A late Keiran Thomas goal in added-on time proved to be the difference between Weston and Torquay, the Seagulls beating their visitors 3-2.
Thomas was the first to have a shot, his header from a Robbie Willmott free-kick wide of the target. Willmott then had his own opportunity when getting a sight of goal from 25 yards, but his swerving strike was narrowly over the bar.
The Seagulls were to break the deadlock 17 minutes in when Weston stopped a Torquay attack on the edge of their own area, allowing James Morton to play a pass forward into Reuben Reid on halfway. The striker held off his man and fed Opi Edwards in down the right, who cut it back for Reid just outside the box. Managing to beat Dean Moxey and drive into the box, Reid arrowed a shot across goal into the top corner from a tight angle for his first league goal of the campaign.
Asa Hall had a goal disallowed when heading in a Jack Stobbs corner for Torquay, but the goal was disallowed for a foul in the area. Moxey then fired over the bar from 18 yards when a corner was headed clear to him, before James Dodd came narrowly close to reaching a low Thomas cross six yards out but was prevented by an away shirt.
Lewis Collins had an opportunity when played through on goal, but as he went to take aim inside the area, his miskick saw the chance go amiss. Thomas glanced another Willmott free-kick wide, before Reid tested Mark Halstead at his near post after working the ball onto his left foot inside the box from a long Harry Lee kick forward.
Torquay came close in the last action of the half, when former Seagull striker and academy graduate Brad Ash blocked a pass out from Lee six yards away from his own goal, the ball trickling towards his own goal but Lee recovered in time to claw the ball away from danger.
In the second half, Willmott had a chance inside the first 60 seconds when he latched onto a long ball and skipped round his man at the byline, his shot being saved at the near post by Halstead. Edwards then had an opportunity just before the hour mark when Willmott’s free-kick was headed away to him 12 yards out, but he fired over the bar after taking a touch to set himself.
Torquay were to equalise just two minutes after Opi’s chance when a long ball forward found Aaron Jarvis, whose header spun in behind the defence. Managing to turn his man, Jarvis got away using his strength and slotted in through the legs of Lee inside the area to make it 1-1.
Thomas almost got Weston back in front when his mazy dribble forward inside the Torquay half saw him crunch into a 50-50 with a defender, the ball looping up and towards goal which the backpedalling Halstead managed to tip over the bar.
The Seagulls were to get their noses in front when a long kick forward by Lee bounced over the Torquay defence, seeing the willing runner of Willmott race onto the loose ball. Attempting to get the ball under control inside the area, his flick hit the hand of Ross Marshall and the referee pointed to the spot. Up stepped Reid, who confidently sent Halstead the wrong way and stroked his penalty into the bottom corner for 2-1.
Thomas went close again from 25 yards, his low shot being pushed away by Halstead as the Seagulls honed in on getting a third.
That third was to arrive just inside added-on time, and KT wasn’t to be denied any longer. Willmott’s inventive pass out to the right-back 25 yards out saw him with plenty of space to make his mind up, and Keiran’s powerful strike found the top corner from range to spark wild celebrations in the AltoDigital Stand.
Torquay were to pull a goal back deep into added-on time when a right-wing cross from Stobbs towards the back post was awaiting the head of Collins, and in his desperation to clear the danger, Thomas headed into his own net to make things a nervy ending yet the Seagulls held on for a big three points.
FT: Weston 3-2 Torquay (Reid 17, pen 73, Thomas 90+1 – Jarvis 61, Thomas OG 90+6)
Attendance: 2,303.
Weston XI: Lee, Bastin, Thomas, Humphries (C), Pope, Jagger Cane, Morton, Dodd (Mannings 49), Reid, Edwards (Pearce 85), Willmott (Avery 90+3). Unused substitutes: Purnell, Roddy.
MOTM: Reuben Reid.