MATCH VERDICT
Dan Elliott
@dan_torquay_man
DARTFORD FC 3-0 TORQUAY UNITED – MATCH SUMMARY
When the fixture lists came out this game was circled. We said any of the M25/Essex/London games we will try to get to. From where we live these are the closest games for us. Moving into the NLS it was clear to see at the start of the season the league is split into three sectors or as the Americans say sec-tors (Google shooting stars for that reference), games split into WestCountry, South Coast & London Centric. Minimum for us was to nail the London Games (including the NFL also).
So it was circled, however, Dartford at the end of November in the NLS did not get my juices flowing at all, not going to lie! It was more the “we have to go really don’t we” kind of vibe, rather than….. can’t wait for this big day out.
However, waking up this morning, Torquay had won against Bath & Yeovil (in the cup), the sun was out, the sky was blue and there was no rain. Coming down the M11, I thought….. hey, we’re in ere! I was having Ice Cube vibes and was thinking “It was a good day”.
The grey, dismal, rainy, stuck in traffic on the M25 with people trying to get to Lakeside & Bluewater for Xmas Shopping, those vibes, oh they gawn!!!!!
Easy 1-3 win in the sun, happy days! We were on our way…… we’re on our waaaaay.
Getting over the bridge was easy, taking the first exit & a sharp right within 2 mins you are at the ground, love that! You then pull up to the ground and it’s free parking, love that. Head over to the turnstile, no queue, love that. Walk then into the ground and as you enter behind the way end you see it’s the same all the way around, love that!
With the timber roof, options of standing and seating, the weather combo of cold & sunny, it felt like you were in a ground of a team based in Austria that all their players are ski instructors, the place was immaculate. Very impressed.
We strolled over to where the players are and watched with the sun on our faces as the players went through their drills. All was nice and calm, fans from both teams came in and mingled and the game was about to kick off.
Well when I say kick off, one team started the other didn’t.
Famously the Torquay coach went the wrong way round to Aveley earlier in the season and the players only just got their on time. Did the same happen today???!
Bleddy DARTLINE……. Wait it wasn’t them, with the budget cuts……. They gaaaaawn. It was Tally Ho!!! 10 mins gone and still nothing, nope! TUFC heads were still in The Westcountry.
Dartford looked more awake, up for it and running that little quicker and harder. Was this Torquay’s tactics?? Were Torquay just soaking up pressure?? OR were they just not starting like they have done in so many games this season
It was the latter…….. they didn’t have a Danny La Rue! 20 mins in, something…….Dolan gets a shot away, you kind of knew that if anyone was going to start, it would be him.
But still Dartford were having more of the ball, possession and time in the TUFC part of the field. For a while I was processing everything and thought Johnson had gone all Pep on us and was playing with a false 9, as there was prime real estate on the pitch that was totally empty where Aaron Jarvis would normally occupy his trade.
Chances were coming for Dartford but none of quality. In my mind I thought if they were good we would be in trouble now as they are created chances but not taking them as they are lacking quality. Then, they found quality, 30 mins in, their player picks the ball up on the edge of the 18 yard box and seems what felt like was an eternity he was able to hop skip and jump around 3 TUFC defenders and get his shot off and it went straight into the top bins.
Delight for the locals, who 5 mins earlier were fuming as they felt Mox had used his hand to block a shot that went out for a corner. They were buzzing, and quite rightly so. Their tails were up.
Credit to them, they didn’t sit back, they cracked on, and what only seems like 2 mins was 10 mins later on the 40th min where a ball came over, their player takes it down on his right, shifts it to his left and then hits the net. Very Bergkamp esq in the World Cup Vs Argentina. 2-0 and rightly deserved.
I will admit I clapped that strike and said to the locals he took it well, they liked that. 2 nil, we’re they going to sit back, were they hell. It was (that old famous chant) attack attack……attack attack attack! Dartford were flying high, so high they could see the bridge!
Then, free kick comes in, the big man for them at the back who looked like at some point of his life he was going to have to pick basketball or football (bit like Phil Neville with cricket or football Or Kyler Murray with NFL or Baseball) decided on football, was loitering at near the back post, I’m guessing with intend to head the ball, saw the ball missed by everyone and Rhys deciding not to come and wipe him out, sticks out a leg and calmly & very accurately volleyed the ball into the net 3-0
Dreamland for the home fans. 3-0 up and the big man at the back used to disrupt corners is volleying in free kicks. And guess what, it was everything they deserved.
Torquay United were passive, lethargic, second to each ball, stagnant and lacking any creative juices, passion, energy, motivation or drive. Basically we were sh*t…and that’s not shot.
Dartford on the other hand were the opposite. Organised, motivated, direct, busy and creative. Player for player the teams were roughly equally matched, but one team wanted it more.
Unless we get a goal before HT to wake us up, then, out of nowhere it happens, a chance. Can’t really remembered what happened, think Dolan had got in behind and crossed the ball over, keeper goes down and the ball to get hit, hits our okay and ball drops to Theo Williams to hit it into a empty net, and it goes over the bar! An absolute sitter. That was the game, there and then.
As you can imagine……. Boos, Johnson Out, F*** Off Johnson, rings around the away end as the Dartford fans pack up and move down to the other end for the second half.
