MATCH VERDICT

Matty Hayward – @MattyHayward96

Matty discusses the game at the Melbourne Stadium

CHELMSFORD CITY 3-2 TORQUAY UNITED – 22.02.25

SUMMARY

Well. What do you say about that?

Objectively speaking, and I’m doing my best here, I’m more content now than I was a year ago. We’re owned by people who care about the club, and there is some semblance of stability. Of comfort. The looming spectre of extinction is, at least, beyond the horizon.

And that’s a good thing.

But at some point we also need to confront the fact that we’re seventh in the Conference South, and – today at least – it’s all our fault.

What makes it worse is that we looked alright.

Better than alright, actually. We led two nil! After a scrappy opening passage where we had slightly more of the ball, we managed to create a chance. The ball dropped to Cooke in the box, and his flick to Young was enough to draw a foul from goalkeeper Collins. You’ve never seen a more clear-cut penalty in your life.

Cody Cooke, expectedly, dispatched the penalty with aplomb, and the day was looking up.

Before long, one became two. Matt Jay – whose quality had so far had been hidden under a bushel – looked up to see the home goalkeeper in a different postcode from his line, and unfurled a quite obscene finish from at least forty yards out.

Sincerely, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone score a goal like that before. Certainly not in a Torquay shirt. It was, frankly, ridiculous. And it should’ve gone down in Yellows lore.

The second half started much the same as the first had finished. Torquay exerted control. The makeshift back three looked comfortable. All was rosy.

Then they got a pen. Soft, probably, but it looked to me like a foul in the box. Their winger got the wrong side Jordan Thomas and the young right back made contact.

That was converted. And after that, it sort of stank of a bottling. Maybe it stank of that at half time, but nobody was willing to open their nostrils and inhale the gas.

A cross from the left wasn’t dealt with, and nobody was as hungry for the ball as Jordan Greenidge. So he punted home his second of the game.

And when it was one point, it might as well have been zero. Of course, most away fans would’ve taken a draw. We’ve been there. We’re Torquay fans, for god’s sake. A draw away, even when you’ve led, will sort of do.

But that was too much to ask. Chelmsford’s third real chance of the match was hammered home and, gallingly, we were three two down. No comeback, no excuses, just an abysmal result from a good position.

PLAYER RATINGS

Hamon: 6 – I don’t think he was to blame for it all.

Thomas: 4 – I enjoyed his forays forward, but he barely affected the game, and gave away the penalty.

Craske: 5 – Fine, really, but he was part of a back three who conceded three in a half

Palmer: 5 – Same, really. I think, in the circumstances, he did well for most of the game. But conceding three in a half is, whichever way you dice it, bad.

Moxey: 5 – Ok, too! But we also conceded three in the second half.

Carson: 5 – Didn’t really notice him, but he offered a bit down the left.

Hayfield: 6 – He was up and down. That’s his job. No blame, no credit.

Hasani: 6 – As above. Didn’t lose us the game, didn’t win us the game. He’s busy in both boxes and deserves respect

Jay: 7 – What a fucking goal. Seriously. It’s about time he turned up, but he fully did in that moment.

Cooke: 8 – Really good in the air, and took his pen well.

Young: 6 – Fairly average really. Won us the pen, but was otherwise quieter than usual in the opposition half.

Subs

Morgan: 5 – Limped off after a while. Looked like he was fouled, but the ref gave it the other way. Did well to earn himself a chance, but slashed it wide

Threlkeld: 5 – Nothingy, to be honest. Brought on to bring security and stability, and we conceded twice.

Jenkins-Davies: 5 – Got really really angry when Mussa’s free kick was saved. General industry, as we’ve come to expect, but he didn’t win it for us.

Mussa: N/A – But his free kick was naff.

MAN OF THE MATCH – CODY COOKE

One of his best performances, in my opinion. Battled really well up front, and won a lot. I think we underestimate how hard it is to be a lone striker – how many duties and focuses he has in a game – and the fact that Cooke continues to do a decent job at that with absolutely no support, no time for resting, and very little service, is a credit to him. He’s no world beater, but he’s doing a good job.

TACTICS

The atmosphere before the match, with the knowledge that Dreyer’s ban had been rescinded, was jubilant. The atmosphere when he wasn’t on the team sheet was deflated. He, and Dyer, and Foulston, are massive losses, and this goes some way to explain or excuse the defeat. Some way.

Moxey came into the back three, alongside Palmer and Craske. The rest was easily imaginable: Young and Jay flanked Cooke up top.

OFFICIALS

Can’t really fault them. I think both penalties were right. There’s an argument that we could’ve had a foul before their second, but we’re grasping at straws, and the ball travelled a long way between their half and our goal.

OPPOSITION

They were absolutely rubbish. Genuinely, they didn’t bother us at all until the chaotic ending. They looked like one of worst teams in the sixth tier, but we let them back into the game. None of this makes me feel any better.

CONCLUSION

It was so so so bad.

I’d planned to do a big thing about the anniversary of Osborne’s departure. And, in a way, it’s still a moment to celebrate. Losing 3-2 today is better than if we’d lost 3-2 a year ago, because today we know our owners are not trying to run our club into the dirt.

Supporters – we – must keep our heads, here. Maintain a sense of perspective. There is definitely, definitely, cause for optimism.

But today I don’t feel it very much. It felt like today’s result was an acceptance of the ‘playoffs at best’ mentality and, frankly, I haven’t got my head around that yet.

Make as many excuses as you want, pissing away a 2-0 lead, against a team that was really very bad, is not good enough.

A big reaction is required on Tuesday.