TT MATCH VERDICT

Pete Wade

Pete reports back from Plainmoor

TORQUAY UNITED 0-0 WESTON SUPER MARE – 19.08.2026

SUMMARY

Quite simply this was a game we should have won, comfortably. For a team with two wins from two matches, WSM were poor, lacked ambition but defended very well. Whilst we on the other hand just could not score, both missing chances and being defeated by great blocks, the old Weston bodies on the line job.

Jimmy made a few changes, favouring Matt Jay in midfield and bringing in Hayfield and for a long time this looked good, with Westendorf proving to be a real handful, but was also the most wasteful when it came to missed chances. Despite some over officious refereeing early on we looked dangerous, especially with balls played into the channels, but we just did not move the ball quickly enough. The highlight of the period was when the WSM keeper volleyed a back pass out poorly and from 40 yards Jay hit it first time and for 35 of those it looked in, until the keeper scrambled back to claim it. All three strikers were getting into the box but again we were wasteful with chances: a great run into the box by Westendorf eventually saw him with just the keeper to beat but he hit it at the keepers legs – got to score. Our energy was good but the final ball just did not arrive enough.

Into the second half it was similar, with WSM wasting time, fighting yes, but creating little. With Young, Lo-Everton and Morgan coming on we look better and the ball came to Morgan on a number of occasions but his shots just kept getting blocked. At the death a header Cooke looked in only for the keeper to make an excellent save. Then at the end it took a sharp save from Savin to guarantee the point.

PLAYER RATINGS

1. Toby Savin – 7 – didn’t have much to do, but saved us at the end.

2. Dom Bernard – 7 – Busy and aggressive, got forward and put some good crosses in.

16. Jake Wannell – 7 – Like Dreyer kept WSM out but needs to play the ball quicker, some great raking long balls out to Westondorf.

5. Sam Dreyer – 7 – Did what he always does, dominated at the back.

15. Kian Jenkins – 6 – A solid display from him, got forward plenty but was caught out a few times

20. Dan Hayfield – 6 – Busy in midfield as the sitting one, but gave the ball away at times.

18. Matt Worthington (c) – 8 – His usual dominant performance, strong and covered the ground just could not quite create enough

27. Matt Jay – 7 – A good first half when he dropped deep to collect the ball and look to spread it about and that great first time effort.

39. Callum Morton – 6 – Quiet for him, just does not look quite right in a wider position.

14. Deon Moore – 6 – A quite game by his standards, did not really get into the game. He probably needs the wingers around him rather than other big men

19. Isaac Westendorf – 7 – He is the enigma of the side as his strong bustling runs cause all sorts of problems but he just cannot score at present

SUBS

11. Dylan Morgan – 6 – Worked hard when he came on and helped to push us forward in the last 15 minutes and plenty of shots, but it would not go in.

8. Jordan Young – 6 – Looked like he needs some game time, did not get into the game really.

7. Louis Dennis – 6 – Looked lively when he came on.

24. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton – 7 – When he moved into a central role he looked to be the player who could create something, should be in the side for me.

9. Cody Cooke – 6 – Worked hard in his short time on and might have scored a winner with his excellent header.

TUFC PLAYER RATINGS VOTE – Weston (h) – TORQUAYTALK

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – MATT WORTHINGON

My Player of the Match award goes to Worthington who was busy, aggressive, covered the ground and a leader.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Dreyer and Wannell meant the WSM strikers got little all night.

TACTICS

We went in with a 4-1-2-3 with Hayfield sitting, Worthington and Jay pushing forward and the three big men up front, but a goal just would not come, whilst we did miss some good chances.

THE OPPOSITION

For a team at the top they were poor really, defended well but mad little effort to win the game and had a management bench that was just horrible, giving our young ball retrievers grief for getting the ball into play. Of course they got what they wanted a 0-0 but little credit should go them.

THE OFFICIALS

The referee was okay overall, but clearly gave himself the first part of the game to show he was in charge being overly officious and giving unnecessary fouls to show this. Did little to stop WSM time wasting.

CONCLUSION

We should be and need to be winning these games: we were the better team and it is hard to understand how we did not score we had so may shots blocked. The balance does not look quite right, hopefully Young and Lo-Everton can return to give us some threat. There is too little width with the three big men up top.