Torquay United settle nerves with win

Victory puts Gulls back up to fifth

The cheers that echoed around wet and windy Plainmoor at the final whistle were as much of relief as jubilation.

Three defeats in their previous four league games had given Torquay’s National League South promotion hopes a jolt, and restless supporters were agitating for action on and off the field.

But the Gulls responded with a stirring performance in difficult conditions, with heavy squalls blowing down the pitch and the surface beginning to cut up.

Gary Johnson’s team moved back up to fifth place in the table as a result.

United’s workrate was superb, and they were comfortably the better side in a first half in which Bath keeper Will Buse kept his side in the game with a series of excellent saves in front of the travelling City fans.

The visitors were much improved after the interval, but Torquay were good enough to weather the football storm and clinch all three points with a memorable winning goal.

United had been forced to make a major change due to injury, with Rhys Lovett replacing the injured Mark Halstead in goal. Lovett barely put a foot wrong, though, and made second half saves that were vital to his side’s success.

Buse was acrobatic to save from Brett McGavin and Callum Dolan in the first half, while at the other end Lovett had an uneventful opening spell. After the break, with the wind at their backs, Bath began to threaten.

They found Lovett in no mood to concede, however, and the Gulls keeper kept his clean sheet thanks in no small part to a late double save to deny Jordan Thomas.

The only goal of the game came in the 82nd minute when the ball broke 30 yards from goal to full-back Shaun Donnellan, who had the confidence to try an audacious shot. The ball clipped the head of Bath skipper Kieran Parselle and fizzed into the net beyond the reach of Buse.

For the last eight minutes of normal time and six added on, Bath laid siege to the Torquay goal. But the home defence stood firm and clinched a vital three points.

Tuesday evening sees league leaders Yeovil visiting Plainmoor for what should be another thriller.