Torquay United Dominates AFC Stoneham 6-1 in FA Cup
Torquay United brushed aside AFC Stoneham 6-1 in the FA Cup second qualifying round, and Jimmy Ball liked what he saw most in the one thing you can’t always coach – attitude.
The Gulls, two tiers above their hosts, never really loosened their grip on the tie. They were in front inside six minutes, Callum Morton striking early to settle any hint of an upset before it had time to grow.
From there, Torquay dictated. On 36 minutes Beaumont-Clark stepped up from distance and drilled in a long-range effort to make it 2-0, the kind of strike that usually kills a cup underdog’s belief.
Stoneham refused to fold immediately. Straight from the restart they hit back through Tom Annetts, a quick response that briefly jolted the home crowd and asked a question of Torquay’s composure.
Ball’s side answered it before half-time – twice.
Sonny-Blu Lo-Everton took charge of the contest in a ruthless spell. First, on 43 minutes, the midfielder found space on the edge of the box and drove a low finish into the corner. Then, deep into stoppage time, he arrived again, this time finishing smartly from a corner to send Torquay into the break 4-1 up and in complete command.
The second half became a test of professionalism rather than nerve. No drama, just control.
Lo-Everton completed his hat-trick midway through the half, capping a standout display and stretching the scoreline to 5-1. Torquay kept their foot on the ball, kept their standards where Ball wanted them.
Right at the end, Cody Cooke added a sixth in stoppage time to underline the gulf and close out a ruthless away performance.
Ball, speaking to BBC Radio Devon, highlighted the mindset behind the margin.
"Our attitude was good, mentality was good throughout, that's all I wanted really," he said, stressing that he expected his players to approach the tie in a "professional, humble manner" regardless of the opposition’s level.
He made it clear the message had been simple: the standards do not change.
"We just made the players aware that of our standards, regardless of who we're playing, when we're playing, what competition we're playing in, we need to come off the pitch proud of ourselves and proud of our output and proud of our performance."
Torquay’s attacking play backed that up. They picked their way through a deep, crowded defence, exactly the type of challenge Ball had warned about at the start of the season.
"Attacking-wise we looked good," he said. "It's hard to beat a team that sits in there very deep and has lots of bodies in there that you've got to navigate, but we did it and we did it quite well today."
On this evidence, if Torquay keep that edge and that “professional, humble” streak, they won’t just be in the FA Cup to make up the numbers.
