TALKING POINTS

Joe Uglow – @Joe_Ugs

Joe discusses the game at Plainmoor

WEATHERING THE EARLY STORM

Torquay fans could have been forgiven for feeling like it was going to be a long afternoon after 30 minutes yesterday. Dorking enjoyed the lion share of possession during the early stages of the game but United stood strong and for all their possession Dorking rarely threatened. It was fantastic execution of a game plan from Wotton as the yellows soaked the pressure up in the first half whilst enjoying the three best chances, Hasani’s header whistled past the post and Palmer’s headed chance and speculative 30 yarder were inches from nestling in the net.

PALMERDINI!

A really impressive display by Ed Palmer yesterday afternoon capped off a great week for the Torbay-born defender. Strong in the tackle, excellent aerially and more than comfortable on the ball, he was a well deserved sponsors’ Man of the Match. His header at the back post from a cracking Hasani corner looked destined to hit the back of the net before the Dorking defender managed to head off the line. His strike from 30 yards looked just as good on the highlights as it did from the Popside too as Dorking sat off and allowed him to travel 20/30 yards from the halfway line. The keeper would have stood no chance had it dropped just below the bar rather than above it! Defensively he helped to keep out a very potent Dorking attack, not many teams will keep a clean sheet against them!

HASANI SHINES

Lirak Hasani continued to cement his spot ‘in the 10’ with a display full of running, flair and a cracking goal to win the game!

Lirak was popping up all over the pitch, getting on the ball whenever United could enjoy some possession and his goal with his weaker foot showed excellent technique. For the moment it’s his shirt and Omar Mussa will have to wait for his chance with the ex-Gateshead man showing this kind of form.

IT’S A SQUAD GAME

The National League scheduling is starting to hit hard with three weeks of Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday-Monday-Saturday-Tuesday fixtures.

Last season we would have had to rely on the likes of Ryan Hanson to come into the side but this season we are far better prepared.

Wotton rested Cooke for the first half yesterday opting to start the busy pairing of Ash and Seymour against Dorking’s aging centre half partnership, it didn’t really work as well as hoped and I fully expect Cooke and maybe even Crosbie to start against Chesham on Monday afternoon.

At the back rotation will be key also with Fin Craske likely to be rested & Tonks coming into the starting line-up, one of Moxey or Tomlinson will probably take their first seat on the bench this season.

Two games in three days will likely prove too much for Oscar Threlkeld as well, so ready made replacement Roddy Collins will be looking to start against his former club. Options all over the pitch, great isn’t it!

TT MATCH VERDICT – TUFC 1-0 DORKING by Thomas Kelly

TEAM SPIRIT & POSITIVE VIBES

The last couple of years I’ve dreaded my Saturday afternoons, with the only silver lining being the opportunity to meet up with mates and have a beer! Now I’m counting down each day until I can return to Plainmoor and working out how I can make as many away games as possible. The good times are back and across Plainmoor you can see that everyone feels the same.

Plenty of old faces are returning to the club as well as new and another fantastic 3500+ crowd were treated to a performance that showed tremendous team spirit to dig in and get the result. The same could be said on Tuesday night, although in both games we’ve only led by 1 goal at the end, I didn’t have that sense of inevitability & sinking feeling that JohnsonBall brought with it in similar circumstances.

TUST COMMUNITY SHARE ISSUE

A final word for TUST and their community share issue which at the time of writing this article has just tipped £73,000!

An absolutely sensational response 48 hours from official release. The TUST board have done a fantastic job setting this up and the response is nothing less than they and the Bryn Consortium deserve for everything they have done and will continue to do for the future of our football club.

Continue to pledge Yellow Army here and play a part in the future of our amazing football club.