TT MATCH VERDICT
Matty Hayward – @MattyHayward96
Matty reports back from Farnham
FARNHAM 2-0 TORQUAY UNITED – 31.08.2026
SUMMARY
I don’t really want to be writing this. In fact, I didn’t want to watch much of the game today, a two nil defeat at Farnham, but I suppose you can’t always get what you want.
The most positive of thinkers might argue that we played ok and the big moments went against us. An alternative view, one that I’d subscribe to, would be that we offered very little going forward, gifted them one goal and failed to defend a second.
The big news of today was revealed before the game. Sam Dreyer’s absence – evidently not through injury – sent shudders down the spines of my co-beer-garden revellers. I’m sure the washing will be aired in the coming days, but there ain’t no mood killer like your best defender confirming his departure moments before an away game: it sucked the life out of an already tentative away following.
The Gulls lined up with one, or maybe three, centre backs, depending on your perspective. Best of a tricky situation, I suppose. And it worked for a bit: we spent the first half being fairly untroubled and, if not dangerous going forward, certainly the marginally more dominant team.
Then the new defensive system stopped working. You can make a list as long as your arm as to the excuses for why we conceded that goal: maybe it’s inexperience, or lack of playing together, or a new defensive shape. Fundamentally, one defender (Bernard) fails to clear a ball, a cross comes in which another defender (Hill) fails to deal with, a goalkeeper fails to claim, and it’s ended up in the side netting. Whichever way you slice it, it’s a terrible goal to concede. To paraphrase Neil Warnock, it was Comedy Bandbox defending from the lot of them. The three of them should know better.
Arguably, we got worse from there. Changes were rung, but they looked more desperate than genius. Deon Moore had his customary half-chance, but if we’re relying on him scoring worldies then we’ll not see the right side of the dotted line this season. Nineteen minutes after they’d opened the scoring, Farnham killed the game with a well-worked, direct goal: Bingham with a ready-made finish from the edge of the box. Yes that’s a Charlie Bigham joke; no it isn’t very good.
That was it. The phrase “huffed and puffed” was invented for the last ten minutes. Everyone had given up, and while we did launch the ball into the mixer once or twice, we never troubled the largest goalkeeper (the largest man??) in Surrey. Mike Eacott will have expected a tougher afternoon, while Mike Westcott can barely have predicted worse.
A two nil defeat at Farnham. That’s just how it is, now. It’s where we are.
PLAYER RATINGS
1. Toby Savin – 4: Didn’t have much to do, and was at heavily at fault for the crucial first goal.
2. Dom Bernard – 4: Has to take at least some blame for failing to get rid of the ball on his own touchline.
3. Tyler Hill – 4: Desperately want him to be good. Wasn’t good today, out of position.
16. Jake Wannell – 5: Signed for Torquay expecting real competition from two fan’s favourites. Started today as the only fit centre half at the club. Did fine.
11. Jacob Beaumont-Clark – 5: Brief flashes. Too brief.
15. Kian Jenkins – 5: Should’ve won a penalty and was sharp in the left back spot.
6. Munashe Sundire – 5: Nothingy performance.
18. Matt Worthington – 6: As above. Should be running games at this level. Didn’t.
24. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton – 5: Another player who is good enough to dominate games at this level. Or should be. Tried hard but produced little quality.
8. Jordan Young- 5: exactly the same. Players with visions of higher divisions should be picking NLS teams apart. A harsh reading would be that his head was elsewhere; a charitable reading would be that he didn’t have the quality of colleagues. I’ll let you decide..
19. Deon Moore – 5: It’ll come, but it didn’t come today
Subs
39. Callum Morton – 5: Came on immediately after their first goal. Played in about five positions. Wasn’t for the lack of trying, but he didn’t offer much.
19. Issac Westendorf – 5: Came on as a 9 on his own. Doesn’t suit him. Wasn’t bad.
27. Matt Jay – N/A.
9. Cody Cooke – N/A.
TUFC PLAYER RATINGS VOTE – Farnham (a) – TORQUAYTALK
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – N/A
N/A
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
N/A
TACTICS
Without Dreyer, it was always going to be makeshift. My reading was that we started with a back three of Bernard, Wannell and Hill, with Jenkins left wing back and Beaumont-Clark right wing back. Nash and Worthington played in front of them, with Young and Sonny-Lo buzzing round the ten roles behind Moore.
That shifted a number of times throughout the game: attacking players rotated positions, Nash had a go as a ‘pressing ten’ (sorry to the football dinosaurs) at the start of the second half.
There are Torquay fans who have spent the last few weeks moaning about how we shouldn’t play two or three up front. Today we absolutely played one up front, and he looked incredibly isolated. There are some who argue that we need tactical consistency. They say bin horses for courses and pick your best players in their best positions. Fair. But, in Ball’s defence, one of his best players has been sold, we assume another is on his way, and at least one more can’t be arsed. His job isn’t being made easier!
THE OPPOSITION
Obviously, as we’re surely used to by now, this was a big day for Farnham Town FC, and the town of Farnham. The home end was busy. The area behind the goal was overgrown with weeds. But, in general, it was a hospitable enough place to watch football.
They were very very ordinary. But take nothing away from them. They limited us to very few chances and scored when they could. They were every bit worth their three points today.
THE OFFICIALS
Fine. Actually can’t think of anything they got wrong.
CONCLUSION
Ah, man. I’m gutted by today. Actually, I’m not gutted, I’m angry. We were so bad, and never looked like winning.
I want Jimmy Ball to be a success. I want this new-look team to work, and I’ve granted him lots of leeway, which I think he deserves. But at some point a blip becomes a trend. We’re not there yet, but it’s a troubling start.
If I could give him one piece of sincere advice, and obviously I doubt he’ll read this but I am writing it on Tell The Truth Monday, it’d be to not talk to fans at the end. Many people are pissed off. Some people are pissed. Very few people are trained tacticians or see these players in training every day. What does he expect to gain from this? This is not the forum for a reasonable exchange of views. It’s one man shouting at twenty men, while four hundred other people watch. We know he’s passionate: he doesn’t need to keep showing that!
The best course of action for a manger at a club our size after a defeat is to clap, smile, maybe hold your hands up in apology if it’s really bad, and walk off. Don’t engage. Certainly don’t bite at every comment that you object to. I don’t see that there’s anything to be gained by trying to reason with passionate, impassioned, angry fans. Say what you need to say in the presser. Talk to your coaches, the experts! Let your team do the talking on the pitch next week.
And they’d better, by the way. It’s not sensationalist to say that failing to beat Folkestone at home, after a poor first six results, will start some alarm bells ringing rather loudly. It’ll probably be fine, eh! Probably!
Up the Gulls.
COYY – Matty
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