MATCH VERDICT

Clive Hayward – @Byehorse

Clive discusses the game in Kent

MAIDSTONE UNITED 1-0 TORQUAY UNITED – 01.02.25

SUMMARY

Torquay slipped to a narrow defeat in an important game on the banks of the River Medway in Kent on Saturday afternoon.

Maidstone deservedly edged a tight encounter which now sees Torquay winless in four games and sitting sixth in National League South.

The home team started better, and were frequently able to outnumber and attack Jordan Thomas, who was again filling in at left back for the injured Jay Foulsdon.

Our other injured defender Jordan Dyer was able to start, but in the 44th minute he sadly went down with what may have been a recurrence of his recent injury.

Dyer’s replacement Ed Palmer battled manfully but in the final analysis the Stones (who also have some injury problems) were worth their victory because Torquay couldn’t do enough to wrest the initiative.

The Gulls only managed two easily-saved shots from distance in the first half. Maidstone were better in their attacking efforts, getting several dangerous crosses into the box (mainly Charlie Seaman and Sol Wanju-Smith). Left back Ben Brooks also tested us with several long throws, one of which led to a deflected Tayt Trusty shot clipping James Hamon’s bar.

It was a glorious afternoon with bright sunshine lasting until half time. As the shadows lengthened, the battle continued, with the home side kicking towards an increasingly noisy home support on a covered terrace reminiscent of Exeter’s Big Bank.

Omar Mussa’s frustrating afternoon was brought to an early halt: he was hooked for Derby loanee Emanuel Ilesanmi after 61 minutes. Four minutes later came Torquay’s best moment. The ball bounced invitingly for Dan Hayfield left of centre about 25 yards out. He hit a screamer that looked bound for the top corner before home keeper Alex Andre Jnr made a flying save up to his left.

Maidstone continued to have frequent corners and to carry more attacking threat. On 73 minutes substitute Ricardo German was first to a near post corner and headed agonisingly wide.

In the 76th minute Seaman’s time had come: he was given lots of time and space to lash a perfect shot across the keeper and low into the corner from outside the box. 1-0. The best angle on the highlights is from a “net cam”. Hamon had no chance.

Torquay continued to huff and puff, but we all know the game was up, and the Stones saw the game out pretty comfortably.

PLAYER RATINGS

James Hamon – 5.5: Although he made a couple of good smothers he did not inspire confidence and rarely commanded his box. He was right to scream at his defenders for failing to prevent Seaman’s shot but he needs to be better with crosses.

Finley Craske – 6.5: I thought Craske stuck to his job well and tried to get forward where possible.

Sam Dreyer – 6: Had his hands full with Aaron Blair, who looked the 20 goal striker he was last season. Took a nasty head knock in the first half and battled hard all day.

Jordan Dyer – 5.5: Desperately disappointing to see our other lynch-pin hobble away. In hindsight he may have been rushed back too soon but we needed him, he had been pronounced fit and “them’s the breaks.”

Jordan Thomas – 5.5: It was a long afternoon for Jordan, again playing out of position to cover Jay Foulsdon’s absence. In truth, he didn’t get much help and Seaman was all over him.

Oscar Threlkeld – 6: Another hard afternoon for our veteran skipper. Starting in midfield he finished the day pressed into service as a right wing-back as the manager switched to five at the back.

Dan Hayfield – 6.5: His shooting from range offered the best chance of a positive result.

Omar Mussa – 5.5: No end product. Crosses over-hit. Not great.

Jordan Young – 6: Not Jordan’s best day. Cut short by a groin strain.

Matt Jay – 5.5: He looked up for the fight, which was just as well. Our diminutive new signing took some clatterings from defenders clearly determined not to let him settle.

Cody Cooke – 5.5: See Matt Jay. We know Cody can look after himself, but he wasn’t able to influence the game against proper centre backs who celebrated a late clearance like a goal.

Subs:

Ed Palmer – 6: Fought hard. Not able to deploy (sssssh) his secret weapon.

Dylan Morgan – 5.5: Never looked like affecting a game that was gone before he was brought on, presumably for “fresh legs”.

Will Jenkins Davies – 5.5: See Dylan Morgan. Did spray a couple of passes out to the wing.

Emmanuel Ilesanmi – 5.5: Good intent, and one effort to outpace his marker suggested exciting times to come. Ultimately though, like everyone else, he couldn’t find a spark.

Lirak Hasani – 5.5: The Hasani songbook remains in mothballs. A particularly disappointing cross into the side netting late on summed up Lirak’s afternoon.

TUFC PLAYER RATINGS VOTE – Maidstone (a)

MAN OF THE MATCH – FINLEY CRASKE

Charlie Seaman. Never stopped running. A constant threat down the right.

No Torquay player really distinguished himself- which isn’t to say they weren’t trying their hearts out. If any of you keep stats and need a name for your spreadsheet I will say Finn Craske.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Dan Hayfield strikes the ball very cleanly, and he didn’t let us down.

TACTICS

We started as we had against Hampton, with Threlkeld and Hayfield sitting deeper than a shot-shy quartet which yesterday comprised Mussa, Jay, Young and Cooke. We finished with five at the back, a strong bench emptied and little to show for it.

OFFICIALS

I thought referee George Laflin had a good game. He is apparently a police officer but he didn’t issue many cautions, even though it was a pretty rugged 90 minutes. He ran the game with the sort of authority you hope for from a man with his profession. I would give him 8/10.

OPPOSITION

Up for it. Well organised. Knew what they were about. It wasn’t a sparkling performance but they have got proper bruisers at the back in Temi Eweka and Reiss Greenidge (who wasn’t a million miles away from being sent off for the second time in a week). Their defensive record is the best in the division, and with Torquay’s only threat coming from outside the box they were worthy winners.

CONCLUSION

I thought we would struggle to get anything at Maidstone. This isn’t a time to lose our heads over an admittedly worrying spell which makes automatic promotion seem further away now than it has seemed all year though. Having a football team we want to be proud of again is a prize greater than three points on any given Saturday afternoon. You can see the effort is there, and that there are players in Torquay’s squad who will win us games on better days. Being able to shake the hand of a joint owner who knows your name before the game is a lot better than having to howl into a Clarke Osborne-shaped void, so let’s keep going and maybe things will turn soon.