Goals from Scott Stamps and Chima Okorie spelt the end of Fulham’s unbeaten start to the new season as Torquay United came from behind to claim a 2-1 victory at Plainmoor this afternoon.
The Cottagers took the lead in the 25th minute when a Micky Adams’ inswinging corner caused all sorts of chaos in the home six-yard box. Ashley Bayes fumbled the ball but a combination of the Torquay goalkeeper and his defenders managed to keep Kevin Moore out once, but the centre half scrambled his third goal of the season over the line from just a couple of yards out to the delight of the away fans packed behind the goal.
But the visitors paid the penalty for what manager Ian Branfoot bemoaned as ‘a madcap five minutes’. The hosts took just five minutes to equalise when defensive confusion allowed Scott Stamps to escape the attentions of Moore and send a free header past Jim Stannard from a routine right-wing cross. A couple of minutes later and Torquay had turned the match completely on its head. Paul Trollope burst down the left and cut the ball back for Nigerian international Okorie to sidefoot past Stannard from ten yards out.
Chris Curran was sent off for hacking down John Marshall in the second half, but Fulham failed to put Torquay’s ten men under any prolonged period of pressure. Terry Hurlock’s snapshot cleared the crossbar but the Whites will certainly feel that this was a game they shouldn’t have lost.
TORQUAY UNITED: Bayes; Moore, Stamps, O’Riordan (Hathaway 85), Barrow, Curran, Trollope, Buckle, Hancox (Darby 43), Okorie, Goodridge. Sub (not used): Thornley.
BOOKED: Curran.
SENT OFF: Curran.
GOALS: Stamps (30), Okorie (32).
FULHAM: Stannard; Morgan, Marshall (Hails 79), Adams, Hurlock, Moore, G. Thomas (Haworth 45), Jupp, Cork, Brazil, Mison. Sub (not used): Harrison.
GOAL: Moore (25).
REFEREE: Steve Dunn (Bristol).
ATTENDANCE: 4,739.
