MATCH VERDICT
Matt Roberts
@MatthewVA438
TORQUAY UNITED 1-0 BATH CITY – MATCH SUMMARY
After the debacle at Hampton & Richmond last week and poor run of form in general of late, I wasn’t exactly confident going into a game with a much improved Bath City side since last season. They’re at the right end of the table and have quietly formed a decent squad this year. Torquay on the other hand have regressed at an alarming rate in recent games, and the general air of gloom that pervades the club was on full display in the early stages of the game with altercations between a few fans and stewards on the Popside, allegedly due to a supporter voicing his disdain for the manager.
Not the best of starts then off the pitch although quite honestly there was nothing to write home about on the pitch while all this going on. Both sides looked evenly matched although Torquay had the most of possession, whilst failing to make it count. Getting the ball into dangerous areas wasn’t a problem at times, but making that final pass or creating a moment of quality is something that both teams found to be extremely difficult.
Part of the problem was Brad Ash being employed in the lone striker role. Unfortunately spent much of the game being crowded out by the Bath defence and support was often too far away to make a real difference. Ash’s confidence looks low (hardly surprising) and making him the focal point for our attack seems like too much of a responsibility at the moment. Half time approached with neither side looking like they would get a goal. It is a sad indictment of the state of our club that the full time/part time difference had no observable impact on
proceedings. We looked like a bang average Conference South club, occasional bright sparks but mostly just huffing and puffing. Gone are the days of overpowering clubs at this level, imposing our will and not giving them a sniff. Now we really have to struggle to beat other sides in this division, even if they create nothing like Bath.
The second half continued where the first ended, Torquay still had most of the ball but I don’t remember many clear cut chances. Fast forward to the final 20 minutes when out of nowhere we got the decisive goal. Donnellan found himself in oceans of space and with no Bath players attempting to close him down he advanced forward purposefully and unleashed a powerful shot on goal. It was hard to see how much the deflection altered the trajectory of the ball but a Bath player got his head on it which wrong footed the goalkeeper, sending the ball sailing over his head into the net.
One moment of quality was enough to win the game and even though Bath upped the ante a bit as they chased an equaliser, Torquay looked comfortable and cohesive in defence, seeing the game out calmly.
PLAYER RATINGS
1. GK: Rhys Lovett – 6
Vocal throughout and largely untroubled by a lacklustre Bath attack. Couldn’t fault him as he came in for the injured Halstead.
16. RB: Shaun Donnellan – 7
I didn’t think there was much to separate the defence who by and large coped fine with the limited attacking play generated by Bath. Donnellan’s goal was very well taken.
23. CB: Ollie Tomlinson – 6
See above.
6. CB: Ross Marshall – 6
See above.
21. LB: Dean Moxey – 6
See above.
4. MF: Tom Lapslie – 6
Nice to see him back and as energetic as ever. Hopefully though his coming off in the second half was a precaution for Tuesday rather than another injury.
14. MF: Brett McGavin – 5
Looked more lively than I’ve seen him before but I’m not entirely sure what his role is in the midfield.
20. MF: Callum Dolan – 7
Looks a decent signing and seems up for the challenge. He brings some much-need energy to the midfield.
27. RW: Jack Stobbs – 6
I wish he’d stop trying to cut inside when there are acres of space on the wing for him to run into. He put a good number of crosses into the box when he did go wide but nothing ever really came from them.
10. LW: Lewis Collins – 5
Not a huge amount to write home about. There’s something missing from the player who put in some decent performances last season.
11. ST: Brad Ash – 5
Tried his best but he’s not a lone striker and didn’t contribute a whole lot to the proceedings. Subbed off in the second half.
Subs
19. ST: Theo Williams – 6
I’d be starting him as it’s just not working for Ash at the moment.
15. DF: Finley Craske – 6
Replaced Moxey and fitted in fine at the back.
8. MF: Asa Hall – 6
Made a couple of important clearances towards the end of the game. Coming on late and shoring things up seems to be a suitable role for him these days.
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MAN OF THE MATCH – SHAUN DONNELLAN
Okay so there wasn’t a whole lot of quality on the pitch from either side and there weren’t really any stand out players, however, Donnellan’s goal was very well taken and even if it hadn’t taken a deflection, it still would’ve tested Buse in the Bath goal.
THE OFFICIALS
Some fans on the Popside seemed to think the referee was favouring Bath but I’m not sure where this came from, he didn’t have many decisions to make and the game flowed fine.
TACTICS
Ash up top on his own with Jarvis out for the next eight weeks or so. I hope we don’t persist with this as we don’t have the personnel to sustain it. Thankfully we tried to pass it around rather than resort to constant hoofball.
OPPOSITION
I’ve seen Bath several times this season and have witnessed some very good performances at times. Players like Ewan Clarke and Scott Wilson can cause real damage, however, their team as a whole never got going at all. They’ll need to be much more consistent than this to maintain a play-off push.
CONCLUSION
A little bit of pressure lifted from Gary Johnson’s shoulders perhaps, however, we didn’t half make it look difficult to beat Bath who offered nothing really. The real test will be on Tuesday when I expect Yeovil to provide much sterner opposition. At the moment I don’t see us challenging for the top spot. We lack the squad depth once injuries emerge and there are serious questions about the quality of too many players.
COYY – MATT
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