TT REVIEW

Peter Wade

Pete reports back from Plainmoor

TORQUAY UNITED 2-2 FARNBOROUGH – 03.03.2026

SUMMARY

Well, we got a point and that is about as good as it got. For an hour we were terrible but then Farnborough began to tire and we scored and for most of the last 30 minutes we were on top. However, it was hard to see where another goal might come from and then you give a goal away ….

Anyway back to the start: 3000 fans, with 30 from Farnborough, came to support Neil Warnock’s first game in charge after the dismissal of Paul Wotton. His choices for his first game were limited with the injuries that have messed with The Gulls season and his selected side seemed to make sense. We all hoped for a fast start, an aggressive approach and an early goal – sadly we were wrong on all fronts as the side 5^th from bottom took the game to us and controlled the first 15 minutes as we struggled to get any ball.

As manager’s like to say ‘we won our individual battles’, well we lost them all in that period and by the time Farnborough scored a messy goal on 11 minutes they ought to have scored before. We were limp, clearly lacking in confidence and belief and barely got out of our own half: tepid barely describes it. Thankfully we did get into the game but far too often we gave the ball away and it was hard to see where a goal would come from.

Warnock clearly had words at half time as we came out with more purpose but sadly little more quality on the ball. Then just as we were saying we need some quality to come through we got some luck instead. Lo-Everton had swung one left wing corner into the keeper’s hands but on 59 minutes his next corner was higher with vicious swing on it and the keeper appeared to get under it as he was baulked by his own players and the ball flew into the far top corner. Hope was alive and clearly Boro’ were fading, so could we go on win this: not with defending like we saw on 74 minutes.

Boro’ had hardly been in our half when a ball was put into the box and Bloomfield found himself all on his own 12 yards with a static Hamon in front of him, so he stuck it in. Jay and Hayfield came on and injected some life into the side and with Worthington and Sundire winning ball at last we went forward and a mad scramble saw Keiron Wilson poke the ball home after 88 minutes. With 6 minutes of extra time being played Young was put in on the right, he cut inside onto that left foot, but curled it wide.

A point, but little to get excited about: Neil failed to instil the belief and confidence needed for us to reach the heights of those games in February – will he still be in charge at Ebbsfleet on Saturday?

PLAYER RATINGS

1. HAMON – 6: Didn’t have much to do, might have rushed the player who scored the second and clearly lacked confidence as he kicked everything long

26. THOMAS – 6: After a hard first 15 minutes he controlled his winger but offered little going forward.

3. FOULSTON – 6: It was another dependable, solid display from him.

16. PALMER- 6: One of the few who could say he won his battles, but lacks quality on the ball

28. TIZZARD – 6: A solid game overall, a couple of heart stopping moments but worked well with Palmer.

6. SUNDIRE – 6: A game of two halves, poor in the first with some shocking passing, but good in the second when he won us some ball

18. WORTHINGTON – 6: I don’t think we have seen the best of him yet, but he battled all 90 minutes and did give us a foothold in the second half

11. MORGAN – 6: Did little all game. He looks a good sub. to me when players are tiring, but does not get on the ball enough.

24. LO-EVERTON – 7: Despite lacking the confidence we have seen all season he was still our best player, great corner!

8. YOUNG – 5: For a quality player he was quiet, rarely troubling his fullback but still always a danger, if only he had stuck that chance in at the end.

7. DENNIS – 6: Quiet for him, just does not look as though he wants to be a No.9 as he rarely wins his headers or battle hard enough in that role.

Subs

20. HAYFIELD- 6: Worked hard when he came on and helped to push us forward in the last 15 minutes.

23. WILSON – 6: Well he scored, but he is no No.9 either.

27. JAY – 6: As lively when he came on and has real quality but we do not seem to be able to harness that.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – SONNY BLU LO-EVERTON

My Player of the Match award goes to Sonny Blu Lo-Everton. Although he, like most of the players, looked lacking in confidence he still provided what little spark there was and the goal got us into the game.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Worthington and Sundire in the second half for battling hard and Tizzard who mostly looked a decent defender.

TACTICS

Warnock went with a 4-2-3-1 which was okay but there was just no spark tonight, no quick passing and precious little tempo to our play.

THE OPPOSITION

Did well for 15 minutes then spent the rest of the game cheating, with time wasting and embarrassing dives and feigning of injury. It is sad to see players going down and pretending they have been caught and then jump up fit as fiddle. But they deserved their point.

THE OFFICIALS

The referee was okay overall, although how he only found 2 minutes extra time in the first is beyond me. However, he saw the tricks that Boro’ tried to adopt and ignored them, although without punishing the dives and pretence of injury.

CONCLUSION

Were we poor overall, where is that side who won at so well at Hornchurch and who dominated teams at Plainmoor. Whoever the new manager is they have to pick the side up, get them to believe in themselves, play with greater tempo and commitment and start quickly. On the other hand I will be Ebbsfleet on Saturday!!