Torquay United 5 Havant and Waterlooville 0 - Gulls finish season in style with five-star win

Torquay United ended a highly fraught National League South season safe and playing for fun in a 5-0 win against Havant & Waterlooville this afternoon.

As the sun shone down on Plainmoor, Torquay were 4-0 up by half time with goals by Brad Ash, Austen Booth (a stunning 40-yard volley), and two from Will Jenkins Davies - before Arkell Jude Boyd made it five late on.

It was almost a walkover at times against a Havant team already relegated - a little taste of what many had expected this season to be all about, rather than what actually happened.

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Downes named an unchanged team from the one that secured National South status at Taunton Town on Tuesday night. Only four players were on the bench again with the only difference being young forward Jacob Wellington, who came in for Lewis Collins who suffered a head-knock at Taunton.

Ross Worner held an early Ash strike from the right side of the box. In the ninth minute, Tom Lapslie hit the post after being set up by Jenkins Davies - and while chasing the back out to the right wing, he twisted badly challenging for the ball. He tried to play on but was replaced by Booth in the 13th minute.

Ash flicked a header at Worner in the 18th minute as Torquay continued to pressure the Havant defence. And then McGavin hit the crossbar with an almighty dipping freekick from 35 yards. The ball bounced down on the line and away. Havant's James Roberts shot across goal at the other end.

It was 1-0 in the 23rd minute when Ash got on the end of a Jack Stobbs cross. He got in between two defenders to head the ball, but it popped down in front of him, and he did well to turn and strike it past Worner. Stobbs shot wide in the 26th minute - but Booth scored possibly the goal of the season a minute later when he ran onto the ball, which had been knocked back to him by Jenkins Davies after a long kick from the back by Mark Halstead. Booth let the ball bounce and struck it on the volley with power and accuracy - beating the goalkeeper and finding the net from 40 yards.

It was 3-0 in the 29th minute when McGavin found Jenkins Davies with a lovely ball into the box and the Plymouth Argyle loanee clipped the ball over Worner. Asa Hall had to make a tackle and a block at the back after all the drama of the goals; Ethon Archer dribbled the ball into the box but instead of shooting played the ball to Jenkins Davies, whose shot was blocked. Dean Moxey broke down the right, found Ash inside, but the striker's shot after taking the ball around the goalkeeper rolled along the line.

In the 38th minute, Jude Boyd had a shot saved well and Jenkins Davies' rebound was blocked. It was extraordinary stuff. Archer shot wide next. Jude Boyd whipped a shot wide in the 42nd minute. The fourth goal came in the 44th minute when Stobbs crossed from the right and Jude Boyd flicked a shot at goal. The goalkeeper made a decent save but Jenkins Davies was able to force the ball over the line for his second goal of the first half.

A couple of minutes into the second half, Moxey got on the end of a free kick into the box by Stobbs and hit it home - but he was offside. Roberts shot over for Havant. But it was all Torquay, with the Gulls playing the ball around and keeping possession well in the sunshine. Jude Boyd cut in from the right in the 56th minute and his shot was good but so was Worner's save. Jake McCarthy curled a shot way past Halstead's right hand post. A couple of weak shots by Ryan Seagar were dealt with.

In the 64th minute, Jenkins Davis - looking for his hat-trick - shot wide after cutting in from the right. In the 68th minute Ash shot over to end a goalmouth scramble from a McGavin corner. Halstead had to palm away a Devante Stanley shot at the near post. Seagar volleyed over from inside the box.

Moxey was applauded off the pitch when he was replaced by Callum Thomas in the 77th minute. Roberts got another chance but shot wide. Seventeen-year-old Wellington came on for Stobbs in the 81st minute. Booth broke a minute later and Wellington cut inside and shot. The ball was blocked but fell to Jude Boyd and it was 5-0.

There were more chances - Ash had one saved and Jenkins shot wide. Wellington was brought down in the box but there was no penalty. Jenkins Davies hit the ball across the face of goal after a great run by Wellington. Archer struck the ball wide in the 90th minute. But a sixth goal would not come - not that it mattered.

Most of the 3,379 crowd stayed around to see Moxey receive his Player of the Season award, and Jude Boyd the Young Player of the Season trophy.

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