WEYMOUTH 3

Cooke 31, Murray 49, McQuoid 62 pen

TORQUAY UNITED 4

Hall 15, Umerah 25, Lemane 46, Lemonheigh-Evans 88

WEYMOUTH were cruelly denied what would have been a stunning point as league leaders Torquay United won a 4-3 thriller at the Bob Lucas Stadium.

Torquay quickly asserted their attacking style and went 2-0 up in 25 minutes through Asa Hall and Josh Umerah goals.

Weymouth cut the Gulls’ lead via a Cody Cooke tap-in but Torquay went 3-1 up within a minute of the second half beginning as Aaron Nemane slotted home.

The Terras then kicked into overdrive, producing a scintillating passage of 15 minutes as Cameron Murray and Josh McQuoid scored before Connor Lemonheigh-Evans’ late winner.

Weymouth boss Brian Stock, who will be greatly encouraged by this display, made four changes to the starting XI from the 0-0 draw at Eastleigh.

Jack Dickson and Christian Saydee earned their first league starts, while Murray and Josh Wakefield also came in.

Centre-back Corey Jordan was not fit enough to take his place in the matchday squad after complaining of dizziness in the Eastleigh draw.

Winger Sean Shields also missed out from the selected 16, with fellow midfielders Alefe Santos and Jack Hoey lining up on the bench.

Ade Olumuyiwa and Zaid Al-Hussaini reclaimed substitute places, along with keeper Gerard Benfield.

The likes of Ben Thomson (ankle), Andy Robinson (hip), Josh Leslie-Smith (concussion) and Brennan Camp (hamstring) did not sufficiently recover.

Going into the clash, Torquay were nine points clear at the top of the league and the Gulls underlined their quality with a blistering start as Umerah fired just over after 17 seconds.

Ex-Yeovil boss Gary Johnson stirred his side into hounding Weymouth’s defenders out of possession, swarming in packs around the Terras’ players.

Dickson nearly succumbed to the tactic, giving possession away in his own third and then being forced into a superb recovery tackle on Ben Whitfield.

Weymouth had half-hearted appeals for a penalty waved away when Ollie Harfield’s cross hit the hip of former Weymouth centre-back Sam Sherring.

Attacking play had been exclusively constructed by Torquay in the first 14 minutes until Weymouth skipper Josh McQuoid led a breakaway and supplied Saydee.

His first touch took the ball into space but a heavy second touch allowed Gulls’ keeper Shaun MacDonald to collect – seconds later Torquay deservedly took the lead.

The ubiquitous Lemonheigh-Evans drifted into space on the right and clipped in a lovely cross for Hall to guide a header past Jack Bycroft from six yards.

In response, Cooke and Wakefield both dallied with openings rather than shoot, while Saydee saw a shot blocked 20 yards out.

But Torquay doubled their lead in the 25th minute as Umerah stroked home a fine ball from Lemonheigh-Evans despite slipping in the process.

Again, Weymouth retaliated positively to conceding and this time scored with their first shot at goal.

Calvin Brooks’ sublime ball through the channel released Harfield and the left-back’s cross tempted MacDonald to claim, only to get nowhere near it and present Cooke with a chance to bury a volley for 2-1.

Cooke’s goal awakened the Terras, who made for an uncomfortable spell for the Gulls as McQuoid’s goalbound shot was brilliantly blocked by Hall.

Umerah shot straight at Bycroft before McQuoid and Dickson saw yellow cheaply for respective dissent and a trip.

Bycroft had one nervy moment before the break, tipping a lobbed cross out from underneath the bar.

Torquay made a storming start to the second half, scoring 56 seconds in as Nemane planted a firm shot home from 12 yards after Dickson was dispossessed.

However, Weymouth’s reaction to conceding was fierce for a third time, McQuoid winning possession on the right before teeing up Cooke.

The former St Mirren man in turn found Murray whose mazy run was initially blocked before he poked home the rebound to nutmeg MacDonald in the 49th minute.

Weymouth suddenly believed they could find an equaliser and, with Santos coming on for Dickson, had a fresh outlet.

Torquay briefly threatened when Bycroft denied Whitfield from two yards but Santos’ impressive impact was complete in the 61st minute.

The Brazilian’s outstanding ball supplied Cooke who was flattened for a penalty which McQuoid converted high into the top-left corner for his fifth consecutive home goal.

Weymouth had Torquay rattled and Murray nearly nipped in for number four, while Wakefield curled wide after strong work from Saydee.

Claims for another penalty as Cooke went down were waved away by referee James Durkin, seconds before Saydee bent an effort just wide of the far post.

Torquay then settled themselves and began to exert pressure on a tiring Weymouth – finally getting the winner in the 88th minute as Lemonheigh-Evans tapped home at the back post despite suspicions of offside.

Weymouth typically responded positively and Bycroft went up for a corner in the 94th-minute only for Torquay to see out the danger and claim all three points.

Weymouth’s gallant performance will be cause for optimism despite the result, which leaves them in 22nd after Yeovil beat Aldershot 3-0.

Terras: Bycroft, Wakefield, Ngalo, McCarthy, McQuoid, Dickson (Santos 50), Brooks, Cooke, Murray, Harfield, Saydee. Subs not used: Benfield, Olumuyiwa, Al-Hussaini, Hoey.

Torquay: MacDonald, Cameron, Kerr, Lemonheigh-Evans, Hall, Randall, Sherring, Moxey (Warren 80), Nemane, Whitfield (Buse 90), Umerah (Andrews 80). Subs not used: Price, Covolan

Attendance: 575

Referee: James Durkin