Torquay United 'injustice' after draw with St Albans City

"Everyone in here who saw it thought it was a penalty but the one guy, the most important guy, didn’t think it was.”

Torquay United manager Paul Wotton didn’t want to criticise the referee after the 1-1 draw against St Albans City at Plainmoor on Saturday - but after the Gulls were denied two clear penalties and there were further strange decisions, he couldn’t really avoid mentioning the performance of Sam Reed.

In a fairly forgettable first half, neither side really got going - but when a Dan Hayfield free kick fell into the box, Cody Cooke went up for a header and the ball came off a defender’s outstretched hand. The referee ignored Torquay ’s appeals.

Right at the end, when Torquay were trying to find a winner, Finn Tonks played the ball to Mussa and just as he was about drag the ball back to find more space to cross it, the St Albans captain San Deadfield caught him with a rash tackle, without even getting his boot to the ball. The crowd and players erupted - but Mr Reed waved play on. Mussa was stretchered back across the pitch at the end of the game after receiving treatment for the remainder of injury time. Mr Reed did, however, send off Zane Banton after an elbow in the face of Ed Palmer midway through the second half.

After last weekend’s horrible FA Cup exit at Bishops Cleeve, though - this was a much better performance, especially after St Albans had gone down to 10 men - and Wotton said he was proud of his players.

Wotton said: “How can you not feel an injustice? From the very first minute, their left back kicks the ball straight out of play and he gives them a throw in to them. I thought it set a precedent for the whole game. It’s a handball, first half, it’s a penalty on Omar and I don’t want to be that manager that comes on here and bemoans officials - but...

“It was poor play from us to concede a goal, I will always put my hands up to do what we do wrong. First half it was a pretty dour game to be honest, there was always going to be that little bit of apprehension from us after last week’s fixture.

“Going in a nil-nil I thought was great. Second half we upped the tempo and started coming into the game, we score our goal. The turning point in the game was their player getting sent off, I didn’t have a great view of that but Ed’s eye is not good at all.

“And then it’s just wave after wave of attack ... and I was pretty confident we were going to get something. Our finishing was poor, I didn’t think our finishing was great - and then it’s a penalty. Everyone in here who saw it thought it was a penalty but the one guy, the most important guy, didn’t think it was.”

It was Ben Seymour who scored for Torquay, in the 49th minute. He tried to square the ball to Cody Cooke but it was a bad pass. However, the defender who tried to clear the ball gave it right back to Seymour, who hit it well for his first goal for the club. Cooke looked to have been fouled in the build up to St Albans’ equaliser - with the ball struck home by Banton from the edge of the area in the 56th minute.

Matt Carson shot over from the back post after a Roddy Collins cross, and Will Jenkins Davies got the ball trapped under his feet, with two of the better chances in the latter stages.]

“Football is a frustrating game,” said Wotton. “But nine games, where are we? Fifth in the league or something, it’s a good start. I’ll say it again, we know where we have got to get better. We have got to get better. But I am proud of them today, I am proud of them. I wasn’t proud of them last week. I am the first one to have a go at them when they are bad, and I am the first one to praise them and I was proud of their work rate today.”

Fifth in the National League South table, Torquay now have a week off from the league as they have no fixture on the FA Cup day. They are next in action on Saturday, October 5, when they go to Hampton & Richmond Borough. That will at least give Palmer and Mussa some time to recover from their injuries.