FIVE-STAR GULLS ARE BACK IN BUSINESS
IN a competition that has provided Torquay United manager Gary Johnson with fond memories it was ultimately the result that proved to be most important as the Gulls returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion against Aldershot.
Johnson previously won the FA Trophy with Yeovil Town in 2002, but it was the fact that the result ended a run of six straight for the Gulls that mattered most to the United boss as they sealed their place in the second round with a five-star display.
“I think that everyone would be pleased with it, I’m certainly pleased with a 5-1 win,” said Johnson.
“I talked before about the importance of the win and we got it. They had been on not bad a run and they are at our level, so although it was a different competition you mustn’t think that it wasn’t an excellent result.”
His opposite number Danny Searle couldn’t hide his frustration of his side’s poor showing.
“In the first 15 minutes we didn’t even get out of the dressing room,” he moaned.
“If they needed a win today then we provided the charity for it. Congratulations to Torquay they took their chances well, but we were very disappointed with the performance that we produced out there.”
United edged in front on seven minutes after debutant Lloyd James and Jamie Reid combined to enable Saikou Janneh to beat the offside trap to score the first goal of his second loan spell with the club.
The hosts continued to dominate and, on 23 minutes, referee Gary Parsons pointed to the penalty spot after United’s Ben Wynter was felled by Lewis Kinsella and Reid converted o score his 17th goal of the campaign.
United were denied a third by the upright on 56 minutes when a Kyle Cameron header, following a corner from James, deflected off former Gulls defender Myles Anderson and onto the inside of the post.
But it was the Shots who pulled a goal back on the hour mark through Mo Bettamer who struck with a shot that took a deflection off Wynter.
Undettered, the Gulls restored their two-goal cushion in the 70th minute as debutant Aaron Nemane made a brilliant run before picking out Janneh who, in turn, teed up Reid who completed his double with a low drive from just inside the penalty area.
A fourth arrived three minutes later when substitute Ruairi Keating found the back of the net two minutes after coming off the bench.
And with eight minutes to go, Janneh scored United’s fifth after he dispossessed Mitch Walker before firing into an empty net.