Torquay United do enough to progress in FA Trophy

It wasn’t the greatest game of football but on a cold night at Plainmoor torquay-united-fc>Torquay United did enough to get past Horsham in the FA Trophy on Tuesday night.

Two goals in the second half by Brad Ash (47th minute) and Dan Hayfield (77th minute) settled any first-half nerves and apart from a late shot by Montel Agyemong that was well-saved by James Hamon in injury time, Horsham barely threatened Torquay’s goal after the break.

Manager Paul Wotton said: “I didn’t enjoy it. It wasn’t a particularly good game of football. In any cup game it’s just about winning the game and being in the next round, which is what we’ve done.

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“We were far from our best, we looked a bit slow and sluggish. I thought we were off the pace, but listen, it’s a clean sheet, we keep the run going, the momentum going, and a huge positive is that we are through to the next round.

“Personally I think, when I first took over, we would have lost that. Credit to Horsham, they kept going. I am not going to sit here and say I am thrilled about it because I am not, I am not a fool. We did enough to win the game.”

The game should have been played on Saturday but Storm Darragh put paid to that. So it wasn’t such an ‘occasion’ for Horsham’s fans, who might have enjoyed a winter weekend on the English Riviera. In the end, only 50-odd made the trip from West Sussex to support their Isthmian League Premier Division team - although they made a lot of noise. The reward for Torquay is a trip to Southern League Premier Division South team Gosport Borough in the last 32 of the competition on January 4.

Wotton made three changes to the last starting line up, the 4-1 win at Enfield Town. with three in: Ed Palmer, Oscar Threlkeld and Ash, and three out: Sam Dreyer, Lirak Hasani, who started his three-game suspension, and Cody Cooke, who was rested.

For the second half, Matt Carson came on to replace defender Jay Foulston after he was booked, and played a part in both goals with a great cross from the left wing for Ash’s goal, and a dangerous corner, which was only half-cleared, for Hayfield’s strike from the edge of the box.

Now Torquay turn their attention back to the National League South with a home game against Farnborough on Saturday. While third-placed Torquay were playing Horsham, Second-placed Weston-super-Mare drew 0-0 at Hampton & Richmond Borough to move one point ahead of the Gulls - and on the same amount of points as leaders Truro City. Farnborough are fifth, a point behind Torquay.

“We are progressing,” said Wotton. “I am not over-evaluating that game too much and I am not too concerned about how we played - the game being called off on Friday night, it took all the oomph out of it really. For me, nowhere near our best, but we are through.”