FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round Saturday 27 October - Twerton Park - kick off 3.00pm

City’s hopes of a long run in this season’s FA Cup was ended at Twerton Park on Saturday in front of over 2000 fans by Blue Square Premier leaders Torquay United. Despite matching the former league clubs for long spells of the game, a failure to take two glorious chances – one from the penalty spot – in the first half cost them dear, as the Gulls exerted a greater control on the game in the second period before grabbing a decisive second goal eight minutes from time.

City welcomed back Paul Evans and Chris Holland, after they both missed the 3-2 win at Newport County three days earlier, and Phil Walsh was handed a starting role alongside Darren Edwards in place of Dave Gilroy. The early exchanges were largely even, with Torquay testing Evans with two inswinging corners – the second striking the outside of the post – and a Sekani Simpson run ending with Adie Harris shooting wide. The latter was looking back to his best after a couple of quiet games, breaking up a lot of Torquay’s passing moves and stopping them building up any early momentum. However, this impressive effort was made to count for little when City gifted the visitors the lead on just nine minutes. Mansell’s high cross into the area lured Evans from his goal but Phillips reached the ball first to loop a header into the unguarded goal. Zebroski shot just wide shortly after this as Torquay looked to take further advantage of this break. On 13 minutes though City were given a great chance to level when Woods handled the ball in the box under pressure from Edwards. Given how the infringement had denied City’s top scorer a clear goalscoring opportunity the defender was lucky to escape with just a yellow card and this sense of injustice got even greater when keeper Rice saved Lewis Hogg’s spot kick – Scott Rogers heading the rebound over gaping goal. Despite this miss City went onto enjoy their best spell of the game. Harris was denied by a combination of Rice and Bedeau – the latter heading his effort off the line – before Edwards out-jumped Rice only to head over the bar. City were now showing themselves capable of matching a side currently sitting at the head of the non-league football pyramid and the Devon side frustrations boiled over five minutes before half-time when Benyon’s appeared to floor Matt Coupe with an elbow. The inevitable melee followed while Coupe lay on the floor with a bloodied nose. Once this was broken up the Torquay substitute became their second player lucky to get away with just a caution. On the stroke of half-time City spurned their second great chance to level the scores. Edwards’ cross into the box should have been cleared by Todd only for the defender to slip at the vital moment. This left Walsh unmarked just a few yards out but he somehow managed to stab the ball wide and with it what turned out to be City’s last clear-cut opening.

No doubt with their manager Paul Buckle’s words still ringing in their ears Torquay upped their game almost straight from the restart. Nicholson shot over the bar on 49 minutes and Sillis fired wide moments later. City were now finding it much harder to turn what possession they had into threatening attacks and their cause was not helped on 62 minutes when Simpson limped from the action to be replaced by the less attack-minded Gethin Jones. Four minutes later Jim Rollo made way for Paul Keddle as well, but it was clear that City were beginning to run out of idea and Torquay’s full-time set-up was also starting to show. City did have one last throw of the dice and manager John Relish tried this with 17 minutes left by introducing Scott Partridge. This was his first appearance since February 24 at Hitchin Town, following two operations on a career-threatening neck injury, and, having also played for the Gulls, he was given a great rousing ovation from both sets of fans. However, although it was clear he’d lost none of his touch and guile, he couldn’t wrest the grip away from Torquay that they had now got on the game. A couple of long-range efforts had brought saves out of Evans, but with eight minutes left he was beaten for the second time. A swift break saw Sillis feed substitute Stevens and the 12-year old (well, he looked that young) took one touch before firing past his despairing dive. Partridge almost made for an exciting last five minutes, curling a 20-yard shot just wide of the post, but in end the Gulls easily saw out the remaining time to earn a place in the 1st round proper where they will face Yeovil Town.

Although it is a footballing cliché that I dislike after a FA Cup exit against a higher placed opposition, City can be proud of their efforts against Torquay. For long spells of the game there was little to choose between the sides and had City taken the chances they created – particularly in the first half – it could have been a very different outcome. What the game will have showed though, is that City have the players to match one of the best sides in the Blue Square Premier and should they earn a place in that league next season they have little to fear. Time to concentrate on the league!