Torquay’s stunning fightback pegs back Derby
WILL GOODWIN’S 95th-minute equaliser sparked a pitch invasion as TORQUAY UNITED came from two goals down to earn a first-round replay against 10-man DERBY COUNTY yesterday. Will Osula had put the League One side in command with a goal in each half but Torquay, bottom of the National League and 65 places lower down the pyramid than Derby, mounted a spirited fightback.
The match turned just before the hour mark when Eiran Cashin saw red for pulling back Goodwin in the penalty area, and Asa Hall converted the resulting spot-kick. Then, deep into stoppage time, Goodwin guided Daniel Wright’s shot past goalkeeper Joe
Wildsmith to send the 4,269-strong Plainmoor crowd into raptures as they sealed a lucrative replay at Pride Park. Elsewhere, WREXHAM overcame National League rivals OLDHAM ATHLETIC with a 3-0 victory to reach the second round for the first time since 2018. Paul Mullin struck twice for the Welsh side after Sam Dalby had put them in front in the 10th minute. ‘I thought it was a very good performance,’ said Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson. ‘Honest, hard-working, with some real quality in there as well. ‘It was important we showed everyone what this club’s all about, and the
atmosphere was fantastic.’ Yesterday’s other match, between WOKING and OXFORD UNITED, was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
In Saturday’s action, Southern Premier side ALVECHURCH stunned League One strugglers CHELTENHAM TOWN with a 2-1 victory. Danny Waldron’s double led the visitors — the lowest-ranked team left in the competition — to a famous win, with Ryan Jackson pulling one back for Cheltenham, whose manager Wade Elliott hit out at suggestions that this defeat leaves him on the brink of being sacked. ‘A cup upset doesn’t make me a bad manager,’ said Elliott, whose side are only four points above the League One relegation zone. ‘Over the course of my tenure, I would step back and look objectively at what we have done, the challenges that we have had. ‘Obviously this is a horrible day, but if you can strip it back I genuinely think we are doing a decent job. I can’t stand here in front of you and say we are doing a stellar job or we are ripping up trees or exceeding expectations, but I think we are doing a steady job.’ Other giant-killings on Saturday included wins for National League South sides FARNBOROUGH and CHIPPENHAM TOWN.
Farnborough won 2-0 at League Two SUTTON UNITED, while Chippenham secured a 1-0 home victory over League One side LINCOLN CITY.