Super sub Kalala hailed by Johnson
TORQUAY United manager Gary Johnson hailed the impact of half-time sub Kalvin Kalala after the French winger inspired a come-from-behind 4-2 victory over ten-man Harrogate Town at Plainmoor on Saturday.
With the injury-hit Gulls trailing to veteran Harrogate striker Jon Stead’s first-half penalty, Johnson sent on Kalala in place of Manny Duku at the interval.
In a rousing second half which saw Stead score again to make it 2-1 and then be sent off for a second booking, Kalala scored a screamer to make it 2-2 before Jamie Reid scored from his own saved penalty and then, from Kalala’s pass, took his tally for the season to six goals with United’s fourth.
“Kalvin came on in the second half and was just unbelievable – magnificent,” said Johnson. “We get frustrated with him sometimes, but he was quality today.
“We want him to be an impact player from the start – when he does that, the world will be his oyster.
“It was a great strike for his goal and then it was a matter of whether we could take advantage of the extra man and have the quality to break them down, which we did.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to play against ten men, but we certainly did and we could have had three or four more goals in the end.”
The introduction of Kalala was Johnson’s third successive half-time substitution.
Within six minutes of the restart a Kalala-Wynter move set up Andrews for the first equaliser from eight yards.
Seven minutes later some hesitant defending allowed Stead to steal in at the far post to force in a left-wing cross by George Smith to give Town the lead again.
The dismissal of Stead – a second booking for handball – deflated Harrogate and galvanised the Gulls. Kalala levelled things with a searing 30-yard drive in the 69th minute and when Andrews was felled in the area, Reid had his penalty saved by James Belshaw but followed up the net the rebound to make it 3-2.
And in the 80th minute Kalala found Reid in the area, who turned and fired a left-foot shot into the roof of the net.