Second half – subs – Collins & Stobbs for De Silva and Crowe. Clearly tactical as DDS was the “outball” in the first half, it also told me the “gaffer” had got it wrong. Balls over to DDS and nobody with any height to whip it into the box too was clearly not working
Looks like the rocket had landed at HT as there was a bit more energy and purpose about the team. Whilst we seemed busy and running around more, our new formation including Collins & Stobbs looks like it included Marshall coming into midfield next to McGavin and just Ollie & Deano at the back and that’s it as everyone else was up top. Theo in the middle, Ash & Collins both off the left, Stobbs off the right, Dolan playing a 10 role and Asa & Brett trying to get the ball to any of that lot for them to make something happen.
It didn’t take them long to work that out, so they left a few guys up there, and for the first 15 mins of the second half when they won the ball back they played it forward and at least 1 of their players was in on goal. It was very Ange Pastycogaleu Vs Chelsea. High line but we were leaving just Ollie & Dean back there against their pacey forwards.
I thought it was going to be 7. How embarrassing would that have been to lose by 7. Thankfully, we sat a little deeper and those 1 on 1’s stopped after 60 mins.
Dartford were starting operation time wasting and run down the clock. To be clear with this, any other team would have done the same and they did it well.
We seemed to hit the final mode of “all the gear and no idea” phase. Archer came on. So then we had Archer, Stobbs, Ash, Collins, Dolan, Hall, McGavin and even at times Marshall camped out in their half trying to make something happen. And we couldn’t.
A few half chances again for Theo before he went off, Dolan nearly pulled the trigger a few times and did once for it to go just wide and McGavin went for a worldie but that flew over. The mode around 70 mins soured and then going into 80 minutes of the game it was low.
Fractions of The Yellow Army were voicing their frustrations, in many ways. Humour, songs, choice language and full out banter! So much so it seemed the social media person at Dartford was picking up on it.
FT 3-0.
Post game, players come over and clap the fans, some fans very upset and not happy. Deano & Asa come and address some of the fans and then join the rest of the group and head down the tunnel. Kudos to them both as leaders they came over and took responsibility for that performance and both were crystal clear and said it wasn’t good enough. I personally have a lot of time for both of them.
PLAYER RATINGS
22. GK: Rhys Lovett – 3
Ok afternoon but felt he could have come and wiped everyone out for the 3rd goal.
6. CB: Ross Marshall – 3
Big gaps left open in the second half which could have led to us conceding so many more.
23. CB: Ollie Tomlinson – 3
Looked isolated in the 2nd half and he as part of the 3 didn’t shine today.
21. CB: Dean Moxey – 4
Left of the back 3, has his natural quality but a few times their players ran right past him.
2. LB: Dylan Crowe – 4
Tried to get things going down his flank but didn’t happen for him.
8. MF: Asa Hall – 4
Class touches but wish he wouldn’t do his hook ball forward into space when there is nobody there, he is so much better than that.
14. MF: Brett McGavin – 4
Got hold of the ball quite a few times and managed to put out fires in the 2nd half, seen him play worse.
17. RW: Dillon De Silva – 5
Hogged the flank and was the out ball in the first half. Tactical substitute as he was not that bad.
20. LW: Callum Dolan – 6
If anyone was going to make anything happen it was him. One of those games when you play a school against another school where there is one good kid, but the rest are not and he can’t do it all alone.
11. ST: Brad Ash – 4
Much better coming off the left, but looks so small and powerless that his pace alone is not working for him. Better second half.
19. ST: Theo Williams – 3
Some brutal misses, and I mean some sitters. Not his day at all, could have changed the game with his chance in the 45 min.
Subs
10. LW: Lewis Collins – 3
Came on but didn’t impact the game at all.
27. RW: Jack Stobbs – 3
Came on and could and should have impacted the game but didn’t. Hogged the right flank and had chances to make things happen, but not to be.
30. ST: Ethon Archer – 3
Came on and couldn’t do anything against the big man at the back who towered over him.
Rate the TUFC Players Here
MAN OF THE MATCH – CALLUM DOLAN
The only player that looked any good at all. Drove into the box, got in behind and tried to make things happen.
THE OFFICIALS
The ref was ok, she tried to let things go and keep the game going. Her Lino’s were not up to scratch and guessed a few things. Think they missed the Mox handball in the first half.
TACTICS
I’m going to say it was 3- 4 – 1 – 2 in the first half. That was made up of Marshall, Ollie and Mox at the back. Dylan and Dillon wing backs, Brett & Asa sitting Dolan roaming and Theo & Brad up top.
Second half it felt like 2 – 2 – 5 – 1 made up of Ollie & Mox, Brett & Asa, Stobbs Hanson Dolan Collins Ash, Theo up top.
Work that out!
OPPOSITION
They wanted it more. From first to final whistle they nailed it. Game plan, execution and performance. They done very well.
CONCLUSION
It’s bad and we know it is. Said it once and will say it again, in the games we have been to I have not seen a team turn up since the first 30 mins at Dover. The first 30 mins at Dover we had a system, identity and a way of playing and it got us two quick goals with Brad hitting the post also. That system worked of Collins and Stobbs hogging the flanks and the midfield playing balls behind the opposition defence for them to run onto and make chances.
The game today was similar H&R, running around like headless chickens making chances but not sure if it’s going to happen or not. It was toxic again at the end and Deano & Asa came over to talk to the fans. I’ve said this before, leaders of men them two. They are the type of people you would go into battle for. Yet again, just saying. The look like they can work well together as a joint team, TUFC need something different that’s for sure.
COYY – DAN
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