United exited the Women’s Devon Premier County Cup at the first hurdle, as a below-par performance in all departments, saw them beaten by one of their league title rivals, in difficult conditions, at the Manadon Sports Hub.
Both teams had to cope with the bitter conditions and strong wind but it was Marine Academy who better adjusted to the conditions throughout. Though Torquay had the wind in their favour in the first 45, they twice gifted their hosts a lead before the interval, and eventually capitulated, inside the final twenty minutes.
In fairness, parts of the contest were as evenly matched as the recent league encounter at Exwick, but United’s Jas Read was the busier of the two keepers in both halves and despite making some important saves, was culpable along with the defence in gifting M.A.P their half time advantage.
The game was only seven minutes old when Read took an extra touch from a Kaitlyn Harris back pass, and Sam Drewery robbed her and passed the ball into the empty net!
United did respond quickly, Tee Kaptein leading a busy United midfield, but as a team they struggled to string passes together on the ground, while any arial pass was pretty much a lottery. And it was Kaptein who started the move for United’s equaliser. Her pass was hoisted into the area by Bex McMullin, the one time the wind assisted Torquay, hanging the ball up for Lucy Solloway’s sweet volley into the roof of the net. That’s Solloway’s fifth in the last three.
Torquay went close to taking the lead, Ocean Latto, back in United yellow on her study break from uni, firing a 30-yard direct free-kick which dropped just over Leigh Black’s crossbar.
But United failed to learn from their earlier mishap and two minutes before the interval a one-two exchange between keeper and defender saw Drewery intercept and set up Kelsey Blight, who couldn’t miss.
With the icy blast in their faces second half, Torquay lacked any cohesion, and Read twice saved at the feet of attackers, first Beth Overton and then Carmen Morison. Overton also hit the angle of bar and post with a rasping drive from the corner of the penalty area.
The game was effectively over on 73 minutes, Morison with the fortune of seeing her cross from the right side of United’s area, loop over Read and curl in at the far post. No luck over Morison’s second though, driving home low from the edge of the box with three minutes left.
So another lesson for Torquay, who must learn to cope with whatever the weather or opposition throws at them, and to not gift teams, especially those with the quality of M.A.P. a two-goal head start! Apart from perhaps the psychological blow the defeat does no real harm to Torquay’s title hopes. But they’ll need to up their game considerably before returning to Manadon in the league, and, indeed, before a vital match next Sunday, when they travel to Sherborne, in a must-win encounter, if they’re to retain control of their title chances.
Torquay United: 24. Jas Read, 2. Ocean Latto, 3. Rebecca McMullin, 4. Alex Sheppard, 6. Adele Brown, 7. Tracey Cross ©, 9. Lucy Solloway, 10, Anthea Kaptein, 14. Kaitlyn Harris, 17, Natascha Bevan, 19. Ellie Bishop Substitutes: 8. Chalie Pettinger, 15. Kate McKane, 16. Lexie Watts, 23. Kayleigh Brown, 31. Danni Wyatt
After the game, Bex McMullin and coach, Jobie Triffitt, gave their assessment of the defeat. You can watch the interview on our YouTube Channel, here.