MATCH VERDICT

Dan Elliott – @dan_torquay_man

Dan discusses the NYD win

TORQUAY UNITED 1-0 TRURO CITY 01.01.25

SUMMARY

Happy New Year! 2025 seemed to start exactly where 2024 left off…….more rain, more wind, more potential travel disruption, and with just under an hour before kick-off more uncertainty and a potential postponement.

As I glance down on social media, I see from the official Torquay United account that the ref has called a pitch inspection!

You are joking.

Biggest game of the season (so far) with the biggest attendance of the season (so far) along with the biggest game of the year (so far and the biggest attendance of the year (so far) and it could get called off.

2025 already you are so 2024!

And then the news game through, the ref had called for the players to come and warm up!

Game on. Well we think.

Apparently Julian and his ground staff were working endlessly to get the pitch into a condition that it was playable!

Credit to him and all his team, and to the referee for giving the game every opportunity to go ahead.

As the crowds were still lining up outside the ground at all entrances, the players walked out.

We have a football game!

First half. What was a very tight and close encounter you could tell from the get go it was a big game. Neither team wanted to make a mistake and both teams knew that if there were not going to win, they needed to make sure they didn’t lose.

Lots of lovely passages of play weee created by the home team and in several occasions some of the best football they had played this season.

One thing that had been lacking in this game. It carried over from 2024. New Year, same problem: THE FINAL BALL

Time and time again the gaffer has come out after the game and mentioned that final pass or bit of quality was all that was missing! Everytime he has been spot and again that was the case.

We played some lovely football and some great passing across midfield but the final killer pass to get into a goal-scoring opportunity was just missing.

Then just before the stroke of half time, Truro struck with a double hit in quick succession

Bang bang. Two shots from point blank range calling James Hamon into action and Torquay who if it was a boxing match were in total control, had taken two big hits and were on the ropes before the HT bell rang……. Time for them to clear their heads!

Second half. And with those double hits before HT Truro game flying out of the blocks after the break.

They could smell blood, they were going for the jugular.

Wave after wave of Truro attacks were coming towards the Torquay goal, so much so the Yellow Army on the pop side cranked up the volume to get behind the boys in Yellow.

They just needed to find that control they had over the game in the first half.

Truro however knew they could rattle Torquay and by applying the pressure, well attack was the best form of defence.

As time was going on Torquay started to weather the storm, and it just felt like one price of magic, one moment or one huge chance was going to be created.

Would it come? Who would get the chance? Would they take the chance?

Then on 76 mins it happens.

Jordan Young picked the ball wide right of the pitch running towards the Truro defence.

As he attacked down the flank along the CarpetKing Popside, he cut inside and along the 18 yard box skipping past the Truro defence who didn’t seem to want to make a challenge.

Then, as you thought it was too late, he pulled the trigger and his shot went right into the bottom left hand corner with the Truro keeper seeming to dive after the ball went in the net.

1-0 Geddon!

All we need to do now is hold on and shut up shop. See the game out and take the points.

Simple, right? Wrong!

Just a few minutes after we score, take the lead and have control. Jordan Thomas as the ball was going out for a Truo goal kick takes a huge swipe at their defender, gives the referee not choice but to send him off.

So frustrating for so many reasons.

Didn’t need to do that.

Referee was a little trigger happy with TUFC players and dishing out cards to them (must be related to Simon Mather)

Timing in the game no need to make that challenge. Didn’t need to give them a reason to have a potential moment change.

Torquay were going to be up against it for the remainder of the game, and they were!

HOWEVER they were resilient, determined, gritty, clever and committed.

Even much so James Hamon was more than happy to jump into the crowd to get the ball back for a goal kick.

That’s amazing dedication- now people will say time wasting as he was burning the clock jumping on of the pitch, I would say he was just trying to be efficient and perhaps the lads had House of Pain on in the dressing room pre kick off and James was just…… getting carried away with the vibe!

FULL TIME: whistle goes and the 3 points remain in Devon!

PLAYER RATINGS

James Hamon – 7: Did incredibly well with the double save from point blank range before half time. Few air punches when he came out for crosses.

