MATCH VERDICT

Peter Wade

Peter reports back from Plainmoor

TORQUAY UNITED 0-1 BOREHAM WOOD – 03.05.25

SUMMARY

Before I get to the match I to have to say what an incredible season we have had, considering where we were this time last season: let’s be right we would have settled for this a year ago – a crowd of 5721 at Plainmoor, a play off semi-final would have been dreamland then. So thanks to the Bryn Consortium, to Paul and the players, it has been fun – well mostly.

As Paul said it was going to be a hard game to win, as Boreham Wood were on a good run and are a hard side to beat; well we did not manage that all season. In the end they were too big and strong for us, as my son correctly pointed out, not better than us, but they deserved to win.

It was a tight opening and it took until the 25th minute before a shot was hit on target when Hasani tested Ashmore. Yes it was cat and mouse, there was a lot to lose for both sides, but after a bright start we hit that rather familiar mid-first half phase when we just could not get the ball or impose our game on The Wood. I know this sounds like sour grapes but they brought 280 fans to a play off semi-final, we took nearly 2000 to Hemel Hempstead, and most of their noise came from that damn drum!! Well I suppose it saves singing and cheering.

But the reality was it was a bit of a mystery how Wood were not ahead at half time: we were grateful when Ilesanmi, in plenty of space, pinged the ball across the box and how Hamon was able to save at the far post when the Wood player did not blast the ball passed him is a mystery. The problem has been all season that we simply do not win enough ball in midfield and we lose 70% of the 50/50 battles: that is not suggesting the players did not try, just that our midfield is not made up of ball winners, something I feel needs addressing for next season.

The beginning of the second half was more positive, we got on the front foot and created some decent opportunities, but then on 60 minutes came disaster. Boreham Wood had opened us up several times and it felt like a goal was coming and when they got free on the left and put a cross in there was Rush/a defender to crawl the ball passed the helpless Hamon.

It was certainly game on then, with Mussa and Jenkins Davies coming on and we began to get a foothold in the game, but without creating much. During the season we seemed to reach this moment when a Plan B was needed but one did not exist; again not through lack of effort – perhaps a quick wide man, would provide that. Young and Jay had swapped wings but this did not produce much as Young struggled to get into the game.

As time went on and the time wasting and ‘injuries’ began, we pushed them back, more changes, more balls into the box and at the death one of those trade mark Young inside runs and shots that Ashmore did well to turn away at his near post. Then on 90+10 minutes the season ended. No real complaints at the result, we did not deserve to win, but I remember Paul Buckle saying at Shrewsbury there was no point celebrating as nothing had been won, perhaps Boreham Wood needed to remember that.

As the tears and frustration boiled at the end we must remember this is the beginning.

PLAYER RATINGS

James Hamon – 7: Some good saves to help keep us in the game, including a one on one late on.

Jordan Thomas – 6: Decent full back’s display, got forward well but crossing needs working on if we keep him.

Jordan Dyer – 7: A surprise starter, was defensively excellent as always.

Sam Dreyer – 8: Did what he has done all season and dominated – the reason I voted for him as player of the season.

Jay Foulston – 7: Did his job at the back, as he always does, but got forward as well, just could not deliver the killer ball.

Dan Hayfield – 6: Like most players didn’t win enough of his battles and could not quite be influential.

Oscar Threlkeld – 6: Did what he has done all season, breaks the play up but just does not win us enough ball or feed Cooke with useable material.

Lirak Hasani – 7: Thought he was one of the better players, a busy but rather light weight player whose final ball just could not find a player in space.

Matt Jay – 5: He works hard but just could not get into the game. He has lovely touches but was guilty of inaccurate passing at times.

Jordan Young – 5: One of his least influential matches as Wood clearly had a plan to two man him and send across the pitch and block him, which to be fair they did well. But he was close at the end to getting the equaliser.

Cody Cooke – 6: Battled all afternoon against three big lads, but we did not get the ball to him in dangerous places – a great first season but we must feed him better.

SUBS:

Will Jenkins Davies – 6: Busy and lively but not influential.

Omar Mussa – 6: Tried hard to do something different, feed balls into feet turn defenders but just could not produce the moment of magic.

Ed Palmer, Dean Moxey, Brad Ash – N/A: Brought on to try to create the moment. Moxey put trademark long throws and crosses into the box and Ash did a brilliant piece of backtracking to block a breakaway by Wood.

TUFC PLAYER RATINGS VOTE – Boreham (h)

MAN OF THE MATCH – SAM DREYER

For me Dreyer’s domination at the back, in a game where we were under the cosh at times made him MoM. An excellent season, let’s hope we can keep him and Dyer for next season.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Dyer, Foulston and Cooke battled all day but just could not get a break.

TACTICS

Paul went for a 4-3-3 again, but with Threlkeld rather than Mussa in the centre; made sense from a defensive point of view – but we just never got into the game enough to allow our passing and skills to shine.

OFFICIALS

The referee was solid, did not have that much to do really. The TUFC bookings were fair enough but similar Wood infringements did not seem to bring his card out. The 9 minutes extra time at the end showed what he thought of the Wood time wasting.

OPPOSITION

As I said, big, strong and long, but capable of some neat interplay at times which did cut us open a few times. They looked more likely to score than we did, but defended well when they began to tire and we pushed on.

CONCLUSION

Very, very disappointing having got this far. I did not come away from Hemel Hempstead feeling gutted, as somehow I did not expect Truro to slip up, but today was full of hope. As Paul said in his interview this will take a few days/weeks to get over but I, and hope you, will be back at Plainmoor in August for Part 2.