Kit shenanigans and a veteran denied his moment

In a week where Torquay United performances have not been reflected by points on the board, a couple of stranger stories brought some perverse amusement.

On Tuesday night, the Gulls were denied victory at Slough Town by a last-minute leveller, and veteran Dean Moxey was denied a dramatic winning goal.

Assuming the role of player-coach this season, Moxey has been used sporadically on the pitch, but he nearly stole the show with a fine finish at Slough, only to be thwarted by a sickening late leveller for the hosts.

The feeling of ‘chances missed’ increased a few notches in the 1-0 defeat to Hampton & Richmond on Saturday, a defeat that fell largely in the inspired gloves of Hampton goalkeeper Max Merrick, on loan at the club from Chelsea.

What made it even more galling was the fact Merrick was wearing a TUFC goalkeeper’s shirt!

The Hampton kitman had one of those nightmare moments for any official in his role, digging into his bag of shirts at Plainmoor to discover the GK kit was still sat on a hanger in London.

Step forward United kitman Russell Cleave to begrudgingly loan Merrick United’s away goalkeeper’s kit, and the Hampton stopper repaid the favour with a brilliant performance, producing a string of saves worthy of any shirt to frustrate the Gulls.

“In the second-half, their ‘keeper has made two or three top saves. The save he made from Lirak [Hasani] at the corner was world class,” said United manager Paul Wotton.