MATCH VERDICT

Rachel Malloch

@Rachelvillavox

TORQUAY UNITED 2-2 EASTBOURNE – MATCH SUMMARY

‘Must do better’ has been replaced with ‘Can these performances get any worse?’.

A glorious sunny afternoon at Plainmoor, a chance for Torquay to kickstart their faltering promotion push was met with a truly dire first 45 minutes with no redeeming incidents of note, sloppy passing, misplaced and ragged, without any real shape or drive, a team lacking in any quality or excitement. It was a truly dismal affair. The back 4 a familiar quadrant and without any movement in the loans market to bring in a recognised centre forward, Gary Johnson put his trust in Dillon De Silva, Osman Foyo and Lewis Collins who from the whistle looked off the pace and devoid of any fluency or connection.

There was a single attempt on target for Torquay, a Foyo grasscutter easily dealt with by the Eastbourne keeper. A plethora of corners came to nothing, a mix up by the ref brandishing a second yellow to the wrong Eastbourne player. Soon after Eastbourne were in the lead when what looked like a tame shot beat Halstead. Nothing to write home about, in fact you would struggle to fill one side of a postcard, it was that dismal.

Second half was marginally better – it needed to be – and with Foyo winning the ball and slotting it to De Silva, he took his goal well, sprinting into the penalty area and then planting an accurate shot that nudged in off the post.

Controversy – which is about as exciting as this game got – when Archie Harris, a player who had been reluctant to get forward with any zest all game, went in high on an Eastbourne player, catching him on the knee and player was unable to continue.  It looked for all the world like a red card, but the referee was feeling benevolent and gave only a yellow.

Any attacking intent from Torquay predictably broke down with a dreadful final pass. A moment of rare (as hen’s teeth) quality from De Silva found him drive forward and slot a precise pass into the box for Jenkins Davies to slot the ball past the advancing keeper.

A flurry of substitutions were finally made, Asa Hall taking to the field after another lengthy lay off, then 8 minutes added time following the earlier injury to the Eastbourne lad from Harris’ high challenge, a long ball that to most of the crowd in the ground, including the 14 Eastbourne supporters, looked offside, but play carried on and Halstead was beaten for the equaliser. 

Torquay tried in vain to get the ball forward and the full time whistle, much like half time, was met with jeers, some ‘Johnson Out’ chants and an air of apathy and acceptance from others. Worryingly Torquay Utd are getting worse with each performance and have yet to really convince over the course of this season. 

PLAYER RATINGS

1. GK: Mark Halstead – 6

  Tried to release the ball quickly, then fell back into the hoofball tactics.

6. RB: Ross Marshall – 5

Plenty effort, precious little quality.

23. CB: Ollie Tomlinson – 5

 Looked sluggish too often but dealt with any aerial threat as you would expect.

21. CB: Dean Moxey – 5

Reliable and one player who was showing a glimpse of quality.

26. LB: Archie Harris – 3

Poor.

14. MF: Brett McGavin – 4

Kept it simple, but offered very little.

18. MF: Will Jenkins Davies – 4

Very poor performance, extra point for the goal.

10. LW: Lewis Collins – 3

Poor.

30. MF: Ethon Archer – 4

Effort, but no real contribution.

17. RW: Dillon De Silva – 6

MOTM

32. ST: Osman Foyo – 3

Yet to see anything from the loanee.

Subs

24. RB: Callum Thomas – N/A

8. MF: Asa Hall – N/A

Good to see him back.

3. LB: Dan Martin – N/A

Rate the TUFC Players Here

MAN OF THE MATCH – DILLON DE SILVA

In a game where quality, flair and any skill of note was glaringly absent, it was 2 moments of quality that at least gave us 2 goals to cheer and De Silva was both scorer and provider. A heavily strapped knee suggested that he’s not quite at full fitness, and this was seemingly evident when he gave up chasing a few balls that likely he could have made.

THE OFFICIALS

Got his cards in a pickle and was pedantic at times but little to dispute. Offside decision from the lino was frustrating but no more frustrating than the dreadful performance of the home side.

TACTICS

4-3-3, no recognised centre forward and still relying on a hoofball tactic to, well, nobody to hoof to.

OPPOSITION

Well worthy of the point, came to play and get something, very little in comparative quality between the supposed pre-season favourites and the strugglers from Sussex. Leon Gravata their no. 20 on the wing looked like the sort of player Torquay could do with in attack.  

CONCLUSION

Yes, we have injury woes, we are without influential players like Aaron Jarvis, Tom Lapslie, Jack Stobbs and a miscellany of others but we are a professional club, a full time concern and while relying on loans is not necessarily straight forward, Torquay have had time to source some reinforcements and have chosen to stick with the players who in the main are struggling.

Today’s performance had even the most ardent of Johnson supporters questioning why we are flailing and faltering so badly on the pitch and what do the coaching team do with these set of players between games on the training ground, because today, there a was lack of movement, with the basics eluding these players. Worryingly certain players who have struggled are not improving. Notably Gary Johnson showed lightening pace to head down the tunnel at full time without any desire to front up and applaud the 2,000 loyal supporters.

COYY – RACHEL

SOCIAL MEDIA

#tufc 1/2 FA Cup day. Aldershot and Maidstone getting loads of positive coverage on BBC telly and radio. Makes you wistful for what we used to have.

Both phoenix clubs from the 90s. I don't want that for @TUFC1899 but it shows what can be done if people stick together.

— ByeHorse (@Byehorse) January 6, 2024

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