Torquay United 2 Salisbury 2 – Gulls lose ground in promotion race

Torquay United had to come back from going 2-1 down to earn a point

Torquay United had to come back from going 2-1 down at Plainmoor this evening – but will be frustrated they couldn’t take all three points from a Salisbury side that battled hard to hold out for 2-2.

Torquay took an early lead through Ozzy Zanzala but at half time it was 1-1 following an injury-time goal by Callum Watts. And then Salisbury went 2-1 up through the excellent Ronan Silva in the 55th minute.

Torquay worked hard to get the equaliser, which came through Will Jenkins Davies in the 73rd minute – and after that they put a lot of pressure on the visitors’ goal, but couldn’t find a third, despite some late chances.

For the fourth game in a row, manager Paul Wotton kept the same starting line-up. Striker Cody Cooke’s injury meant he wasn’t in the 16 again. In the Salisbury side was former Torquay loanee Finn Tonks, who joined Salisbury after returning to AFC Bournemouth earlier this season.

Torquay didn’t make the most convincing of starts. They were lucky in the eighth minute when a good cross by Silva was headed wide, from close range at the back post, by Noah Coppin. James Hamon then had to make a brilliant save to stop a Jordan Dyer header that was flying into the back of the net.

Matt Jay scooped a ball high and the goalkeeper at the other end, Rhys Byrne, had to tip it over the crossbar. From the resulting corner though, in the 14th minute, Dyer headed the ball down and Zanzala nodded the ball over the line for 1-0.
Only a minute later, Salisbury thought they had scored. Silva sent a good free kick into the box and there was a scramble, before it was forced over the line. Salisbury celebrated but Torquay claimed offside. The referee Stacey Pearson consulted her assistant and he put his flag up.

Jordan Young showed off his tricky feet as he ran into the box and shot, but the ball was parried. It fell to Matt Carson, whose smash was blocked. Coppin shot over as the game swapped ends again. Torquay played some really good football for the rest of the half. But on the counter-attack, Salisbury were quick and dangerous. A shot by Silva was easily saved by Hamon in the 42nd minute. In the 44th minute Dan Fitchett shot wide in another dangerous attack.

Two minutes were added on, and Salisbury won a corner. It was cleared but the ball stayed in Torquay’s half, and it was finally lashed home by Watts for 1-1.

Foulston came on for Carson for the restart – like for like at left-back. Again, Torquay started well. But in the 55th minute, on the counter-attack, the ball ended up on the left-hand side of Torquay’s goal, and Silva scored with what might have been a cross, but the ball sailed over the top of Hamon and into the far corner.

Omar Mussa came on for Lirak Hasani and Oscar Threlkeld for Dan Hayfield as the game passed the hour-mark. But Salisbury won a series of corners and Hamon was forced to punch one away, before Coppin into his side-netting.

Finley Craske came on for Jordan Thomas in the 68th minute. Torquay were working hard to get back into the game, but the final ball was too often missing. Until, in the 73rd minute, from a Young free kick, Zanzala hit the bar and the ball fell in front of Jenkins Davies, who smashed it home.