MATCH VERDICT

Rachel Malloch – @Rachelvillavox

Rachel reports back from Plainmoor

TORQUAY UNITED 2-0 FARNBOROUGH FC – 14.12.24

SUMMARY

Following a gloomy week weatherwise in the bay, grey skies, sleet, imitation daylight and sales in SAD light boxes no doubt keeping the Amazon delivery drivers even busier than the usual Christmas online rush. Despite this Plainmoor was treated to a brighter, milder and sunnier afternoon in hosting Farnborough FC. This game, referred to as the 3rd versus 4th clash, had all the promise of a full blooded, competitive highest level encounter in the National League South calendar, the south west Devon seaside club versus the leafy Hampshire outfit. The south in National League South is endemic with Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and even Dorset clubs but very few clubs from the South West and this is reflected in many of the away support figures. Today Farnborough brought a festive total of 96 supporters to watch their team. On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me…….one shiny trumpet to blow without any glib sense of arrogance that clubs in this league must welcome the healthy away following that is associated with Torquay United. However, tis the season to be grateful and well done to each and every Farnborough supporter who made the journey and for joining in with the Pop side Let it Be mobile phone light show during the second half.

Sales in Torquay Utd Christmas jumpers have been met with fervour and festive enthusiasm, selling out santa’s stock within hours of distribution, but today was 10 degrees and more Spring like than a Winter time, a lengthy queue curtailing plans to pop in and grab the 2025 calendar and any other merchandise that so far this season has taken a sizeable chunk out of my monthly salary. The extended Malloch clan will be wearing the VX3 shirts, from ages 11 months to 12 years and even better, it’s what they’ve always wanted.

To the game and what an opening 10 minutes. Torquay captain Oscar Threlkeld received a boot to the face in the first few moments of the game, something the referee ignored and this was to become a theme throughout this game. Then with just 4 minutes on the clock Omar Mussa won the ball in the Torquay half and played a gorgeous through ball met by Will Jenkins Davies running through on goal and despite pressure from the Boro defence, slotted the ball past the keeper with a lovely finish.

Then on the 7th minute with a great ball from Cody Cooke that cut through the Boro defence and found Jordan Young who beat the keeper and bundled the ball into the net. There was a few moments stoppage while a Boro player was prostrate clutching his shoulder and eventually had to be subbed.

At this stage it was all Torquay United, shots from Jay Foulston, the lively Mussa with a good run on goal that was finally halted by a timely tackle, but on the half hour mark Torquay were sitting back somewhat on the 2 goal cushion and allowing Boro to gain more of the play, culminating in their first shot on goal that sailed over the bar and was never troubling James Hamon. Boro winger Richard Chin was getting a lot of the ball, but Torquay defence were holding firm to anything coming their way.

Mussa won the ball, sneaking past his marker and heading the ball down before running and slotting the ball through to Young, only for the ref to stop play for a Boro player falling to the ground clutching his head. The restart after the player soon got back to his feet was given to the Boro keeper, with much confusion across the ground.

The second half saw Boro with more of the ball, but very little end product and very much to do for Hamon. Then just on the 60^th minute, the ball fell to Mussa who somehow contrived to stroke the ball wide with only the goalkeeper to beat from 10 yards out. Pity as for the most part of the game he had worked hard and had won a lot of the play and been a thorn in the Boro defence’s side.

That was the end of any action from Mussa as he was replaced by Southend loanee Jack Wood, and within minutes Wood was involved with attacking play, a shot on goal taking a slight deflection and just sailing over the bar for a corner.

It did have a sense that if Mussa had taken his chance the game would have been slightly less tense for the home supporters, and in the final 10 minutes a swathe of Boro attacks thankfully came to nothing as the imperious Dreyer and Dyer held firm. 5 minutes added time and a ball into the box met the head of a Boro player bringing out a superb point blank fingertip save from Hamon. The referee blew the whistle for full time and the 3 points earned.

The Pop side support had begun singing ‘we are top of the league’ and it filtered around the ground that Enfield had equalised late in the game away at Weston Super Mare and it was confirmed.

So approaching Christmas and we are top of the tree. A game where you felt more goals were going to come but didn’t, however a really impressive defensive display, some lively passage of play and a centre forward in Cody Cooke who is tireless, won almost every aerial dual, set up a goal and got clobbered and fouled all afternoon with little or no protection from the referee. A very satisfying afternoon at TQ1 with another bumper 3,300 crowd. While the queue was forming again outside the club shop – one member of staff manning the till – I got the calendar, a snazzy bucket hat for my nephew and QR coded the street graffiti mug. Kerching!

