Torquay United fall at the first Emirates FA Cup hurdle

It feels like a long time since the FA Cup was kind to Torquay United, and the 2025-26 push for some glory has already fallen short.

After the painful defeat to Southern League Bishops Cleeve last season, a trip to AFC Totton, recently promoted to the National League South and beaten at Plainmoor in August, represented a chance for redemption.

Instead, a United side stricken by injuries, were unable to find any semblance of real attacking punch and fell to goals either side of half-time from former Gull Scott Rendell and Luke Hallett.

United started brightly enough, Jordan Young firing narrowly wide inside the opening five minutes before another curling effort from that sweet left boot also whistled wide.

Totton replied with a surge from Malachi Linton, stopped by a superb defensive block by Sam Dreyer. The Gulls were soon back up the other end and right-back Denzel Akyeampong caused some minor havoc with a run that prompted a scruffy challenge in the box, but no real prospect of a penalty.

The game slipped into a lull midway through the first period, but Totton were the side to emerge from the quiet spell with a decisive opener, Christos Batzelis fizzing over the perfect cross for Rendell to nod past an exposed Hamon.

Ed Palmer, the free-scoring United defender, asked the next question with a shot into the side-netting, but there was no way past an increasingly compact home defence.

The Gulls survived a scare immediately after the restart, Tony Lee heading wide from a good position. The lively Akyeampong then flashed a drive over the bar following some lovely set-up play from Cody Cooke.

United were asking questions, Young again just a few inches off target and Palmer had an effort charged down. Just as momentum was building for Paul Wotton’s men, the hosts notched a killer second with Hallett heading home from a corner.

The Gulls dug deep for a response and substitute Jordan Thomas was only a fraction too high with his shot from a decent Matt Carson cross. United had little choice but to throw men forward, creating room for Totton to almost pinch a third.

Game over and no more FA Cup for this season.