Jordan Thomas – 5: Didn’t need to get sent off, could have cost the team but thankfully it didn’t.

Jordan Dyer – 8: He is immense. Solid at the back and should be proud for a clean sheet.

Sam Dreyer – 8: Had to come off, think he may have had an injury but concerned he could have got a second yellow. Class player week in week out.

Matt Carson – 6: Got around the pitch and on occasions got some good balls into the box. Great working with WJD also on the free kick when we could have scored.

Oscar Threlkeld – 7: Was in the mix of some lovely passages of play. Do think he could pull the trigger more and test keepers. He is class and our possession goes through him.

Will Jenkins Davies – 7: Was finding the little pockets of spaces to run at the Truro back line and did on a couple of occasions get a shot away. With Morgan & Young he is a part of a trio of attacking threat.

Dan Hayfield – 6: Got himself into some great positions but just that final decision was missing today. A shot or getting a pass away quicker!

Dylan Morgan – 8: Great game from the young man. Fantastic footballer and was a real threat all game! His presence was allowing space for WJD and Young!

Cody Cooke – 7: Held the line incredibly well as always. Starting the get those Danny Wright vibes with Cody where all these nippy players are playing off and around him and he is Mr Dependable week in week out.

Jordan Young – 8: Great goal from the young man. In a team with far to many Jordan’s for my liking, it was young Jordan Young with the moment of brilliance and class that separated these two teams.

Subs:

Omar Mussa – 7: Came on and sprinkled his magic as he does. Got in the mix when the row sparked over the JT sending off . Loved that.

Fin Craske – 6: Came on and was there to keep the clean sheet intact.

Ed Palmer – 7: Replaced Dreyer and was solid in there also with Dyer making sure the aerial bombardment on the final 10 mins was repelled.

Lirak Hasani – 7: Loved it when he came on. Played a lovely ball through the Hayfield that should have scored.

MAN OF THE MATCH – Jordan Young

Announced before the end of the game and for that goal alone he was the deserved winner. Jordan Dyer up there also and Dylan Morgan played well too, whilst James Hamon made some good saves.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Main one for me is JULIAN GOULDTHORPE. For the game to go ahead Julian and his team would have had to work hard under pressure with the ref giving them time to get the game surface playable. Seeing some of the images of the first fans in the ground there was a lot of surface water around the pitch. Well done Julian.

TACTICS

It seemed like it was a fluid 4-3-3 with the solid back four but the wing backs pushing on as always. Oscar and Dan holding in the centre with WJD central and Morgan off the left and Young off the right and Cody up top. You could even call it 4-2-3-1 or 4-5-1 either way it worked and we looked good at times, though struggled to force our will after half time.

OFFICIALS

We don’t know but I am guessing the ref gave the club every opportunity to make sure the game went ahead and with that he deserves credit. Once the game got going there appeared to be more leniency towards the away team, as a number of challenges went unpunished, but he did stop short of dishing out a second yellow to Sam Dreyer in the 2nd half (despite protests from the Truro bench), in what could have been big moment in the tight contest.

OPPOSITION

Good team, don’t think we saw the best of them which is credit to us, but they did push harder for much of the second half and looked more likely to break the deadlock until United’s subs improved our composure in possession. Tyler Harvey was kept quiet and only had a couple half chances, and most of their shooting opportunities came from outside the area. Have to be happy with any team that has Rooney & Oxlaide-Chamberlain in it and they don’t score.

CONCLUSION

A massive victory against a strong team. Best performance for me this season, just because of the conditions, opposition and the occasion. Morgan, Young along with WJD with Cooke up top are giving me CLE, Whits, Little with Wright vibes and we smashed it under them. Worried if anything happens to Cody. There is a team there now. Solid at the back, can control in midfield and can hit the back of the net when required now. Great response today after the Weymouth draw, the resilience at the end shows the character that Paul Wotton is building into his players. Have to say that having Hasani and Mussa on the bench as players to come on shows the depth of the squad as well, and we’ll need all those guys to play a part.

Bravo Julian once again!

And 5135 fans in the ground and the bulk of that being The Yellow Army is outstanding!!!

Happy New Year and 2025 is our year!

We’re on our way!