Torquay United denied by ludicrous decision

Football games turn on moments and the big moment was ruined for Torquay United by a bizarre decision to cancel out a potential winning goal at St Albans City.

The Gulls spluttered in the early stages at a side battling against relegation in the National League South, falling behind on just six minutes, but the second period brought a barrage of pressure and chances.

The outstanding Jordan Young levelled from the penalty spot and the Gulls created enough opportunities to win two games, but when Jay Foulston did find the net with a free header on 72 minutes, the team of officials ruled it out for reasons yet to be discovered.

United boss Paul Wotton made two changes to the side that powered past Welling with a 3-1 victory last weekend, Jordan Thomas and Foulston replacing Finley Craske and Dean Moxey in the full-back positions.

Despite St Albans struggling near the foot of the table, they provided more spark in the early exchanges and were gifted an early reward when a defence-splitting pass from Zane Banton picked out the untracked run of Harrison Smith, who slotted a low finish beyond the exposed James Hamon.

It was a goal that told the tale of a lacklustre opening 45 minutes from the Gulls, as they were harried and pressed into errors by the determined hosts. One half-chance fell to the head of Sam Dreyer but his header was comfortable for home custodian Michael Johnson.

Thomas also had an effort cleared off the line but it was slim pickings, prompting Wotton to introduce Omar Mussa and Lirak Hasani at the interval.

Fresh legs and a vastly improved tempo saw United completely dominate the second period. The leveller arrived within seven minutes, Young calmly converting the penalty, and there was only one realistic winner from that moment onwards.

Young dragged a shot inches wide from a good position and Mussa’s fizzing cross just eluded the forward runners, as United turned the screw. Dan Hayfield also struck the woodwork in a relentless siege on the home goal.

Then came that moment!

A corner awarded on 72 minutes was a perfectly delivered outswinger from Hasani. Foulston rose unchallenged in the six-yard box and planted a header beyond the goalkeeper. The ball definitely didn’t appear to go out of play from the curling corner, there was no hint of a foul and you cannot be offside from a corner.

The pictures demonstrate the strangeness of the decision, which was quite obviously wrong. Despite that injustice, United continued to batter on the St Albans door but the ball refused to go in and a result that will feel like two points dropped / robbed!

United: 1 James Hamon, 3 Jay Foulston (14 Matt Carson 74), 4 Jordan Dyer, 5 Sam Dreyer,  8 Jordan Young, 18 Oscar Threlkeld, 19 Cody Cooke, 20 Dan Hayfield, 22 Will Jenkins Davies (7 Lirak Hasani HT), 26 Jordan Thomas, 29 Dylan Morgan (10 Omar Mussa HT). Subs Not Used: 2. Finley Craske, 16. Ed Palmer.                                                           

Attendance: 2,665