Torquay United 'frustration' after shocking offside call rules late winner out

Torquay United manager Paul Wotton said he is getting ‘hugely frustrated and disappointed’ with key decisions going against the Gulls, after Keke Jeffers’ perfectly good goal was ruled out for offside in the 89th minute of their home game against Tonbridge Angels on Saturday.

After coming off the bench to make his debut in the 76th minute, the 19-year-old Stoke City loanee didn’t look like he was going to get a touch of the ball, but still without making contact with it he was brought down on the left side of the area in the 89th minute. Matt Carson sent a great cross to the far post where Jeffers ran on to the ball and headed it home superbly.

What a goal! What a thrill for the kid, who started celebrating in front of a packed out Popside. But then a referee’s assistant’s flag burst that bubble, and it stayed 0-0 until the end of the game. Talk about dream denial! Afterwards, video evidence showed quite clearly that there were at least three, maybe four Tonbridge players in front of Jeffers when he started his run. He was just quicker, stronger, and better.

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And to make matters worse, the Gulls would have gone top of the National League South with a 1-0 win, instead of dropping to sixth, which they did with the point. This isn’t the first time this season Torquay have been left frustrated, or downright annoyed, by a referee’s or assistant’s decision that looked wrong live, and was proved wrong later.

Wotton said: “We’re all frustrated. I don’t think disappointment is the word today, the players gave everything. One hundred per cent we can be better, we lacked quality in the final third, we did today.

“Tonbridge were never going to score. They came and set up with a game plan and made it difficult for us, and fair play to them. The longer the game went on the more fitter we got, the more tired they got; we got into great areas, we were moving the ball, we had loads of entries into the box. We didn’t make their keeper work hard enough, we know that. I can’t ask any more from the players, they worked themselves into the ground.

“Of course we are frustrated at not winning the game but ultimately we’ve scored a goal. The Chelmsford game, we have scored a goal, Welling away we have scored a goal, St Albans at home it’s a blatant penalty in the last minute.

“My team will keep going, absolutely. We have scored a goal, it’s not offside. I have been in football all my life and even live it’s a goal, it’s not offside, it’s nowhere even close to offside. I am getting hugely frustrated and hugely disappointed in key decisions.”

Torquay weren’t at their best in a game in which they missed their big man up front, Cody Cooke. Cooke will return from his one-match suspension for Tuesday night’s home game against Maidstone United, after Brad Ash worked hard but couldn’t stamp his authority on a game that Torquay had the majority of the possession against a team sitting back.

Wotton said: “The positives are, still unbeaten at home, a clean sheet which we have been asking for, they never looked like they were ever going to trouble that. It’s points dropped, but the boys worked, they were pretty relentless until the end, and I am frustrated, really frustrated, and the players are. We can’t keep getting decisions like that.”

Despite dropping to sixth, the gap between Torquay and the top of the National South was reduced to two points. After Maidstone come to Plainmoor on Tuesday, Torquay’s attention will turn to the FA Trophy next weekend, when Truro City, Wotton’s former club, are the visitors.