Plainmoor stalemate as visitors show resilience
The new season at Plainmoor began with a tight contest that ended honours even as Torquay United were held 1-1 by fellow National League South side Horsham. The opening-day result saw the Gulls, who fielded a number of new faces, forced to settle for a point after an early lead was cancelled out in the second half.
Torquay took the lead on 13 minutes when Deon Moore found the net with a low effort from a tight angle which went through the hands of the Horsham goalkeeper, Sam Howes. The hosts had started brightly with a promising early move in the second minute when Harry Shield’s cross found Isaac Westendorf, who fired over.
Jimmy Ball’s side introduced six debutants in the starting XI and there were encouraging spells of possession and probing play. Westendorf was involved again early in the second half, heading a Captain Matt Worthington cross straight at Howes on 48 minutes, as Torquay looked to re-establish control.
Horsham, cheered on by around 145 travelling supporters, however, stayed in the contest and their persistence paid off on 54 minutes. Greg Luer produced an excellent low drive which squeezed past goalkeeper Toby Savin and levelled the score, much to the delight of the visitors and their manager, Dominic Di Paola.
STAR MAN: Munashe Sundire (Torquay)
There were brief moments after the leveller when it looked as though Torquay might regain the advantage. On 67 minutes Westendorf appeared to have headed home from a Dom Bernard cross, only for the goal to be ruled out after the ball was judged to have gone out of play before the delivery. That decision prevented the home side from restoring their lead.
The closing stages were lively. Both teams introduced attacking options: Torquay’s substitutes included Matt Jay and Cody Cooke, who each had late chances, while Horsham’s Ronan Silva wasted a chance to turn the game in the visitors’ favour when he blazed over in the second half. In injury time the Gulls had opportunities to snatch all three points but were unable to convert.
Match summary and moments that mattered
| Event | Minute | Player |
|---|---|---|
| Torquay opener | 13 | Deon Moore |
| Horsham equaliser | 54 | Greg Luer |
| Disallowed goal | 67 | Isaac Westendorf (ruled out) |
For the local crowd, the appearance of several new additions under manager Jimmy Ball will have been one of the main talking points. Debutants often take time to settle and there were promising flashes, but also the kind of rustiness in the final moments that can cost three points. Horsham, for their part, demonstrated the kind of organisation and spirit that will encourage their travelling supporters as they head into the early weeks of the campaign.
- Torquay United — showed attacking intent but missed late chances.
- Horsham — resilient away performance, deserved a share of the points.
- Key moments — Moore’s early goal and Luer’s composed finish decided the scoreline.
Torquay will now look to build on the positives from their opening fixture as the season unfolds and the new-look squad beds in. Horsham travel back north with a commendable point and will be buoyed by their performance as they prepare for their first home league game of the season at the Fusion Aviation Community Stadium this weekend.
For supporters at Plainmoor it was a traditional early-season encounter: hope and fresh faces, a nervy finish and the patient realisation that form and combinations often take time to develop. Both sides have reasons to be upbeat, even if neither took the full reward on a warm opening day of the National League South campaign.