PLAYER RATINGS

James Hamon – 7: Everything he did, he did well and drew on all his instinct to pull out that last minute point blank fingertip save.

Jordan Thomas – 7: My nephew’s player of the match. He certainly played well.

Jordan Dyer – 8: A very, very good player. blocked out everything that came his way.

Sam Dreyer – 8: Ditto above, and forming an excellent partnership. Dreyer is quality.

Jay Foulston- 7: Played well, he’s certainly Mr Dependable and making us here at TT Towers proud to be sponsoring him.

Oscar Threlkeld – 7: Put himself about and broke down a few of the Boro attacking moves.

Will Jenkins Davies – 7: Took his goal really well, not as impactful as previous games and a little sloppy with the ball but worked hard.

Dan Hayfield – 7: War horse. Was willing him to take the free kick second half. Stood over it, but Young stepped in and the chance was gone. Barely put a foot wrong.

Omar Mussa – 7: Involved in a lot of what was good about our play today, he’ll know he should’ve done better with that great chance to put us 3 up but I like him a lot and today he worked really hard to make things happen.

Cody Cooke – 8: Player of the Match.

Jordan Young – 7: After his explosive debut, still trying to find his groove, shows glimpses of great skill, just needs to find some consistency, quick witted to score the 2nd goal.

Subs:

Matt Carson – 7: Made himself available and defended well on introduction to the game.

Jack Wood – 7: Looks decent player, almost scored after only a few minutes on the pitch.

MAN OF THE MATCH – CODY COOKE

The fouls count went way into the double figures on Cooke this afternoon. The lad deserves a Radox bath with Imperial leather foam burst to boot, worked his socks off, won everything in the air and got an assist. A player vital to our attacking line up and while he’ll be feeling battered and bruised this evening (and got no protection from the referee). I hope a Torquay Talk player of the match award goes some way to assuage his afternoon’s toil.

Merry Christmas Cody Cooke and for a player who was only 50/50 Thursday evening, you had a belter (or 10) of a game.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Omar Mussa: Yes he missed a golden chance to get us 3 up and effectively be out of reach, but he does a lot of good work and he is a handful for most of these teams in the NLS. Mussa, if you’re reading this, you have that certain je ne sais que as they say in Totnes, and I see the magic. My nephew is bursting to get his photo taken with you so next home game, don’t dash off please! Some lovely little dinks, deft touches and an eye for the defence splitter pass, The Moose has that star quality and there’ll be goals.

TACTICS

Formations, as Paul Wotton says, are there to be interpreted in different ways, you got your 4-4-2 your 5-3-1 your diamonds, your false number 9s, but at the end of the day, for me, it looked like a solid defence, some nifty midfield work, and a centre forward whose work ethic is exemplary.

OFFICIALS

The Sam Dreyer booking – unless Dreyer made spurious claims on the ref’s integrity, his family, his dog’s pedigree and arrears in mortgage payments, this and many other moments in the game seemed pedantic, petty and a little bit ‘It’s about me not you’. A few calls were questionable and quite honestly, he came across posturing and a bit arrogant. That’s me off his Christmas card list.

OPPOSITION

I was impressed with their passage of play, some pacy wingers and were in danger of over running our midfield second half without really doing much to trouble our own custodian James Hamon. I think it’s more a testament to our solid defensive display that they had 2 shots on target in 95 minutes, but they looked a fairly compact, tidy set of players.

CONCLUSION

We are top of the league say we are top of the league. Merry Christmas to each one of these players and festive cheer and thanks to the Bryn Consortium as we purvey our league position tonight at the very top of the NLS tree. Here’s to you Paul Wotton, assembling a squad of players who are difficult to break down, defend in stealth, expansive and strong in midfield, and capable of scoring one more than you! Oh Oh Oh it’s Magic, you know, never believe it’s not so.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Paul Wotton talks Farnborough (h)

💬 "I thought the boys were great today," – Paul Wotton on victory over Farnborough at Plainmoor.

Full interview ➡️ https://t.co/mzUt5EpPoK #tufc | #TORFAR pic.twitter.com/nb8dYmC4hF
— Torquay United FC (@TUFC1899) December 14, 2024