TT MATCH VERDICT

Clive Hayward – @Byehorse

Clive reports back from Plainmoor

TORQUAY UNITED 3-2 Worthing- 25.11.2025

SUMMARY

It was the sort of cold, clear and raucous Plainmoor night that makes you remember why you fell in love with the game. It will probably still be talked about in many years time.

Whatever happens to Paul Wotton’s team this season, there will forever be room in our hearts for this epic comeback win which broke the visitors’ sequence of 9 in a row.

For 20 minutes, Worthing looked every bit champions in waiting. They pressed, they passed, they moved, and they made Torquay look really poor. Dan Hayfield in particular found he could do nothing right under the sort of pressure that good teams can exert.

Wothing took the lead 9 minutes in. Their skipper Colbran exploited time & space in the box and gave Hamon no chance with a shot which smacked into the side netting and the keeper’s towel: 0-1.

United were groggy and were punished again just past the quarter hour mark. They didn’t react quickly enough as a corner was taken short along the goal line, and centre back Cook scored with a brave header from close range: 0-2.

Truthfully, it looked to be game over, and United seemed to have no answer to Adam Hinshelwood’s rampant visitors.

The tide turned in the 23^rd minute. Nobody saw it coming. Hayfield got in behind the defence, took a touch and his shot was well saved by Jeffries. United never looked back. A minute later, some quick passing found Louis Dennis in a little space on the right hand side of the box at the Babbacombe End. His touch and shot were emphatic. Jeffries couldn’t keep that one out, and all of a sudden Worthing had a game on their hands: 1-2.

The crowd was up now, and stayed that way all night. On 30 minutes Jordan Young was put away down the right. A Worthing defender got to him, but Youngy was too good. It was the trademark drop of the shoulder, the shimmy inside and the rapier shot into the bottom left hand corner. Easy to read but difficult to stop: 2-2.

It had been a phenomenal comeback. Worthing remained a real threat all night, but Torquay’s tails were up now, and they realised that the opposition was fallible after all.

Half time came and went and United kept attacking whenever they could.

The winner came quickly. On 54 minutes Young went down the right and produced a fabulous cross for Dennis. The in-form striker killed it on his chest and poked it past the keeper. These words do no justice to the sheer class which that finish entailed. It was a moment of brilliance worthy of winning any game, and certainly appropriate for this one: 3-2!

Worthing weren’t done, and applied considerable pressure from the hour mark onwards. They missed a good chance and won several corners. Morgan appeared to hurt his lower back (hopefully it’s only muscular) and his replacement Sonny Fish offered little either in attack or, increasingly, in hold up play. Thomas was booked for a foul and then immediately assaulted by Byron, who had clearly seen red but was lucky that the card was only yellow. Dennis was asked to drop back into midfield and Jay was replaced after a great shift.

We increasingly had to defend the lead rather than being able to put the game out of sight, but the commitment was huge. The referee found 11 minutes of injury time and allowed 13, but the Yellows would not be denied. Not these lads. Not tonight.

It feels like a massive three points. The character shown tonight was immense, and the Popside- which had been noisy when we needed it- celebrated lustily.

PLAYER RATINGS

1. HAMON – 8: A reassuring presence. Continues to be good with his feet, both in distribution and with a couple of smart saves.

3. FOULSTON – 7: Jay finishes the week with a nose wonkier than it was. He frequently put his body on the line again tonight and fought an honourable draw with a lively opponent in Coleman De-Graft.

4. DYER – 7: Crucial work at defensive set-pieces in particular.

5. DREYER – 8: Had his hands full at times, but never shirked the physical stuff and was normally in the right place at the right time

26. THOMAS – 7: A real test tonight. He never stopped working hard, and was making lung-bursting runs late into the game.

20. HAYFIELD – 6.5: An awful start but grew into the game and can be proud of his efforts tonight

24. LO-EVERTON – 8: Had his work cut out tonight against quality opposition. Covered every blade of grass.

11. MORGAN – 8: Another sparky effort from the left winger. 100% effort and some dangerous crosses.

8. YOUNG – 8.5: One goal and an “assist”, as the kids say. The Popside loves him, and rightly so.

27. JAY – 8: No massive moments but was always in and around the attacking action.

7. DENNIS – 9: He hurt tonight. He had to drag himself off the pitch at half time and he did really well to last the course. What a difference he makes for us though, Both finishes were excellent, and he always looked classy linking up the play.

Subs

17. FISH – 5: I was WhatsApping on my way down Bronshill Road after the game. A couple of blokes walked past me and one said: “Fish looked like he was carrying a caravan on his back.” I can’t improve on that. By the time he came on his role was simply to get as far up the pitch as he could whilst his mates defended. He looked laboured doing so.

22. SHARPLES-AHMED – 6: Late legs in midfield.

2. AKYEAMPONG – N/A: Even later legs in midfield. One terrific long throw down the touchline to pin Worthing into Boots and Laces corner at a time when they were desperate to get out.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – Louis Dennis

We’re lucky to have him. I fantasise about him one day playing off Cody Cooke. A man can dream. In the here and now, he is delivering goals as a centre forward. It was another tour de force tonight, and it’s 5 goals in 3 days after Saturday’s hatty.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Jordan Young: He was like Bicester Village. A great outlet. Took his goal superbly and has a great song. It’s a decent package.

TACTICS

The formation, until we tried to hold the lead, was the normal 4-2-3-1. Initially, we really struggled with Worthing’s intelligent pressing, and they were picking us to pieces early on. We got back into it when we found our own passing range and moved the ball quickly. It was exhilarating stuff at times, but equally good was the fully-committed defending necessary to keep the visitors out for so long (including 19 minutes of injury time across the two halves).

THE OPPOSITION

As noted, for the first 20 minutes they were excellent. It was Yeovil Town Title Winning standard for a while. They must have come to Torbay hugely confident given their magnificent form of late. They never stopped running or thinking, and they must surely be a top three team. I got a good view of them after the final whistle. They walked over to thank their 48 (forty-eight) travelling supporters, and looked absolutely drained as they walked down the Bristows touchline towards the dressing rooms. It perfectly illustrated how hard we had had to work to come out on top.

THE OFFICIALS

Reasonable. It was blood and guts at times, and the referee got quite a lot right. May have “bottled” a red card for Byron, but I didn’t have a brilliant view of the incident.

KEY MOMENT

Oddly, it was perhaps Dan Hayfield’s shot on 23 minutes. That was our first meaningful attack, and it was the start of a magical 7 minutes that turned the game on its head.

CONCLUSION

We mustn’t get carried away. This is still a paper-thin squad to be competing right at the top of the league. But the ability and spirit showed by Torquay this week- it was the same starting eleven in both games- has made light of the absence of Dolan and Worthington, who should be on their hands and knees apologising to their knackered teammates the next time they are allowed back to the training ground.