Torquay United 2 - Halifax Town 4: Match Report

By Rupe
April 13 2002

It was an early start for me and our Cuth, and it's been a late finish. But boy has it been worth it to see the Shaymen win convincingly on the south coast with the away performance of the season.

The Shaymen recorded their 3rd away win and their second double of the season with a fantastic performance at Torquay earlier today to win 4 - 2, with strikes from Stoneman, Harsley, Middleton and Clarke.

The game didn't start well for Halifax and Torquay made the early running. The Shaymen's first chance of the game fell to Paul Harsley on the edge of the Torquay box on 18 minutes, but unfortunately he couldn't control his shot and it cleared the bar. As the game approached the half hour mark Graham Mitchell was booked for persistent fouling and this seemed to spur the team on, with Halifax creating their best two opportunities in the space of a few minutes.

Firstly , Fitzpatrick narrowly missed after beating the keeper, then Harsley closed down the Torquay keeper as he was attempting a clearance, the ball hit Harsley and looped back over the keeper only to hit the upright. 

Just as it looked as though the Shaymen were about to take control of the game playing some nice passing football, Matt Clarke lost possession and Torquay broke, Martin made his way into the box and passed for Ashford who's shot flew across Richardson and into the opposite corner. 1-0 Torquay.

Town continued to press, now looking for a equaliser, and forced a couple of corners near the end of the half, one of them after a double save from Dearden which resulted in the leveller for Stoneman in stoppage time. He headed the ball goalwards from the resulting corner, and although Torquay tried to clear it off the line, the referee's assistant adjudged that it had crossed and the goal was given.

The second half started slowly and it took a good ten minutes for Town to have a crack at goal, with Redfearn firing wide from the edge of the area. In the 62nd minute we took the lead thanks partly to some very poor defending on Torquay's behalf. Harsley nipped in onto a sloppy backpass and as the keeper went to ground he fired the Shaymen in front.

Torquay responded and stepped up their game looking for an equaliser. They had a couple of efforts on goal, but nothing to really worry Town until the 75th minute when Martin played a one-two with Marcus Richardson, before forcing a good save from Barry Richardson, which unfortunately fell straight to Marcus Richardson who fired in the equaliser.

The lead lasted only two minutes as Craig Middleton scored the goal of the game. The ball broke to him 25 yards out and he unleashed an absolute thunderbolt which flew past Dearden and crashed off the underside of the bar and in. Town's victory was complete with 8 minutes left on the clock. A free kick from the right was swung in and the Torquay defender misjudged his leaped, as the ball dropped over him it fell to Matt Clarke to put the seal on a great performance.

I'm sure the Torquay fans are as surprised as we are, after all they were unbeaten in 10 and hadn't conceded a goal for over 6 games.