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 just as much as the scoreline.
The gap between the sides showed early. Two divisions apart on paper, worlds apart on the pitch.
Callum Morton settled any nerves inside six minutes, putting the Gulls in front and immediately stamping their authority on a tie against Isthmian League South Central opposition who never really got close to dictating the tempo.
Torquay moved the ball with patience, then struck with power. Just after the half-hour, Beaumont-Clark stepped up from distance and drove in a long-range effort to make it 2-0 after 36 minutes, a finish that underlined the control Ball’s team already held.
Stoneham did not fold. Almost straight from the restart they hit back, Tom Annetts seizing his moment seconds later to cut the deficit and offer a flicker of jeopardy at 2-1.
That hope did not last long.
Sonny-Blu Lo-Everton took charge of the game before the break and never really let it go. On 43 minutes, the midfielder found space on the edge of the box and drilled in Torquay’s third. Deep into first-half stoppage time he struck again, finishing smartly from a corner routine to send the Gulls into half-time 4-1 up and cruising.
Second Half
The second half became a question of professionalism and standards rather than survival. Ball had demanded both.
"Our attitude was good, mentality was good throughout, that's all I wanted really," he told BBC Radio Devon, stressing that performance mattered as much as progression.
Lo-Everton completed his hat-trick midway through the second period, capping a dominant personal display and stretching the scoreline to 5-1. Torquay continued to probe, refusing to drift through the final stages.
They were rewarded again in stoppage time when Cody Cooke added a sixth, rounding off a ruthless attacking performance that never allowed Stoneham to settle deep and frustrate.
Ball’s message to his players had been clear: standards, regardless of the opponent or the competition.
"I thought that if we did that and did it properly and acted in a professional, humble manner, we would be fine," he said, underlining the expectation that Torquay come off the pitch "proud of our output and proud of our performance."
He knows lower-league cup ties can turn sticky when underdogs sit deep and pack bodies behind the ball. This one never did.
"Attacking-wise we looked good," Ball reflected, pointing to the way his side picked their way through traffic. The Gulls did not just avoid an upset; they imposed themselves, handled the occasion, and sent a clear message that they intend to treat this FA Cup run with seriousness, not sentiment.
