MATCH VERDICT

Andy Charles

@CapitalGull

MATCH SUMMARY

And just like that, pre-season comes to an end.

The result might not have been what many expected, based on the 5-0 defeat a similar Southampton U21 (they aren’t a B side anymore) suffered at Weymouth in midweek, but there were still plenty of positives to come from the 3-1 defeat in front of just short of 1,000 at Plainmoor.

Around lunchtime, still working hard before my trip up the road of at least 250 yards, I heard the sound of cats, dogs and various other animals being strangled. Turns out it was a “kara-oke” which was on the green out front of Boots and Laces. Toneless mush I would describe it as.

The park remained busy after the game but anyone who didn’t venture inside to a spot in Bristow’s Bench missed an entertaining 90 minutes of football between two teams of very different make-up.

Southampton were young. Not quite as young as the Bournemouth Embryos team which turned up a few summers ago, but still young. Athletic, fast and youthful. Three things Torquay United really do lack.

And for the first five minutes it looked like boys against slow men. Three golden chances were passed up and that really set the theme for the afternoon. Thankfully the remainder of the game was not quite so one-sided after an incredible off-the-line clearance from Shaun Donnellan kept the ball out on the third of those chances.

Once Torquay’s unchanged XI (yet again – must be some kind of pre-season record) settled down they started to create chances, and plenty of them.

Most of the good stuff came down the right, with Jack Stobbs lively. He produced a couple of lovely crosses which might have been buried, Southampton Josh McNamara keeper making one fine save from Aaron Jarvis.

McNamara was central soon after in standing up well to block Brad(ley) Ash when the in-form summer recruit really should have broken the deadlock in a 1-on-1 scenario.

Stobbs provided Asa Hall with another headed chance and another cross from the former Oldham man provided what should have been the opening goal for the Gulls, but an inexplicable offside flag from the linesman ruled out a perfectly good strike from Ash.

Straight down the other end and it was 1-0 to the young Saints. The hugely impressive Princewill Ehibhatiomhan (yep, no idea either) turning quickly inside the area and firing an unstoppable shot into the top corner past a flailing Mark Halstead.

Disappointment soon after as Stobbs went off after a quick chat with the medical staff – hopefully just a hamstring tweak he was feeling.

And more disappointment seconds after Dylan Crowe came on (not his fault this time) as Ehibhatiomhan (try typing it without looking at his name) doubled the lead for Southampton.

Half-time came and went with a change of seat back to near my old season-ticket position and on came Rhys Lovett in goal and Will Jenkins-Davies in midfield for Hall.

Ehibhatiomhan (I did it!) had two more decent chances snuffed out by Lovett as the game continued to be stretched, but his withdrawal helped United stem the flow and get back on top again.

On the hour, the deficit was down to one and it was a rare United goal from a corner. Good delivery from Jenkins-Davies, a header back from Donnellan and a flick into the net by Ash.

A couple more chances came quickly after for Ash and Crowe, but Southampton would restore their two-goal lead six minutes later and one to forget for Finley Craske who, otherwise, had a very good game. The Cornishman was left on his backside by trickery from Exeter-born Tyler Dibling, who slotted past Lovett.

Substitutions over the last 20 minutes stopped a lot of the end-to-end play but it was nice to see Dean Moxey, in a new left-wing role, come on for his pre-season debut and there was time for Jenkins-Davies to smash a well-struck shot against the underside of the bar.

And that, folks, was that. Next verdict you see on this veritable page will have had three points resting on it. Onwards to Dover and Up The Gulls.

PLAYER RATINGS

1 – Halstead 7: Nothing to worry about here.

16 – Donnellan 7: Brilliant clearance. Defended well considering the pace against him.

23 – Tomlinson 6.5: Did fine but I am not sure he’s the correct person to Marshall (apologies, it’s not him either) our defence.

15 – Craske 7.5: Impressed me apart from one lapse against the impressive Dibling. He’s not a true centre-back though.

27 – Stobbs 8: Our most creative player until going off far too soon. Fingers crossed nothing serious.

10 – Collins 6.5: A little disappointing but still showed signs of a spark down the left.

8 – Hall 7: Mixes in “legs are gone” moments with moments of genius. Legs might be gone soon though.

4 – Lapslie 5.5: Needs to stop the niggle in games where niggle isn’t needed. Booked, could have been more.

14 – McGavin 6: Still looks too slow to me. He’s got the talent, but will he ever make it? I’m doubtful.

11 – Ash 8: Took his goal well, denied another unfairly, but also missed a sitter. Hard worker.

9 – Jarvis 7: Did fine. Will score goals in this line-up.

Subs:

22 – Lovett 6: Nothing he could do about the 3rd goal.

2 – Crowe 5: Not for me, sorry.

18 – Jenkins-Davies 8: Star of the second half. Won’t be long before he’s a regular starter. Set-piece fiend.

7 – Hanson 5: Foul count 5

21 – Moxey 6: Just for coming back

3 – Martin 5: Also got put on his backside by Dibling. Perhaps his highlight.

CONCLUSION

Result meaningless. Bring on next weekend please.

Nothing to be disheartened about. Plenty of chances created against a team with numerous England U17 and U18 internationals. Will be very interesting to see if any of them is allowed to drop down to our level as you would imagine they’d have no trouble coping. They certainly didn’t lack physicality or skill but I suspect they might either hang around at Southampton or play a little higher. If we were still in the National League it might have been different. If it was me I’d be looking at Lewis Payne (right-sided defender) and Dibling for a wing slot.

What do we need? A big ugly centre-half (no, not you Ross) and someone to back up the front-two as we had Collins and Lapslie trying to fill in from time to time in the closing stages.

Young player of the year will be Will Jenkins-Davies – Adam Randell Mark II.