Torquay United 3-1 Weymouth: Gulls fly into third place

McGavin 4, Ash 31, Collins 76

WEYMOUTH 1

Bolton 41

WEYMOUTH were sent to a painful 3-1 defeat at promotion-chasing Torquay United in the Vanarama National League South.

Brett McGavin’s exquisite free-kick and Brad Ash’s goal against his former side put the Gulls 2-0 up before Elliott Bolton’s first Terras goal halved Weymouth’s arrears.

Both sides were disrupted by injuries in the second half but Lewis Collins netted a controversial third for Torquay before Calvin Brooks saw red for a second yellow.

The scoreline seemed harsh on Weymouth, who played plenty of pretty one-touch passing football, but Torquay’s greater ruthlessness eventually told.

READ MORE: Torquay United 3-1 Weymouth - how it happened

Weymouth boss Bobby Wilkinson made two changes to the side that began the 1-1 draw with Aveley last time out.

Teddy Howe is suspended, while Joel Rollinson dropped to the bench.

In their place came former Torquay winger Keelan O'Connell and striker Ben Thomson.

Joining Rollinson on the bench were under-23s centre-back Callum Small, plus goalkeeping coach Jason Matthews.

Top-scorer Ezio Touray was also among the substitutes, as was Tyrique Clarke who finally made his return from a long-term injury.

Meanwhile, former Weymouth striker Ash, adorned on the match programme and team sheet, started for Torquay after leaving the Terras in the summer.

Coming into the game, Weymouth had not won at Plainmoor since 2009, with the Gulls beating the Terras in each of their past four encounters.

And the omens looked similarly negative after four minutes.

Jack Stobbs skirted in front of the Weymouth defence and ex-Gulls winger Keelan O’Connell brought him down around 25 yards from goal in a central area.

McGavin still had plenty to do but he executed his free-kick with aplomb, finding the top-right corner and leaving keeper Gerard Benfield with little chance.

Gerard Benfield is beaten by Brett McGavin's early free-kick (Image: MARK PROBIN)

Torquay could have made it 2-0 three minutes later, with Stobbs again afforded too much space, his low ball finding Ash who poked against the near post under pressure from Calvin Brooks who appeared to get a slight touch.

Until the 15th minute, Weymouth had nothing to show for their efforts after two overhit crosses from Brandon Goodship, although their first attempt from Olu Durojaiye was sliced well wide.

Durojaiye then earned yellow, flirting with a red card, for a heavy tackle on Tom Lapslie who left the field injured ten minutes later.

Olu Durojaiye was fortunate to stay on the pitch for a heavy tackle on Tom Lapslie (Image: MARK PROBIN)

Before Lapslie was subbed, O’Connell wasted a golden chance after fine work from Roberts on the left, the winger only able to nod over a difficult header when unmarked.

Torquay then doubled their lead on 31 minutes with a goal out of nothing, who other than Ash to score with a left-footed first-time shot from 20 yards after sub Ethon Archer’s run was halted.

O’Connell shot wide in response, Torquay this time failing to clear, before Weymouth halved the deficit on 41 minutes.

Torquay were punished for a weak header away from Goodship’s free-kick, Bolton showing excellent technique to direct a downward volley just inside the far post for 2-1.

Elliott Bolton, left, scored his first Weymouth goal (Image: MARK PROBIN)

Before the break, Bolton volleyed another chance over and O’Connell worked keeper Mark Halstead into a flying stop as Weymouth sniffed a leveller.

Torquay began the second half quickly as Theo Williams fired at Benfield and Archer blasted a ricochet wide.

Injuries then hit both teams as Goodship and Ash limped off, replaced by Rollinson and Ryan Hanson respectively.

Luckless Torquay were forced into their third enforced change on 67 minutes as Stobbs broke down on the far side, requiring a stretcher to go off, teenager Callum Thomas earning his debut as cover.

The fragmented half produced few chances but Weymouth showed plenty of promise in possession, knocking the ball around nicely.

A highly contentious moment then helped to restore Torquay’s two-goal deficit as Collins, booked seconds earlier for dissent, escaped a second yellow moments later for a clear push.

And he capitalised in brutal fashion, spinning off his man from Halstead’s long-range distribution, sprinting clear and beating Benfield with a high finish at the near post.

Weymouth’s night continued to unravel as Brooks, booked in the first half, earned a second yellow for hauling down Theo Williams on the break.

After the Terras’ seventh red card of the season, Rollinson and O’Connell tested Halstead but Torquay closed out their 12th league win of the campaign, lifting them to third and keeping Weymouth 18th.

Torquay: Halstead, Crowe, Lapslie (Archer 27), Collins, Ash (Hanson 56), McGavin, Williams, Moxey, Tomlinson, Harris, Stobbs (Thomas 67). Subs not used: da Silva, Lovett.

Terras: Benfield, Hamblin, Cheshire, Durojaiye, O'Connell, Bearwish, Roberts, Goodship (Rollinson 55), Thomson (Touray 81), Bolton, Brooks. Subs not used: Small, Matthews, Clarke.

Referee: Eugene Robinson.

Attendance: 1,640 (63 Weymouth)