Match Report | Cards held by tenacious Torquay

Woking 1-1 Torquay United
Vanarama National League
Tuesday 31st January 2023

Woking were unable to take all three points against a Torquay United side who showed fight and desire as they look to avoid relegation.

Darren Sarll’s men began the stronger, with James Daly in particular looking to threaten against the side he scored two against in August, drawing a couple of fouls early on, as well as forcing a smart save from Mark Halstead with ten minutes gone.

The visitors were making sure they didn’t give anything away to the Cards in the opening exchanges and looked to use the combination of Tope Fadahunsi and Dillon De Silva to get in behind the Woking defence. A shot from Kieron Evans from distance flew just over the crossbar of Craig Ross with twenty minutes on the clock.

A guilt-edged chance fell to Torquay striker Aaron Jarvis moments later, after he broke the offside trap, but dragged his shot wide of the Woking goal.

Both sides were huffing and puffing but opportunities in the final third were limited for the majority of the half. Rohan Ince and Dean Moxey both found themselves in the book after separate clashes with opposition players, which highlighted the scrappy nature of the game.

Woking broke the deadlock on the stroke of half time, a great cross from Kellermann found Rhys Browne, whose exquisite touch was perfect for Padraig Amond, and the Irishman produced the perfect finish into the bottom corner, to give the Cards something to take into the break after a scrappy first half.

Half-time: Woking 1-0 Torquay United

The second half began in similar fashion to the majority of the first, with both teams scrapping it out in the midfield and not being able to keep possession.

However, a long ball found Fadahunsi in on goal with an hour gone, and he lifted the ball over Ross to equalise.

And the Torquay striker almost gave the Gulls the lead minutes later, but an excellent save from Ross to tip the ball wide of the far post prevented this.

This spell of pressure saw Ince and Browne replaced by new signing Jake Hessenthaler and Kyran Lofthouse on 65 minutes, and shots from Amond and Lofthouse had to be saved by Halstead as Woking looked to retake the lead.

The Cards’ pressure was repelled by Torquay on numerous occasions, whether that be through stoppages for injuries, or fouls committed by Woking players. It seemed like it would be one of those days, as Lofthouse fired the ball across the face of goal, only for no one to get on the end of it.

Another shot from Daly was saved as the Cards threatened further, with Marcus Dackers replacing Amond as the final Woking change.

Deep into injury time, Daly once again forced a superb save from Halstead, after his header from a ball in from Moss almost crept into the corner, but the Torquay stopper clawed the ball away.

Woking: 13 Craig Ross, 3 Josh Casey, 4 Scott Cuthbert, 5 Joe McNerney, 8 James Daly, 10 Padraig Amond (20 Dackers 76’), 12 Dan Moss, 14 Rhys Browne (2 Lofthouse 65’), 17 Jim Kellermann, 16 Solomon Nwabuokei, 24 Rohan Ince (19 Hessenthaler 65’).

Unused subs: Luke Wilkinson, Charlie O’Connell

Goals: Padraig Amond 43’

Bookings: Rohan Ince 25’

Torquay United: Mark Halstead, Tom Lapslie, Ryan Hanson, Aaron Jarvis, Tope Fadahunsi (Crowe 78’), Kieron Evans, Ben Wyatt, Shaun Donnellan, Nico Lawrence, Dean Moxey, Dillon De Silva

Unused subs: Ross Marshall, Jacob Mensah, Brett McGavin, Rhys Lovett

Goals: Tope Fadahunsi 61’

Bookings: Dean Moxey 41’, Dillon De Silva 90+8’

Referee: Alan Dale

Attendance: 2191

Man of the Match: James Daly was brilliant on the wing, carving out numerous opportunities and providing a threat.