Inadequate United leave supporters venting anger

Afull-time team that is supposed to be outpunching most of their National League South opponents slipped back into the bottom half of the table with another completely inadequate performance in front of a near-1,500 rightly angry Plainmoor crowd.

All the things that have been wrong since the start of the season, especially that lack of firepower up front, were there to see again as Chippenham Town – they were not even at full-strength – held United at bay more comfortably than the scoreline suggests.

The fact that United forced Town’s new loan goalkeeper Brad House to only three serious saves in 90 minutes tells you all you need to know.

But perhaps more damning than that statistic is another fact – that when a bright, crisp-passing start failed to force a breakthrough by midway through the first half, the Gulls went out like a light, mentally as much as physically.

House did not have to make a save from the fifth minute until the 70th, both from on-loan winger Opi Edwards.

His other stop came 12 minutes from time when Jake Andrews, United’s other young Bristol City loanee, nearly caught him out with what would have been an outrageous goal, a 22-yard angled chip with the outside of his left foot.

Edwards, Andrews and loanee goalkeeper Alex Bass – 19, 20 and 20 respectively – had eventually lifted United to a 2-0 win over Hemel Hempstead, after the visitors had outplayed them for long periods seven days before. But there was no saving Torquay this time.

Not only did United muster only five shots or headers of any

Jake Andrews on the ball in United’s game against Chippenham kind, they did not even have a player booked as those infuriated fans again started calling for the head of manager Gary Owers long before the end.

The supporters had got behind the team during that encouraging opening, but from the moment that Chippenham striker Nat Jarvis beat the offside trap and forced Bass to tip his shot wide in the 20th minute, they sensed that the wheels had come off again.

Bass had to save from Matt Smith, after both George Es- suman and captain Asa Hall had failed to clear in the build-up, conceding the corner which saw Chippenham score in 26th minute.

Former Gulls youth player Jack Compton delivered the flag-kick from Town’s left and Smith punished hapless marking with a free header from six yards.

Chippenham settled into ‘they-shall-not-pass’ mode in the second half, ‘doubling up’ on dangermen Edwards and Andrews.

Owers took off Ruairi Keating and sent on Brett Williams, sparking more boos, on the hour and then tried Jason Banton for Edwards with a quarter of an hour to go.

But United, never playing with either the commitment or the quality needed, created few if any clear-cut chances.

Even if Andrews had beaten House with that brilliant chip in the 78th minute, a point would have been scant consolation in the circumstances.

Five goals in nine games, 14th in the table, already ten points behind early leaders Woking – it’s not remotely good enough.

And Woking are next up at Plainmoor on September 29!

Torquay United (4-4-2): Bass; Wynter, Essuman, Cameron, Davis; Edwards (Banton 73), Regis, Hall, Andrews; Keating (Williams 59), Reid, Wright 86); Subs not used: Bawling, MacDonald; Chippenham Town (4-5-1): House; Rigg, Richards, McDonald, Parselle; Compton (Chambers 73), Smith, Evans, Jones, Guthrie; Jarvis (Klukowski 84); Subs not used – Gunner (gk), Ellington, Smile; Referee: Matthew Russell (Cambs); Attendance: 1,454 (32 Chippenham fans); Statistics: Fouls – United 11, Chippenham 11; Offsides – United 3, Chippenham 2; Corners – United 8, Chippenham 4; Shots/Headers On Target – United 3, Chippenham 3; Off Target – United 2, Chippenham 5; Hit Woodwork – None.

Sean Hernon/PPAUK