Gulls do it again as Hall secures last-gasp win
FOR the third time in four games, Torquay United won three points with a dramatic goal in time-added-on when they sent Chesterfield packing back to Derbyshire following a 2-1 win at Plainmoor last night.
After injury-time wins against Stockport County, Bromley and now Chesterfield, the Gulls are going to get a reputation. This time it was substitute Asa Hall that struck from a corner when it looked like the Gulls were going to have to settle for a draw after a competitive and hardfought 90 minutes. And the win saw them rise to fifth in the National League table.
There was a debut for Dean Moxey at left back after the end of his threegame ban as Johnson moved from a back-three to a back-four, with Kyle Cameron and Sam Sherring in the centre and Ben Wynter on the right.
The midfield was made up of Aaron Nemane on the right, Adam Randell and Connor LemonheighEvans in the middle, and Ben Whitfiled on the left – with Jake Andrews dropping to the bench. Louis Britton and Danny Wright were up front. Also on the bench was Hall – but there was no sign of striker Josh Umerah.
Both teams started at quite a pace – sharing the attacks, but the first shot on goal came in the 10th minute and it was a clinical one. The Chesterfield goalkeeper Kyle Letheren failed to punch a low Whitfield cross properly and Britton turned the ball past him for 1-0.
Six-foot-six Chesterfield striker Tom Denton hit a post soon after with a header – it was a warning for the Gulls’ defence – and at the other end, there was a call for a handball, just inside the box, but referee Scott Jackson wasn’t moved.
Randell won the ball and found Whitfield with a wonderful pass – and the Torquay winger cut inside with Letherton forced into a decent save at his near post from the shot. It was a Wright strike that the visitors’ goalkeeper next stopped. Whitfield put a 20-yarder wide on 23 minutes.
If Liam Mandeville had connected with a dangerous 25th minute cross, it would have been 1-1 earlier.
Torquay had two free kicks after the half hour, Lemonheigh-Evans hitting the wall and Randell’s effort saved.
Then followed a period of pressure from the visitors – but Torquay were defending really well, especially in the air. A Lemonheigh-Evans free kick went high over the bar in the 39th minute.
A Chesterfield free kick on 41 minutes – right on the edge of the box – was drilled through the wall by Mandeville, goalkeeper Lucas Covolan got down to the ball but could only parry the shot, and Denton was there to poke the rebound home from close range.
Cameron went close with a header from a corner on 50 minutes, the ball kissing the post as it went wide. Whitfield send a shot further wide from the left as the Gulls did well going forward. Lemonheigh-Evans found Whitfield who in turn found Randell and his shot was deflected wide on 55 minutes. Wary of the threat of Whitfield, when he broke moments later, Jordan Cropper pushed the quick winger into the hoardings with a massive clatter and got away with a yellow card.
Olaf Kozsela came on for Wright on 61 minutes – a straight swap, striker for striker. Whitfield almost fed Lemonheigh-Evans soon after and a Britton header was cleared on the line.
Chesterfield were on the ropes but there were errors in United’s attacks causing too many of them to break down. Nemane was nowhere near as dangerous down the right as Whitfield was down the left.
Britton was close with another header as the game entered the last 20 minutes – but not close enough. Covolan was treated by the physio after a clumsy back pass left him caught in a challenge and in some pain.
Torquay continued to pressure the visitors’ goal but the end result was frustratingly missing. Another good break ended with Neamane putting his cross behind the posts.
Andrews came on for Moxey in the 79th minute – the former Exeter player had done a job at left-back – and Asa Hall came on for Britton.
Another mistake let Luke Rawson try his luck from distance with Covolan off his line – but the shot went just wide. Chesterfield were finding more freedom and had upped their game.
The final five minutes were frantic. Torquay were attaking well still and got back on top.
Four minutes were added on – there were more Torquay attacks, but they weren’t able to break through.
Until, that was, the final minute of the four when the ball was headed in from a dangerous Andrews cross from a corner by Hall.