Torquay United second best as top dogs Yeovil dominate

Ex-Gull Frank Nouble opens the scoring for the visitors

Torquay United came off second best against league leaders Yeovil almost from the start of their National League South encounter at Plainmoor.

The win - played in front of Torquay’s biggest crowd of the season - extended Yeovil’s run to nine successive wins in all competitions, and the Glovers were simply too strong for the Gulls, who slipped to eighth place in the table as a result.

United boss Gary Johnson made one change to the side that beat Bath at Plainmoor at the weekend, with midfielder Tom Lapslie injured. In came Fleetwood loanee Theo Williams, but the 20-year-old had a thankless night playing a solo role up front.

Winger Dillon De Silva made the bench on his return from injury, while new signing Ethon Archer - snapped up from Isthmian League side Three Bridges hours before kick-off - joined him among the subs.

Torquay started well enough, and for a while seemed to have the measure of their opponents, contesting well in midfield and defending soundly.

But once ex-Gull Frank Nouble put the visitors ahead mid-way through the first half with a powerful shot after a strong run into the box, Yeovil never really looked back.

Gulls full back Dean Moxey had come close with a long shot from well outside the box, but moments later Sonny Lo-Everton was given too much time to set himself for a shot which beat United keeper Rhys Lovett to make it 2-0.

Brad Ash missed a great chance for Torquay before the break and Ross Marshall headed over just after, when a goal for United could have opened the game up again.

And for a while it did just that after midfielder Brett McGavin had driven another signature long-ranger into the net beyond the reach of Glovers keeper Joe Day.

But Yeovil quickly regained the upper hand, and substitute Jake Hyde headed a third goal for them in front of the jubilant travelling fans in the away end.