Torquay United made light work of Stoneham in the FA Cup 2nd Round Qualifying on Saturday, running out 6-1 winners at home. The hosts dominated from start to finish, while the visitors struggled to find any foothold in the contest.
By then it was already clear who would have their way, though the final scoreline still looked harsh. Stoneham offered little resistance, and Torquay took advantage of every opportunity they created. And here's the thing — the visitors simply had no answer to the pressure.
The statistics tell the story without embellishment. Torquay registered 88 attacks against 54 for Stoneham, with possession split 64 per cent to 36. Only one corner came for the hosts, while Stoneham managed four, suggesting they couldn't even build sustained pressure. Two yellow cards for the visitors compared with none for the hosts added to the one-sided nature of things.
Torquay's recent form had been mixed, with wins over Exeter City and Cardiff City U21 sandwiched between defeats to Plymouth on two occasions. Stoneham arrived with a heavier defeat to Didcot Town behind them, having beaten Basingstoke Town in their previous outing. To be fair, neither side came into this match with momentum on their side.
The result leaves Torquay with plenty to build on, while Stoneham face questions about their defensive resolve. Six goals conceded in a cup tie is a lot, and the visitors will need to regroup quickly. Things came to a head rather sooner than either side expected.
