Two long years are know behind us. The players and supporters of Torquay United did the town proud this afternoon after the Conference Play-Off Final was one by two goals to nil over Cambridge United. There will be more reaction later but for now here is a nervously written match report. Apologies for any errors! Oh, who cares!

Paul buckle made one change from the side that started the second leg of the semi-final against Histon; Elliot Benyon came in for the injured Blair Sturrock, as he did during the match at Histon. On the bench there were places for goalkeeper Martin Rice, defender Lee Hodges, midfielders Tyrone Thompson and Mustapha Carayol with the striker's place going to Matt Green.

A not unexpected nervy start with no-one taking too long on the ball in fear of making a mistake. Michael Poke had to be alert in the second minute to come and make a low punch from a right wing cross and even though he didn't get a lot distance Chris Robertson completed the clearance and the danger passed.

There was a booking for Wayne Carlisle after a tackle on Pitt who was making good ground inside the United half after a break from a promising looking United attack.

Chris Todd was the first player to test either 'keeper when he flicked on a Kevin Nicholson long throw at the near post but Bartlett claimed the ball low down. Shortly after, and Michael Poke had to hold a 25 yard Reason shot firmly as the game started to settle down.

Tim Sills collected a yellow card for persistent fouling in the 18^th minute after another altercation with Hatswell with that particular battle looked like it could well hold the key to the game. Hatswell then got himself booked moments later for a terrible late foul on Tim Sills which left both players walking the red card tightrope.

Ex-Gull Lee Phillips hit a left foot shot from 20 yards that never troubled Poke as it flew well wide but Cambridge were seeing much more of the ball as the first quarter of the match passed.

In the 28^th minute United finished off a succession of corners with Chris Robertson striking a right foot shot from 25 yards that caused Bartlett to scramble across his goal but the ball was always curling away from goal and no save was required.

Just after the half hour Cambridge came closest to scoring when Willmott skipped past Kevin Nicholson and from a tight angle struck for goal but Michael Poke was up to the challenge and palm the ball away for a corner.

In the 35^th minute United opened the scoring when Tim Sills flicked on a clearance and Elliot Benyon held the ball before slipping it inside. It looked as though Wayne Carlisle was taken out 25 yards from goal but it didn't matter because United's skipper Chris Hargreaves controlled the ball and from just inside the Cambridge penalty area hit an unstoppable right foot shot that screamed past Bartlett.

United were suddenly full of confidence and Elliot Benyon glanced a header wide from a nod down by Sills who did well to get on the end of a deep Nicholson cross. The match was still very much end-to-end stuff and a single goal didn't seem at the time likely to be the end of the scoring. United came close again in the 40^th minute when Benyon broke well down the right and picked the run of Danny Stevens coming in at the far post but Bolland did well to block Danny off the ball and eventually the Cambridge defence cleared the ball to safety.

The half-time whistle brought a wall of noise from the travelling Gulls army. Cambridge had played some neat passing football but as the match had worn on the Gulls controlled large parts and their more direct approach was proving a problem for the Cambridge midfield who were having to track back and face their own goal far too often. United are a strong second half team and all we needed was another solid 45 minutes.

Second Half

In the 49^th minute Chris Robertson performed a superb piece of defending to cover his own error when the ball went over his head and fell at the feet of Rendell but the United centre back came back with an excellent stab tackle to concede a corner which United defended easily.

Both teams seemed intent on attack and little else and the game became stretched almost immediately after the restart.

In the 52^nd minute Bolland was booked for a tackle on Benyon and from the resultant free-kick Kevin Nicholson's shot took a deflection and went for a corner with Bartlett beaten.

United then had to defend a period of pressure from Cambridge as both teams took turns in causing each other problems but the United defence was so far, as we approached the hour mark, looking solid. Cambridge thought they had a shout for a spot kick but Michael Poke had timed his dash out to the feet of Rendell perfectly and clearly got the ball before the man and the referee agreed.

Kevin Nicholson was having to be at his defensive best combat the speedy Willmott who needed no encouragement to take a run at United's left back.

Another break from United saw Wroe release Stevens and his right foot cross was glanced toward goal by Tim Sills but his header just looped over Bartlett's goal. You did start to get the distinct feeling that there were more goals in this game!

In the 71^st minute the drama took an even bigger surge when Phil Bolland mistimed a tackle on Elliot Benyon and received his second yellow card. From the free-kick Tim Sills hit the post with a header and Chris Todd struck a shot over the crossbar but he was off balance at the time. Surely United's chance had come now to finish things off and claim that spot in the Football League?

It was all United now but the second goal was needed to kill the game off, while it remained a single goal lead, even against ten men, there is plenty of danger.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man! United broke from a Cambridge free-kick and Wayne Carlisle bravely won a header that found Elliot Benyon. The United forward carried on his run before slipping the ball back to Carlisle who looked up and picked out United's top scorer Tim Sills who needed no second invitation to head past Bartlett and surely send United back to the promised land.

Cambridge sent on their last two substitutions in an understandable attempt to rescue their cause but they were leaving themselves wide open at the back and United were more than capable of capitalizing.

Bucks made his first change of the afternoon in the 84^th minute when the excellent Danny Stevens made way for Lee Hodges in a straight swap on the left of midfield. Soon after and the second change was made by the Gulls when Tyrone Thompson was sent on to replace Elliot Benyon in a move designed to stiffen United's defensive capabilities.

Four minutes of added-on time was held up by the fourth official which in normal circumstances is enough time to score a couple of goals but Cambridge looked shot to pieces and all of the noise was coming from the end bathed in Spring sunshine, even far from home the sun always shines on Torquay!

Mustapha Carayol was given a run-the-time-down introduction in the closing seconds when he replaced Wayne Carlisle.

That was the final act of a pulsating game in which both teams played their part but only one team could leave Wembley and that, my friends, was TORQUAY UNITED!