Bishops Cleeve stun Torquay United for famous FA Cup victory

Bishops Cleeve celebrate their victory with their supporters after beating Torquay United 3 - 0 during the FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round Match between Bishops Cleeve and Torquay United at Kayte Lane, Bishops Cleeve on 14 Sep 2024. Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK
-Credit: (Image: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK)


Bishops Cleeve stunned Torquay United and knocked the Gulls out of the FA Cup this afternoon in what must be considered the biggest shock of the second qualifying round.

It could be argued the 3-0 defeat at Bishops Cleeve is the biggest shock in the history of the Gulls' participation in the competition - after the players had a nightmare on the rubber-crumb plastic pitch at the Southern League Division One South side. Quite frankly, it was a disastrous display as the Gulls laboured against a team that play their football two levels below them.

Having said, last week, that he doesn't have a great record in the FA Cup, Paul Wotton certainly won't have been expecting such a bad day on his first foray in the Cup as Torquay manager. With Cody Cooke's girlfriend giving birth to a baby boy late on Friday night, the striker was not involved, so the forwards were Brad Ash and Ben Seymour - and neither of them made much of an impact. Omar Mussa started as an attacking midfielder with Roddy Collins dropping to the bench where there were only four substitutes.

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Double Goalscorer Ross Langworthy of Bishops Cleeve celebrates after winning with fans during the FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round Match between Bishops Cleeve and Torquay United at Kayte Lane, Bishops Cleeve on 14 Sep 2024. Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK
-Credit:Tom Sandberg/PPAUK

Playing into a strong wind, Ash had an early header cleared off the line but Cleeve took the lead in the 10th minute when there was a misunderstanding between Matt Carson and Dean Moxey, which gave the chance to Ross Langworthy to hit the ball past James Hamon, despite Sam Dreyer's efforts to get in the way.

A 17th minute free kick by Lirak Hasani was wasted, while Finn Tonks gifted the home side a free kick a couple of minutes later. This wasn't how this game was supposed to go. Ethan Dunbar's strike went over but when Jay Malshanskyj broke in the 21st minute he really should have scored rather than put the ball wide of Hamon's goal.

Cleeve had another huge chance in the 27th minute with Malshanskyj shooting right at Hamon this time. The striker also shot over moments later. Seymour and Ash had half-chances which didn't really threaten to bring an equaliser, while a Mussa shot in the 37th minute was poor and well wide. An Ash shot was easy for the Cleeve goalkeeper Lewis Clayton.

-Credit:Tom Sandberg/PPAUK
-Credit:Tom Sandberg/PPAUK

Torquay began to improve in the final minutes of the half but with only one minute added on they went into the break 1-0 down. Torquay did look a bit better in the early stages of the second half, but Hasani couldn't control the ball in the box after a good cross by Ed Palmer. But Langworthy made it 2-0 for Cleeve in the 52nd minute at the end of their first attack of the second half - heading the ball past Hamon from a Malshanshkj cross.

Wotton made two changes after the goal with Jaydn Crosbie coming on for Seymour and Finley Craske for Moxey. Five minutes later Roddy Collins came on for Oscar Threlkeld. Defender Will Turner almost headed the ball into his own net from a Carson free kick. A Craske header was tipped over the bar by Clayton from a Carson corner. Dreyer headed another Carson corner wide. Torquay were dominating possession and territory now but they couldn't find a goal. A Langworthy header was held well by Hamon.

-Credit:Tom Sandberg/PPAUK
-Credit:Tom Sandberg/PPAUK

Dunbar made it 3-0 following a break in the 70th minute as Torquay failed to stop a speedy counter attack by the home side. Dunbar slipped as he lined up another shot. It could have been four. Cleeve kept on pressing and defender Ollie Tomlinson came on for Ash - it was the final change Wotton could make, and it was all done and dusted by then anyway. A late Mussa shot went high over the crossbar and generated jeers from the delighted Cleeve fans.

After such a positive start to the season, this was a shock. Perhaps one of the biggest in the Gulls' history. But it did come off the back of that disappointing 2-0 defeat at Welling United - and with a National League South home game against bottom-of-the-table St Albans City to come next weekend, Wotton will have an awful lot to think about.