Match Report: Yeovil Town 3 Torquay United 0

Yeovil Town 3
Clarke 39, 63
Young 58

Torquay United 0

Torquay United returned to earth with an almighty bump as they slumped to a 3-0 defeat at league leaders Yeovil Town on Good Friday.

Jahmari Clarke notched the opener six minutes before the break and once United’s defensive resistance was broken, they struggled to lay a meaningful glove on the hosts.

Jordan Young doubled the Yeovil lead and when Clarke added his second, it was game over.

United interim manager Aaron Downes made two enforced changes from the battling 1-0 victory over Hampton & Richmond, Austen Booth and Ethon Archer coming in for the injured Kevin Dawson and Ross Marshall.

Despite a couple of recent defeats at Huish Park, Yeovil still entered the game seven point clear at the top of the National League South and with a game in hand on second-placed Chelmsford City.

In a feisty opening, the sides exchanged booking in the first four minutes, Young seeing yellow for the Glovers and Arkell Jude-Boyd for the Gulls. Young recovered from his indiscretion with a lovely cross that only just eluded the run of Jordan Stevens.

United were unable to conjure a major threat in the opening quarter but looked pleasingly compact in defence, with the experienced trio of Asa Hall, Dean Moxey and Mark Halsetad looking to repat their clean-sheet trick from six days earlier.

Matt Worthington had a shot blocked for the hosts before the lively Brooklyn Genesini prodded an instinctive effort wide after a decent assist from the experienced Frank Nouble.

United responded with Tom Lapslie, who was back in action after a lengthy break for treatment, lofting a pass for the willing run of Brad Ash. Yeovil’s Morgan Williams read the danger and just about got the ball back into the waiting arms of goalkeeper Joe Day.

A deep corner from Jack Stobbs was met by Booth, but Day was in the right place for a comfortable save and United’s solid defensive work was sadly undone six minutes before the break, Clarke hitting the net on his home debut.

Will Jenkins Davies ended the half with a shot steered narrowly wide but the second period was sadly all about Yeovil.

In front of 6,462 supporters, a record crowd for the National League South, Young doubled the lead with tremendous strike in off the underside of the bar, and the game was up for United just past the hour, Clarke doubling his personal tally.

Duane Ofori-Acheampong replaced Lapslie in a bid to turn the tide and Jude-Boyd went close with a glancing header. Ollie Tomlinson came on for a tiring Jude-Boyd and Lewis Collins replaced Stobbs but United had nothing in the tank and will need a big response at home to Weston-super-Mare on Monday.

Yeovil: 21 Joe Day; 2 Morgan Williams, 6 Jake Wannell, 7 Jordan Stevens, 8 Matt Worthington, 11 Jordan Young (12 Dylan Morgan 79), 19 Jahmari Clarke, 20 Brooklyn Genesini, 24 Charlie Cooper (16 Sonny Blu Lo-Everton 89), 30 Frank Nouble, 33 Jay Foulston. Substitutes (not used): 27 Sam Pearson, 39 Rhys Murphy, 40 Olly Thomas.

Booked: Young 2, Wannell 81

United: 1 Mark Halstead; 2 Arkell Jude-Boyd (23 Ollie Tomlinson 76), 4 Tom Lapslie (19 Duane Ofori-Acheampong), 5 Austen Booth, 8 Asa Hall (capt), 11 Brad Ash, 14 Brett McGavin, 18 Will Jenkins Davies, 21 Dean Moxey (capt), 27 Jack Stobbs (10 Lewis Collins 80), 30 Ethon Archer. Substitutes (not used): 22 Rhys Lovett (GK).

Booked: Jude-Boyd 4, Booth 26, Hall 68, Jenkins Davies 74

Attendance: 6,462