MATCH VERDICT
Ian East – @Easters86
Ian discusses the New Year’s Day loss
YEOVIL TOWN 2-0 TUFC – MATCH SUMMARY
Is anyone surprised anymore? Seriously?
I don’t know where to start with this. Torquay, much the better side for about 80 minutes of the game, have somehow managed to lose it 2-0. Its a skill in itself to be able to do that against an opposition offering absolutely zero threat for the vast majority of the game.
If it was a one off then it’s one of those games that you kind of shrug aside and say well we’ve done a lot right there but just not taken our chances and got sucker punched. There’s something to work with and go again next week….but it’s not a one off. We keep having games like this. When Torquay play badly they lose, when they play quite well they lose and more importantly Torquay are losing to the teams around them. In fact Torquay haven’t beaten a single side that are in and around them in the league. That’s what happens to teams who get relegated.
The first half was pretty much all Torquay but unfortunately for those of us of a yellow/beetroot persuasion the chances didn’t fall to the right people. Ali Omar air kicked a great chance from a corner while shots from distance were all dealt with by Grant Smith in the Yeovil goal. Other attempts, mainly from Kieran Evans and Dillon De Silva, didn’t hit the target. Yeovil were beyond poor in the first half lacking ideas they spent the half passing it back to Smith who in turn would boot it back to us to start another attack.
In a similar theme to the boxing day game, Yeovil made a double change at half time and then took the game to us for 10 minutes. Halstead made a couple of good saves and Torquays defence had to be on their toes to deal with the much more lively Yeovil attack.
That died off before the hour mark and it was back to Torquay attacking, Donnellan forced a good save from Smith before Evans should have done better with a shot from the edge of the box.
With the game going into the final 10 mins it seemed that Yeovil had resisted the Torquay efforts and the game was meandering its way to a 0-0 draw before a ball from the left was bundled in by Worthington at the back post and incredibly Torquay had found a way to be behind. A last throw of the dice was made on the bench introducing Hanson and Andrews but deep into stoppage time with everyone upfield, Halstead shanked a goal kick that was pounced on by the home side who broke away and made it 2-0. An absolute travesty of a scoreline but one only this Torquay side could find a way of being on the wrong end of.
PLAYER RATINGS
Halstead: 7 – Not a great kick for the 2nd goal but ultimately the game was gone then anyway. Dealt with the bad conditions well made a couple of decent saves.
Donnellan: 7 – One of the better players defended well and broke forward when he could. Forced a good save from Smith in the 2nd half.
Omar: 7 – Been out of the side for a long time and after an iffy first few minutes settled into the game well and won his headers/ challenges had a decent game.
Moxey: 6 – Was OK been out for a few weeks but slotted back in seamlessly as ever in the back 3.
Hall: 6 – Like Moxey just back from injury battled away in midfield won his challenges but is guilty of giving the ball away too much and tired as it went on.
Lapslie: 6 – Similarly to Hall gives the ball away too frequently and doesn’t offer enough quality at times but he gives you everything he has.
De Silva: 5 – Flatters to deceive. Has lots of traits to like and he is a threat that the opposition has to be wary of but the final ball just too often isn’t good enough. Little impact in the 2nd half and was replaced by Wyatt.
Evans: 6 – There’s a player here with Evans but he frustrates me because he looks great until he actually has to do something i.e. the final shot or pass or cross. The bit that actually really matters he fails to deliver too often.
Wearne: 7 – Thought he was our most likely attacker, had the beating of the full back and went close with a curling effort that went just wide in the first half.
Goodwin: 6 – Ineffectual but again plenty of effort and desire his best moment was in the 2nd half with a lovely bit of skill in the box but when it needed the final pass it hit the defender.
Jarvis: 6 – His link up play and hold up play was really good as ever but never had a chance on goal. Mainly down to the substandard creative play around him.
All 3 subs Wyatt, Andrews and Hanson weren’t on long enough to really impact the game.
MAN OF THE MATCH – SHAUN DONELLAN
Thought he was our best player on the day. when it’s a centre half is probably never a great sign. Defended well tried to make things happen but we needed more from the attacking players.
THE OFFICIALS
They were fine. In fact I’d say one of the better refs I’ve seen. Let as much go as possible in bad conditions only booked players when necessary. Certainly nothing to blame on his part for our latest loss.
TACTICS
Back to 3-5-2 with De Silva and Wearne as the wing backs. Only thing to do really with the absentees. There was definitely concern around Omar playing but to his credit he had a good game. The end result says it didn’t work but for the vast majority of the game it did we just didn’t capitalise on our opportunities. Be interesting to see how the team lines up next week.
THE OPPOSITION
I don’t say this sourly or without being 100% truthful. Yeovil were one of the worst sides I’ve seen at this level in a long time. They were utterly inept in the first half, completely out of ideas with a centre half up front. Every 3rd pass was back to the keeper who’d just punt it back to us throughout the whole half. To be fair they made changes at half time and the new forward gave them more pace and more of a spark. They were better and in Maguire-Drew have a player of real quality at this level. Even so they scarcely deserved a point and will be thinking they’ve won the lottery tonight to have got all 3.
CONCLUSION
I really don’t know where we go from here. I know where it looks like we’re heading. This Christmas period felt critical to our survival chances. 2 games against Yeovil has yielded 1 point. Torquay are still 2nd bottom but the absolutely biggest problem is still to come. Our inability to beat any of the bad teams in this league means that all the top teams are heading towards Plainmoor in the 2nd half of the season. Top teams where Torquay are conceding around 4 goals per game.
Johnson in/Johnson out? It seems like a good number of fans want a change and no one can blame them, 2022 has been a diabolical year on the field and 2023 has started in a similar pattern. Gary has said more players are coming in this week. Well, with his recent track record that isn’t much to get excited about. It doesn’t look or feel like a change of manager is going to happen so Torquay fans only crumb of hope is in some new players coming through the door and making a big impact because the current crop have now proven beyond a shadow of any doubt that they’re not up to the task. The big question is: will that be the same in the dugout as well?
COYY – IAN
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I am afraid we are going South. Pre seaso recruitment has been appalling. I know, and I have mentioned before, money plays a big part in football at all levels, but I would have thought GJ would have had a big say in recruitment at the beginning of the season. If, yes if Torquay get relegated to NLS I can only see that Torquay will ever recover… for me this could be the beginning of the end … sadly…🥴
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