Torquay United too strong for a plucky Tavistock team

Torquay United cruised to a 4-0 victory at Southern League side Tavistock in their second pre-season friendly of the pre-season campaign.

Brad Ash set the tone with an early opener and Matt Carson soon doubled the advantage for United. A header from Ben Seymour extended the lead four minutes before half-time and the Gulls completed their scoring with a tap-in from Seymour.

“It was a really good workout and the fitness levels came up from Friday [the 0-0 draw at Buckland] because the boys have worked really hard since then,” said United boss Paul Wotton.

“We scored a few goals, moved the ball well at times and a couple of things we’ve been working on in training are starting to show. We’ve got miles to go but, overall, I think we’re injury-free and the boys have minutes in their legs against a Tavistock team that play football in the right way.

“We had lots of chances but I look at the things we need to work on, and we were really wasteful at times. It’s nice to score goals but the most pleasing thing is the boys looked strong.

“They’re all getting to know each other; they’re working on little partnerships and triangles all over the pitch. I always think Tavistock play good football, kept moving the ball around and I thank them for having us.

“Buckland and Tavistock were the perfect two games for us to start, and fitness levels have still got to come up, we’re nowhere near where I want us to be in terms of fitness levels. It’s pre-season, not a nice time of the year [for players], but we’ll keep going.”

After the 0-0 draw at Buckland, Ash found his clinical edge with the first goal on six minutes, steering a super finish into the roof of the net and the Yellow Army cranked up their noise when a low cross from Seymour was turned in by Carson.

Ash twice went close for a rampant United in the early stages, with Carson and Roddy Collins also whistling efforts narrowly off target. The livewire Ash tormented Tavvy for much of the first period but it was Carson who notched the third, nodding into the corner after a deflection had fallen kindly.

Lirak Hasani and Dan Hayfield were first to threaten after the break, and it was a Hayfield cross that led to the fourth, Carson converting from close range. United dipped into their bench for the remainder of a pleasing evening.

United: 1 James Hamon (13 Trialist A HT), 3 Jay Foulston, 5 Sam Dreyer, 6 Austen Booth (16 Ollie Tomlinson 60), 7 Lirak Hasani (12 Jacob Wellington 68), 8 Rod Collins (22 Andrew Ellis 75), 9 Ben Seymour (17 Tom Chastey 68), 11 Brad Ash (15 Jadyn Crosbie 60), 14 Matt Carson (21 Dean Moxey 60), 18 Oscar Threlkeld (c), 20 Dan Hayfield.

Attendance: 352