MATCH VERDICT
Matty Hayward – @MattyHayward96
Matty reports back on the game at Twerton Park
BATH CITY 1-2 TORQUAY UNITED – 20.08.24
SUMMARY
It’s about time we went there and weren’t roundly disappointed, isn’t it? Four months after one of the most insipid Torquay United performances in living memory, the Gulls returned to Twerton Park last night and this time left with all three points.
But we made it look like hard work. Cody Cooke took the first chance of the game, after Matty Carson whisked down the left-hand side and put an unmissable chance on a plate. The Chef gobbled it up and left no crumbs.
Within minutes, United made an almost symmetrical move down the right-hand side. This time, Finley Craske crossed for Ben Seymour, whose similarly presentable opportunity was headed meakly wide.
Then it was the home side’s turn. James Hamon was called into action multiple times, punching clear a dangerous cross and tipping a powerful header into the away fans behind him. On the stroke of half-time, a catastrophically misjudged header in the Yellow box left Scott Wilson with space, time, and the ball at his feet. Luckily, the Bath man made an absolute shower of the chance, and sliced it into the advertising hoardings.
It felt like the break came at a good time for Torquay, but the tide didn’t really turn. Just when it looked like the back line was creaking under the weight of a Roman siege, the Gulls won a wide free kick under the nose of the thus-far inept assistant referee. On his old stomping ground, Dan Hayfield floated a surely-too-deep cross into the area, but neither the ball nor the faltering full-back were a match for Ed Palmer’s towering header, which looped over and beyond the flailing Harvey Wiles-Richards. The inevitable, back post, set-piece Yellows.
Before that, Torquay had been losing the midfield battle on points. After it, they were almost knocked out.
As the enormous full moon rose behind the Yellow back line, it felt as if its gravitational pull made a home goal was inevitable. It surely came. Finn Tonks, who was targeted after replacing Craske, lost out on a scrap with his winger. His cross was turned home by Sol Wanjau-Smith. 2-1. We had read this book before.
But, this one had a new author. A couple more smart saves from Hamon, a sizeable slice of luck and a bit of impotence from the home side meant that Wotton’s boys were able to cling on to their one-goal lead and give this story a happy ending.
PLAYER RATINGS
1 – James Hamon – 8 – POTM. See below.
2 – Finley Craske – 7 – First start this season. Got up the wing well, looked untroubled at the back. Starts Saturday if fit.
16 – Ed Palmer – 7 – Also his first start. The occasional sliced clearance and misjudged interception nearly made him look silly, but he mostly kicked and headed and jostled at the right times. Looked absolutely delighted with his excellently taken first goal for his home town club.
5 – Sam Dreyer – 6 – He’s absolutely quality, but didn’t excel today.
3 – Jay Foulston – 6 – He’s also very good, but also wasn’t great.
14 – Matt Carson – 7 – Really good going forward. Was engaged in a proper battle with their right winger: won some, lost a couple.
18 – Oscar Threlkeld – 5 – Midfield never got hold of the ball, nor did it really protect the defence. The skipper and enforcer has to take responsibility for that.
20 – Dan Hayfield – 5 – Also wasteful on the ball. He’ll argue he was short of options ahead of him, but his defaulting to the aimless long-ball began to frustrate. However, he did deliver the quality assist when required.
7 – Lirak Hasani – 6 – Looked great in the first ten, but faded a lot.
9 – Ben Seymour – 5 – Only had one chance, but it was a great one, and he missed it. Did little else.
19 – Cody Cooke – 8 – Took his goal well. Led the line well. Much better in the air than his height suggests. Ran his bollocks off.
Subs
11 – Brad Ash – 5 – Just like last year, he was offside and giving away fouls more often than he was causing any trouble to the opposition.
8 – Roddy Collins – 5 – Over the last few years, we’ve signed so many players who think they’re too good for non-league football but clearly haven’t been. Roddy Collins is definitely not that: the nicest thing I can say is that he’s so non-league and knows it. It’s good to be aware of your limitations. Roddy threw himself around and got his foot in a lot – which was the job that was asked of him – but he didn’t do much with the ball.
17 – Finn Tonks – 5 – Exposed for the goal.
15 – Jadyn Crosbie – Was readied for about ten minutes, but never got on.
10 – Omar Mussa – The Moose was an unused sub on his birthday. I’d start him on Saturday.
MAN OF THE MATCH – JAMES HAMON
Hamon made two or three good saves, two or three more regulation ones, and wound the clock down nicely when required. We relied on him today and he delivered. Quickly becoming a fan favourite.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Cody Cooke is clearly Paul Wotton’s main man up front, and you could see why tonight. He’s spent the last decade honing his skills as a line-leading, aerially dominant forward in and around this level, and now he’s old enough to be experienced but not old enough to be over the hill. He’ll be key.
TACTICS
3-5-2 as per, but with four changes. Palmer came in for Dyer, who limped off late on Saturday. Craske was the preferred Finley at right wing back. Hasani got a go in the only creative role, and Ben Seymour was given a run-out ahead of Ash.
OFFICIALS
A card-happy referee and his myopic assistant walk into a bar. One says “ouch”, the other books him for simulation. Something like that. They were shite.
OPPOSITION
Struggled to get going to start with, but pressed harder as the game went on and made life more difficult for us in the second half, culminating in James Hamon being the busier keeper as the Gulls held on.
CONCLUSION
This time last year, then beleaguered Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri insisted in a press conference that “August football is a liar”. While I obviously hold the touchline-chainsmoker in high regard, I think we can learn a few home truths from the first three fixtures of this season.
Firstly, we set up with one playmaker, and are thus so reliant on him and the two wing backs to create chances. I worry that this limits us, especially if Hasani or Mussa are off the mark, or if we’re chasing a game.
Secondly, we’ll need to defend better to go up. No clean sheets from three is poor, and in each game we’ve needed brilliant saves and last ditch clearances to keep the opposition to one. James Hamon, who has been unsustainably flawless so far, could’ve been Player Of The Match three times. This is as much a midfield problem as it is a defensive one.
All that said, we’ve taken six points from the first three games. It’s early in the season, and we look considerably better than we did there last year. While that’s a low bar, we’ve somersaulted over it and waved offensive salutes at George Edwards on the way down. It’ll do for now. HMS remains in her dock.
SOCIAL MEDIA
COYY – Matty
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