Pitch perfect at Plainmoor
SCINTILLATING County stormed to their biggest win of the season with a 5-1 rout of Torquay United at Plainmoor on Saturday.
After a goalless first half in Devon, The Hatters produced what manager Jim Gannon hailed as a “ruthless” second half display, racing into a three goal lead through Tom Walker, Nyal Bell and man of the match Elliot Osborne - before substitutes Devante Rodney and Frank Mulhern sealed a landmark win late on.
Ben Whitfield’s solo effort proved barely a consolation for the stunned hosts, who had beaten The Hatters 4-0 at Edgeley Park just two months prior.
The win, which moved County back into eighth place and just two points off Harrogate occupying the final play-off position in the National League, also came just four days after league leaders Solihull had swept The Hatters aside 4-1 at Edgeley Park.
Gannon, after making six changes in that harsh defeat by The Moors, reintroduced four of those rested players back into his line-up at Plainmoor with key men Sam Minihan, Tyler Garratt, Jordan Keane and Tom Walker all selected to start on a windswept afternoon on the English Riviera.
Plainmoor represents somewhat of a bogey ground for The Hatters, perennially struggling on the south coast dating back to both clubs’ spells in the Football League.
County’s last win at Torquay came fourteen years ago - but a clinical attacking display ensured that all three points were taken back to Stockport, as Gannon’s men leapfrogged the home side in the National League standings.
Gary Johnson’s National League South title winners raced into a four-goal lead by half-time at Edgeley Park in September in the first ‘Battle of the Champions’ - but in truth, the current Gulls side is a different proposition entirely, with injuries, poor form and a subsequent dip in results and confidence quite visibly sweeping across the stadium.
Johnson’s side actually started brightly, with the lively Whitfield unleashing a drive narrowly past Ben Hinchliffe’s upright – but that was about as good as the first half got for the home side, as The Hatters began to dominate.
The returning Keane headed a pinpoint cross by the excellent Osborne wide of the target early on, while Osborne and Salford loanee Tom Walker were both denied by the legs of busy home ‘keeper Shaun MacDonald.
Nyal Bell was enjoying a typically enigmatic first half, causing Torquay all sorts of problems with his presence, pace and power, holding the ball up well and bringing the energetic duo of Walker and Osborne into the game before Bell himself spurned the best chance of the half.
For all of Bell’s undoubted ability and promise, the youngster’s over-enthusiasm in front of goal came to the fore again before the break, as he brought down an Osborne cross to give himself acres of space inside the area - only to wildly blaze well over the crossbar.
Walker again was denied as he strode through on goal, and despite the scores remaining level at the interval after a mammoth journey for The Hatters, Gannon would have been disappointed that his side didn’t take a deserved lead into the break.
Nevertheless, the brilliant Bell soon atoned for his first half miss, striding through into the area after one of several sloppy Torquay mistakes, seeing
his shot blocked and roll into the path of Tom Walker to tap into the empty net.
That strike came just two minutes into the restart as County put paid to any fears that their first half misses would prove costly - and just a minute later, the lead was doubled by Bell.
It was a case of role reversal for County’s second, as the first goalscorer.
Tom Walker this time laid on the assist for Bell, teasing a left-footed cross into the box which Bell glanced into the far corner.
As Torquay sluggishly looked for a way back into the game, continually repelled by a resolute Hatters backline, another careless pass fell straight to the busy Walker, who fed the superb Osborne to drill low past MacDonald for County’s quickfire third.
Whitfield did briefly threaten a comeback when he brilliantly drilled past Hinchliffe - albeit afforded plenty of time and space - but with five minutes of normal time to go, Jim Gannon’s substitutes again sealed the deal.
Walker’s fellow Salford loanee Devante Rodney got off the mark for County as he scored the goal of the game, drifting in from the right flank before effortlessly curling the ball into the far corner with little backlift, before Osborne’s stoppage time free-kick was touched home by striker Frank Mulhern.
A confidence-boosting win all round for County after a somewhat unfortunate defeat by an excellent Solihull side last midweek - with Gannon’s
men continuing to enjoy life back in the fifth tier, lying just one place outside the play-off positions ahead of this weekend’s visit of old rivals Chorley. COUNTY LINE-UP (4-2-3-1): Hinchliffe, Minihan, Palmer (C.), Arthur, Garratt, Keane, S Walker, Thomas (Jackson, 66), Osborne, T Walker (Rodney, 79), Bell (Mulhern, 79). ATTENDANCE: 2,659 (with 328 County supporters).