Report – Torquay Utd 3 – 2 Wealdstone
Torquay United
3 - 2
Wealdstone
A frantic game at Plainmoor between Torquay United and Wealdstone ended with three points to the home side.
First-half goals from Kalvin Lumbombo-Kalala and Jamie Reid was followed by Jeffrey Monakana’s goal before the break.
Stones captain Jerome Okimo scored after Jean-Yves Koue Niate doubled the Gulls lead in the second-half; after dominating the latter stages, the Stones could not find an equaliser.
Torquay captain Asa Hall had great chance with a free header in the first 10 minutes, but Hall misguided the Connor Lemonheigh-Evans free-kick wide.
Minutes later Reid was threaded a great ball by Saikou Janneh but Reid’s shot did not trouble Stones ‘keeper Jonathan North.
A great counter-attack from the Stones in the 23rd minute almost put Bobby Wilkinson’s men in-front when a three-against-one led Monakana to play the ball right to Danny Green’s whose left-footed shot hit the near post.
The deadlock was broken after 29 minutes by the home side when Lumbombo-Kalala volleyed the ball into the near post from Ruairi Keating’s cross from the left.
Another great opportunity fell for Hall 10 minutes before half-time as his header clipped the far post from another Torquay set-piece.
The Stones were split open two minutes later as Reid slotted past North to register his 26th league goal of the season.
The league leaders had a two-goal cushion, it could have been reduced by Jake Sheppard a minute later when he forced a save from MacDonald.
Good work and a quick turn of pace on the left from Monakana won the Stones another corner four minutes before half-time.
Green played the corner short before whipping it in and after the home side half-cleared the ball eventually fell to Monakana who just about got it over the line to half the deficit.
Lumbombo-Kalala broke away on the right and almost scored his second goal of the afternoon before North saved the shot with his feet.
Wealdstone went into the half-time break with a goal late in the first-half to build on in the second period.
Five minutes into the second-half started with a misplaced pass by Poku which left Christian Smith in trouble against Janneh but the makeshift centre-half just dealt with the danger.
The Stones equaliser was almost found just after the hour-mark when Sheppard took four Gulls players out the game with one pass to Rhys Tyler and the full-back’s cross was almost put in by Torquay defender Jamie Sendles-White.
Torquay began to panic seconds later and Monakana’s cross was misfired by Allarakhia and could not finish a great Stones move.
Stones top scorer David Pratt was brought on with 24 minutes to play, replacing Brown, as the Stones searched for the equaliser.
Just as Wealdstone were getting a grip on the game, a Lemonheigh-Evans corner found substitute Jean-Yves Koue Niate at the near post to restore Torquay’s two-goal lead on the 70th minute.
The Gulls won a penalty a couple of minutes later when Tyler brought down Reid and was fortunate to only see a yellow card, the spot-kick was well-saved by North diving to his right.
Almost immediately the game took another interesting turn when the Stones scored again in the 74th minute, Jerome Okimo headed home Green’s corner at the near-post to bring the score-line to 3-2.
Green could have brought the Stones level with 10 minutes left on the clock when he fired a fierce volley over the bar; Grant had an audacious attempt a minute before stoppage time which did not find the target.
The game was almost ended in style when a great run by Lemonheigh-Evans from the left ended in the midfielder hitting the post.
Wealdstone kept themselves with a chance of a result until the very end but leave Devon empty-handed.
Wealdstone: North, Tyler, Grant, Smith, Okimo, Poku, Allarakhia, Brown, Monakana, Green. Sheppard Sub. Pratt
Report by Dec O’Reilly
Post Match Interview HERE
Steve Foster pics HERE