It’s All Over……For Now!!
Torquay United’s stay in the Sky Bet Football League came to a disappointing end with another home defeat to the hands of fellow strugglers Wycombe Wanderers.
United had wanted to finish this campaign with a win that would have seen them move off the bottom of the league to be replaced by their opponents today. Wycombe however had other ideas and set out to secure their own status as a football league club.
In fact, United’s situation was made worse just after half time when Young player of the year Anthony O’Conner was shown a second yellow card for a needless foul on Steven Craig.
It took only five minutes for Wanderers to take the lead through Sam Wood. A ball in from the right hand side to the edge of the area looked to have been controlled by the arm of Matt McClure but it was not given and United’s back line gave the player far to much space to slide the ball to the unmarked Wood who’s left foot shot was placed into the left hand corner of Torquay’s goal.
Wycombe then doubled their lead from the penalty spot with four minutes of the half remaining.
Torquay’s player of the year Krystain Pearce was caught with the ball on the touch line just inside his own half by McClure. The Wycombe player then ran the ball into the United area only to be caught by a sliding tackle from O’Connor, a challenge that cost the defender his first booking of the match. Steven Craig stepped up to take the spot kick low to Rice’s left hand side, with the keeper diving to his right.
In between Wycombe’s first half goals both sides had opportunities for goals.
Pearce, Mansell and Benyon all went close for Torquay while Wycombe saw a great right footed volley from Wood, strike the left hand post from 15 yards out, the follow up from Craig looked easier to score but he dragged his effort wide of the unguarded goal and United survived.
After the break United’s manager Chris Hargreaves made two changes to try and get the Gulls back into the game. Nathan Craig and Jayden Stockley replaced Jordan Chapell and Elliot Benyon. However the managers plans where torn apart with O’Connor’s sending off 5 minutes into the half.
On the hour Wanderers completed a comprehensive performance with McClure lobbing the United keeper from the centre of the box and compelling Torquay to yet another defeat.
The 3-0 result for Wycombe and wins for Northampton and Mansfield meant the Wanderers had completed the result they where looking for and ensured their league football status for next season, meaning Bristol Rovers joined United in the Conference next season.
Following the game Hargreaves spoke to the waiting media and made an apology to the United fans for his side performance, “We where not good enough today, how we can perform so poorly after the last few weeks games, the squad is not good enough at the moment and it’s now my job to deliver a squad for next season that can get this club back into the league, its a big rebuilding job”.
Before kick off the United manager thanked the fans for all their support, home and away and confirmed that with their support he would do everything he can to bring Torquay back into the Football League.
TUFC: Rice, Tonge, Pearce, O’Connor, Cargill, Chapell (Craig 45), Mansell (Capt), Lathrope, Cameron, Yeoman, Benyon (Stockley 45)
Subs Not Used: Poke, Nicholson, Chaney, Stevens, Sullivan
Bookings: Tonge, O’Connor, Stockley
Sent Off: O’Connor
WWFC: Ingram, Rowe, Pierre, Scowen, Stewart, Johnson, Bloomfield, Lewis, McClure, Craig (Morais 84), Wood
Subs Not Used: Horlock, McCoy, Kuffour, Kretzschmar, Arnold, Ainsworth
Bookings: Stewart
Attendance: 3,149 (929 Away)
