Torquay United sweep past Slough with a first-half Plainmoor blitz

A superb first-half performance from Torquay United yielded all six goals in a 4-2 National League South win over Slough Town and another powerful Plainmoor performance.

The tone was set inside the first minute, as Cody Cooke had a goal ruled out for offside. Seven minutes later, there was no question Jordan Young had opened the scoring, although Slough quickly levelled through Jared Myers.

United took offence, smashing three goals in quick succession, the first from Louis Dennis, the next an own goal and then the lively Cooke, and all with just 32 minutes played. Wiktor Makowski did reduce the arrears for the visitors but the Gulls were comfortable in their procession to a fourth straight win on home soil.

The Yellow Army were immediately in full voice when Cooke poked the ball over the line, but the cheers turned to groans with the sight of a raised offside flag. No matter, Young soon had the roars at a sustained level with an easy finish from Dennis’ pinpoint cross.

Myers restored parity within five minutes but the flow of the game remained firmly in United’s favour. Young delivered the corner and Dennis, his attacking partner in crime over a breathless opening 13 minutes, was in the right place to pounce on a slight goalkeeping lapse and head home.

Another Young corner almost picked out Cooke for a third and the same number nine next came within inches of finishing off a low Dennis cross. The Yellow Army was enjoying their afternoon and got further reward with an unfortunate own goal to extend the lead.

The only glitch in United’s matrix was a goal for the irrepressible Cooke. This box was ticked just past the half-hour, when another low cross confused the Slough defence and Cooke was perfectly placed to convert.

Young curled narrowly wide before some sloppy defending opened the door for Makowski to make it 4-2. A top save from James Hamon thwarted the visitors and completed an outstanding 45 minutes of entertainment.

It was almost inevitable the second period would slow down, and that was fine for the Gulls. Young clipped a clever lob narrowly over and Jordan Dyer had a header cleared off the line.

United introduced some new faces, Ed Palmer being one of them, and he nodded over in pursuit of another goal, but the action had all been used up in a fabulous first half of football.