TALKING POINTS
Dom Roman
@DomRoman
Dom discusses the NLS loss
UNDER PRESSURE
This Talking Point doesn’t relate to Gary Johnson (or the Bowie/Queen song for that matter), he may be under fire on social media but I can’t imagine he’s under pressure from anyone at a very cosy Torquay United! No this relates to his team. Unlike last week’s cakewalk against a very slow Hungerford team, Maidstone grasped the initiative from the start against a ponderous Gulls XI. Pushed up high, winning first and second balls with aggression, and creating overlaps on the wings, Elokobi had clearly got Stones geared up to go for the throat. Part of this was down to the lack of space Brett McGavin was allowed compared to other recent home games, Stones pressed in our half and the midfielder and his comrades struggled to react. The Gulls have generally been slow off the traps this season, and that continued, with defensive jitters and misplaced passes the result, it was not pretty.
DEFENSIVE PROBLEMS
In our game predictions I’m rarely tempted to predict a clean sheet for the Gulls, and with good reason! We may have only conceded one against Maidstone, but had they made more of their numerous attacking chances, not to mention the penalty, then 3 or more goals could easily have been there’s. There’s a few reasons for this. Firstly the right hand side is not good enough. Ross Marshall has earned some praise this season, but he’s back under the microscope after a red card catastrophe that should have been avoided. Meanwhile Shaun Donnellan had a dreadful first half littered with poor distribution and defensive uncertainty, he did improve later in the game but is not a decent right back even at this level. There’s also protection problems, with Brett McGavin not a mobile shield in front of the back four and Lewis Collins not a great help to Dean Moxey on the left hand side. Part of this would be cured by a leader at centre back, but in the last few summers we’ve failed to get one and frankly I’m fed up of asking! With big games to come the Gulls need their strikers in form, because the other end is decidedly leaky.
THE BENCH OF HORRORS
Hanson, Hall, Craske, Thomas and Lovett. It feels like 22/23 all over again! With Pearce and Jenkins Davies leaving, the bench had no attackers to enter the fray and instead Asa Hall arrived understandably lacking in fitness , Finley Craske arrived and panicked on the ball immediately, and Ryan Hanson ran on and made absolutely no impression…just for a change. Bad luck or just poor squad planning again? Hard to argue against the latter and no doubt Gary Johnson will be phoning around for one or two loans this week. If one of them could be Sinclair Armstrong-type quality, that would be handy!
BATTLING WITH 10
The red card actually seemed to energize the Gulls, and suddenly we started showing heart and determination that was missing with eleven! Players took responsibility and upped their efforts, whilst Maidstone lost momentum. I’m not sure why this fighting attitude had to wait until Marshall left the field, but after that we had chances to at least draw the game and make the afternoon more palatable. With emotions stirred there was positives to be taken from the performance, including Tom Lapslie who did everything to try and salvage things, and Ollie Tomlinson, who made some strong challenges at the back. In the end perhaps a point each would have been fair, but let’s not sugar coat these Talking Points too much, play like the first 30 minutes too often this season and there will be plenty more setbacks to come.
MISSED CHANCES
There was three very presentable chances in the end for the Gulls to score, and all three missed the target. Aaron Jarvis cannot buy a goal from open play, and with a defender tight to him, the second half headed chance wasn’t a sitter, but if he wants to enhance his reputation at Torquay, then he probably should score. Tom Lapslie will still be seething at the header he placed wide later in the half. No disrespect to Tom but the chance needed someone else on the end of it. He did the right thing trying to direct it but never looked confident as the lovely floated cross came over. Brad Ash then found himself with only Lucas Covolan to beat, and got too much on the ball and the game was Maidstone’s. He may have been better trying to take the ball around the Brazilian, otherwise the shot had to be perfect…and wasn’t. In the end it wasn’t his game and it wasn’t Torquay United’s. Another NLS loss for the Gulls, problems around the park and a restless Yellow Army. Panic stations? Not yet, but predictions of 100+ points and cruising back to the NL in 1st position are looking desperately outdated (much like the manager..).