LOCAL BOY JAMIE REID WAS THE STAR OF THE SHOW AS TORQUAY UNITED CAME FROM BEHIND TO SECURE A DRAW WITH NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH LEADERS WOKING IN GARY JOHNSON’S FIRST HOME GAME IN CHARGE OF THE GULLS.
by Matt Green – Sport South Devon
First half efforts from Max Kretzschmar and Jake Hyde gave the visitors a two-goal cushion in the first half before Reid struck with a brace in the final ten minutes to claim a point for United.
Johnson kept faith with the same side that put seven past Lymington Town in the FA Cup second qualifying round and the returning Connor Lemonheigh-Evans started the game on the bench. The Gulls made a bright start to the match, which was described by Johnson as a ‘six-pointer’, as Kyle Cameron nodded a Jake Andrews corner wide on two minutes. Woking went close for the first time in the eighth minute when Jake Hyde headed a free-kick from Cards’ skipper Josh Casey against the bar. The Cards edged ahead on 25 minutes when Kretzschmar curled home his seventh goal of the season with a free-kick from 30-yards, which took a deflection to fly past Gulls’ keeper Alex Bass. Five minutes before half-time, the visitors doubled their lead when Hyde found the back of the net with a powerfully struck shot on the turn. The Cards’ second goal prompted into double substitution before half-time as Lemonheigh-Evans and fellow Bristol City loanee Siakou Janneh entered the fray in place of Chris Regis and Ruairi Keating. In first half injury time, Liam Davis produced a dangerous looking cross from the left hand side for the Gulls, which narrowly failed to connect with the onrushing Reid as it sailed across the face of goal.
United made a strong start to the second half, as they upped their game and forced two corners within the opening two minutes. The second of which saw Hall drill a powerful header wide. Janneh then blasted over on 48 minutes, as the Gulls looked to reduce their deficit. Four minutes later, Janneh went close again after being set up by Reid but he missed the target. In the 76th minute, Johnson made his third and final change as Brett Williams replaced right-back Ben Wynter. With ten minutes to go, the Gulls pulled one back as Reid turned the ball home after the Cards’ defence failed to clear their lines following a cross from Opi Edwards to score his fourth of the season. Reid then completed his brace in the 86th minute as he combined with Janneh before rounding Woking keeper Craig Ross to score his fifth of the campaign to clinch his side a share of the spoils.
TUFC Starting XI (4-3-3): Bass, Wynter (Williams 76), Sandles-White, Cameron, Davis, Hall (Capt), Regis (Lemonheigh-Evans 44) , Edwards , Andrews, Reid (Wright 86), Keating (Janneh 44)
Subs Not Used: MacDonald, Koue Niate
Bookings: Davis (7), Hall (24)
MOTM: Jamie Reid
Attendance: 2,218