Late goal gives Torquay United their first league win

Aaron Jarvis on target deep in stoppage time

Sharpshooter Aaron Jarvis grabbed his first goal of the season deep in stoppage time to give Torquay their first National League South win with a 2-1 victory against a dogged Chippenham side who so nearly got what they came for.

The visitors hung on grimly to possession and ran the clock down whenever they could, only for the referee to reward them by adding 11 minutes on at the end of the game. And it was in the fourth of those added minutes that Jarvis struck to seal the points.

Torquay boss Gary Johnson was forced to make changes, with Dean Moxey and Finley Craske injured from the weekend’s Worthing defeat. In came Dan Martin and fit-again Tom Lapslie, both of whom had outstanding games.

There was little of note to report in a cagey first half. Torquay were the better side but couldn’t find a clear chance to threaten the Chippenham goal.

But it was a far better performance from Torquay after the woeful disappointment against Worthing. Lapslie and Martin were the pick of the bunch, but there were improvements all over the pitch for the Gulls.

Torquay took the lead after 50 minutes with a move started and finished by defender Ross Marshall. He moved the ball out to the speedy Jack Stobbs on the right, and when the cross came into the box it was Marshall who met it with a header into the Chippenham net.

Torquay were still celebrating when Craig Fasanmade equalised for the visitors just a minute later, but as the game wore on it was clear that the home side were the ones unwilling to settle for the draw.

Town went down to 10 men when Luke Spokes was shown a second yellow card, and there were cheers from the home fans when the referee added the 11 minutes of injury time.

And it was another cross from the right which brought them the winning goal they craved, this time Brad Ash drilling the ball in for Jarvis to finish sweetly.

Torquay’s injury woes continued to mount, though. Asa Hall was an early casualty, and Martin and Marshall both limped off late in the game while Lapslie was clearly in some discomfort too.

The Plainmoor treatment table will be busy ahead of Saturday’s trip to St Albans