Cody Cooke proved to be a super
sub for Torquay United, as he netted the winner against his former club Bath
City to keep the Gulls’ promotion bid on track in front a season high crowd of
5,202.
The first chance of the game saw former Torquay striker Alex Fisher force a routine save from United keeper James Hamon with a shot from distance in the 10th minute.
Four minutes later, the ball bounced off Matt Jay, following a scramble in the penalty area, and fell invitingly to the Gulls’ former Romans defender Jordan Dyer, who fired a shot across the face of goal.
On the half hour mark, United’s one-time Bath midfielder Dan Hayfield saw a long range effort deflected behind for a corner. From the resulting flag-kick from Jordan Young, Jay Foulston had a scuffed shot blocked.
In the second half, chances were few and far between for both sides until Hayfield had an angled shot that sailed wide in the 62nd minute.
Five minutes later, the deadlock was broken when Young attempted an audacious strike from distance, which Romans’ keeper Harvey Wiles-Richards was unable to fully gather and sub Cooke reacted quickest to score his 14th goal of the campaign.
On 70 minutes, Gulls’ striker Offrande Zanzala connected with a cross from Foulston before forcing a stunning save from Wiles-Richards, as United clinched all three points.
