, former United youngster Dan Lavercombe, although he had a watching brief as Brett McGavin fired the first shot in anger well over the bar.

Good handling from Mark Halstead repelled the first Taunton question, an inviting cross from skipper Nick Grimes before a deep delivery at the other end picked out the run of Arkell Jude-Boyd, who was unlucky to see his nod back across goal just elude the supporting forwards.

United tested Lavercombe with successive deliveries from Jack Stobbs and Kevin Dawson, but the Torquay boy dealt with the danger, as he did with a stinging long-range drive from Jude-Boyd, who was looking for this third goal in three games.

Just as the Gulls looked to be settling into their task, Taunton grabbed the lead, Lloyd James slipping a neat pass into the run of Jarvis, who calmly slotted beyond an exposed Halstead.

Within four minutes, United’s task doubled in difficulty, as the Peacocks again punished some loose defending, Zac Bell’s long throw sailing through a static backline for Evans to loop a header past Halstead.

It was two bad goals for United to concede, and things almost got worse, Halstead producing a top save to thwart Zac Smith. Next up, another long throw from Bell, and this time Grimes found space for a header into the side-netting.

After the delight of Dartford, it was frustratingly sluggish from United, as James unleashed a piledriver from distance that again needed Halstead at his alert best.

When the Gulls did find some neat work in the Taunton danger zone, Aaron Jarvis and Jude-Boyd exchanging clever passes, the final shot from Lewis Collins was lashed over the bar for the final act of a disappointing half.

The Gulls badly needed an injection of belief and it wasn’t long before Downes turned to the bench, introducing Tom Lapslie for Collins, but the Peacocks continued to look the more threatening, Smith forcing a low save from Halstead at the near post.

The game was up for United on the hour and fair play to substitute Stearn, rifling a superb long-range strike into the back of a forlorn home net.

The Gills kept plugging away, Aaron Jarvis heading wide. Duane Ofori-Acheampong and Will Jenkins Davies replaced Austen Booth and Dawson for the final quarter, with Ofori-Acheampong inches away from latching on to a Stobbs cross in his first involvement.

The Peacocks responded with Ollie Chamberlain smashing a shot against the bar and fair play to Taunton, a great result for them, bad one for United.

United: 1 Mark Halstead; 2 Arkell Jude-Boyd, 5 Austen Booth (18 Will Jenkins Davies 68), 9 Aaron Jarvis, 10 Lewis Collins (4 Tom Lapslie 57), 11 Brad Ash, 14 Brett McGavin, 21 Dean Moxey (capt), 23 Ollie Tomlinson, 27 Jack Stobbs, 28 Kevin Dawson (19 Duane Ofori- Acheampong 68). Substitutes (not used): 6 Ross Marshall,, 22 Rhys Lovett (GK).

Booked: McGavin 84 Jude-Boyd 88

Taunton: 1 Dan Lavercombe; 2 Zac Bell, 4 Nick Grimes (capt), 5 Dan Ball, 7 Ollie Chamberlain, 8 Lloyd James, 9 Nat Jarvis (Evander Grubb 90+4), 16 Zac Smith, 17 Cameron Evans, 18 Marcus Day, 27 Seb Bolton (Ross Stearn 56). Substitutes (not used): Rabby Tabu-Minzamba, Louie Slough, Jaden Brown.

Booked: Ball 51, Lavercombe 86

Attendance: 2,238 (90 away)