MATCH VERDICT
Joe Uglow
@Joe_Ugs
TORQUAY UNITED 3-3 WESTON-SUPER-MARE – NLS – 01/04/24
United looked to bounce back from Good Friday’s disappointing performance away at leaders Yeovil. Weston-Super-Mare were the visitors to Plainmoor and both sides managed to serve up a defensive disasterclass on Easter Monday.
Torquay started brightly and were one nil up within 13 minutes, Archer showed great footwork inside the box and his cross was met by Stobbs who had the whole goal to aim for, he slid it past the despairing Weston keeper, 1-0 Torquay!
United’s tails were up and soon after they made it two. A ball over the top found Ash who laid the ball out to Stobbs on the wing, his cross was inch perfect, finding Arkell Jude-Boyd at the back post who volleyed it home, 2-0 Torquay, and it looked like for the first time in a while we might actually hammer a team!
But this team is in the bottom half for a reason and soon it was all Weston for the remainder of the half. At times it felt like they had an extra man on the pitch and it was soon 2-1, their man found himself inside the penalty area with plenty of time on his hands to pick his spot and slide it underneath Halstead.
If it wasn’t for some goal-line heroics from Moxey it would have soon been 2-2 but Torquay managed to hold on and go into the break 2-1 up.
The second half started much like the first half ended with Weston in the ascendency, it would only take 5 minutes before they made it 2-2. Archer and Jude-Boyd both had shouts for fouls on the halfway line but with both players laid prone on the pitch Robbie Willmott glided down the right wing and put in a ball to the back post to find Kempster who slotted it home. 2-2 and Weston now looked like they might score with each attack.
Chances were few and far between for United but Brad Ash did have a header come off the bar after Marshall did well at the back post with the knock down, Weston managed to clear their lines and the game looked like it may well end 2-2, that was until the 82nd minute.
After receiving lengthy treatment Arkell Jude -Boyd dusted himself off seemingly refusing to be subbed against the wishes of the physio. A minute later he justified the decision to stay on the pitch, picking the ball up on the halfway line he drove forward beating two Weston players on the way and hit a speculative shot along the ground, it looked a regulation save but the keeper “had a Weston” and let the ball squirm under him and into the net. 3-2 and cue pandemonium in the Popside, it looked like all 3 points would be staying at Plainmoor!
But Reuben Reid had other ideas, often a thorn in United’s side over the years, this game was no different, he picked the ball up on the edge of the area with his back to goal, swivelled and placed his shot in the corner of the goal, Halstead had no chance. 3-3 and yet another poor defensive display from United.
There was still time for Stobbs to fire a 20 yard strike off the crossbar but it ended 3-3. Felt like 2 points dropped but in truth Weston were good value for the draw and could probably argue they should have done enough to win the game.
PLAYER RATINGS
1. GK: Mark Halstead – 6
Poor distribution choosing to go long to Brad Ash more often than not.
21. CB: Dean Moxey – 7
Two brilliant goal-line clearances kept us in the game, left everything on the pitch for the cause today.
6. RB: Ross Marshall – 6
Solid-ish but whole defensive unit seemed shaky.
8. CB: Asa Hall – 6
Struggled with Reuben Reid all afternoon and was guilty of hoofing it up to Brad Ash too many times than I’d care to remember.
2. RB: Arkell Jude-Boyd – 8
Defensively fragile at times, but offers so much going forward. A great first goal and a lucky second, but you make your own luck and I loved that he refused to be subbed after picking up a knock.
14. MF: Brett McGavin – 4
Totally anonymous and lost the battle in the middle of the park.
30. LW: Ethon Archer – 6
Great trickery to make the first goal, faded in the second half.
27. RW: Jack Stobbs – 6
Nice goal and a great delivery for the second, faded after that and doesn’t offer a lot of support for Marshall defensively.
18. MF: Will Jenkins Davies – 5
Part of a midfield three that struggled against their Weston counterparts.
4. MF: Tom Lapslie – 5
Ran around a lot but didn’t offer much else
11. ST: Brad Ash – 4
Not a striker who can lead the line on his own.
Subs
23. CB: Ollie Tomlinson – N/A
19. ST: Duane Ofori-Acheampong – 5
Didn’t do a great deal when on, but caused a little bit of fear in Weston’s backline from throws and corners.
10. MF: Lewis Collins – 4
Offers absolutely nothing, can’t play centrally or out wide, waste of a sub.
MAN OF THE MATCH – ARKELL JUDE-BOYD
Considering he’s playing out of position he is consistently our main outlet, didn’t have a lot of protection from Archer defensively but made up for it with two goals, probably my player of the season and he’s only been here two months!
TACTICS
Looked like a 4-1-4-1 with McGavin sitting in front of the defence. At times you could be forgiven for thinking it was a 3-6-1 considering how disjointed the defensive shape looked.
OPPOSITION
Impressed by Weston once again who played well and had it not been for two Dean Moxey goal-line clearances they would have been heading back up the M5 with all three points. Would happily take their manager Scott Bartlett in the summer, maybe not their keeper though!
THE OFFICIALS
Few frustrating decisions but ultimately none that changed the match, other than perhaps calling the game back for a foul on Archer or Jude-Boyd as Weston made it 2-2, although I think it may have been a bit soft.
COYY – JOE
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