Torquay hit five on Plainmoor return after going behind to ten-man Slough

Monday 12 October 2026 · By Barnaby Trewin

Torquay United had to be patient on Saturday, but they got there in the end. Jimmy Ball’s side fell behind against ten-man Slough Town on the hour, then scored five goals in the last half hour to win 5–1 in front of a crowd of 3,450 at Plainmoor.

Slough were reduced to ten men when Dennis Adeniran was sent off in first-half stoppage time. But it was the visitors who scored first, when former Gull Saikou Janneh converted a penalty on 60 minutes.

Torquay’s response was immediate. Jay equalised three minutes later, and Morton put them ahead on 70 minutes. Late on, the floodgates opened. Beaumont-Clark scored on 87 minutes, Browne, on loan from Notts County, added a fourth in stoppage time, and Beaumont-Clark completed his double in the third minute of added time.

The win was Torquay’s return to Plainmoor, and the home crowd enjoyed it. The Gulls are 11th in the Enterprise National League South on 16 points from 11 games, with four wins, four draws and three defeats. They have scored 18 goals and conceded 15. Their last five league results read won, won, drawn, lost, won.

Torquay reached last season’s play-off final, where they were beaten by Hornchurch, and expectations remain high. They are six points behind leaders Maidstone United, but two points off the play-off places, so a good run would quickly take them into contention.

The FA Cup offers another opportunity. Torquay beat AFC Stoneham 6–1 and Tonbridge Angels 1–0 in earlier rounds, and they now host Oxford City in the fourth qualifying round on Saturday 17 October. Oxford City are third in the Enterprise National League North, and Ball has called it “a tough game”.

Oxford City have recently signed former Watford and Sheffield Wednesday forward Fernando Forestieri, so the tie has an extra attraction. The winners will go into the first round proper and collect £9,375, with £3,125 for the losers. Because of the cup tie, Torquay’s scheduled league game at Hemel Hempstead Town that day has been postponed.

When the league resumes, Torquay host leaders Maidstone United on Saturday 24 October, a big test of their promotion credentials. They then travel to AFC Totton on Tuesday 27 October.

Beaumont-Clark’s two late goals were the highlight for the home supporters. His first, on 87 minutes, put the game beyond Slough, and his second in the third minute of stoppage time completed the rout. Browne, on loan from Notts County, scored between them.

It was also a reminder of the depth in Ball’s squad, with goals coming from five different players in the space of half an hour.

Saturday’s late goals will have done a lot for Torquay’s confidence. Falling behind to ten men was a warning, but the way they responded showed the quality in Ball’s squad. With Beaumont-Clark scoring twice and a big home crowd behind them, the Gulls will go into the Oxford City tie in good spirits.