TT REVIEW

Rachel Malloch – @Rachelvillavox

UNITED VS DORKING

There’s never a dull moment when Torquay United play Dorking Wanderers, 2 teams that bring out the front foot attacking intent in each other, a game that was exciting and frustrating, a game played in fairly good spirit despite a card tally of 8 yellows and a red, 2 teams more intent on playing a pass and go high tempo and high energy style than a close ranks defensive approach, in fact the only player who came away from Saturday afternoon battered and bruised was Deon Moore who was on the receiving end of some physical close attention from Dorking’s number 5 Isaac Philpott who throughout the game, right up until a limping Moore left the field to be replaced by Cody Cooke, had all but claimed his shirt, caught his ankle several times and even left his carbon footprint on our striker’s shoulder. Astonishingly the referee allowed this to continue right up until club captain Jake Wannell intervened asking how many more fouls would his team mate have to endure and got a second yellow for his remonstration. To reiterate, so many cards, so few clear cut dirty fouls.Dorking are making a habit of targeting Moore, it was Philpott’s turn on Saturday while that lad from Love Island was tasked with man marking our number 14 in last season’s play offs semi final.

A QUALITY GAME OF FOOTBALL

It was an enjoyable display of football. Torquay dominated the first half, Dorking just about edged the second. Deon Moore opened the scoring for Torquay with a classic poacher’s goal, Dorking keeper could only parry a fierce Tegan Finn effort, the Dorking defender made a mess of an attempt at clearance and Moore swept the ball into the net from close range. A lead that lasted just over 10 minutes when a mix up between Nash and Moore allowed the masters of the counter attack Dorking to break away with the loose ball and despite both Wannell and Olufunwa in attendance, Dorking’s Rogalski nipped in between the pair of them and fired a low shot past Toby Savin.

Torquay had chances to score, good chances for Finn, Caleb Roberts and easily the best chance of all fell to Jacob Beaumont-Clark who with an open goal, leaned back and unleashed a powerful shot that skimmed the crossbar. Further chances including a goal line clearance came but as has become a signature tune of our season so far, a propensity to take too many touches in front of goal when a first time hit would be the better option.

Half time saw the re-introduction of the crossbar challenge, the match sponsors more equipped in finding the corporate Cove bar to the crossbar but just as the oohs and aahs had dissipated, one of the group did succeed in completing the quest!

No subs made as the second half commenced, Dorking definitely seeing more of the ball and on the 56^th minute, Torquay conceded a corner and from the resulting kick, Dorking no. 39 Josh Barrett, a lad who despite his somewhat portly appearance had been looking for all intents like the sort of player any club would want bossing the play in their midfield, lofted the ball into the box with some gusto and without a defender on the near post and a hapless Savin likely unsighted in the middle of the goal mouth could only react as the ball had all but crossed the line. Dorking manager Marc White would have you think this was a set piece masterclass, others might say that it was a bit of a fluke. Whatever the weather, Toby Savin won’t be happy but as redemption arcs go, he had had a fairly decent game and by crikey that lad has got a powerful throw on him!

So while we only had a 10 minute wait until Dorking had equalised earlier, it was a 10 minute wait until Torquay equalised. Some lovely play from the Argyle youngster Caleb Roberts inducing a foul outside the box, up stepped Lo Everton with a sweet as a nut should around both the Dorking wall and their keeper nestling into the far corner.

Some very late changes from the subs bench – out of character for Jimmy Ball – 7 minutes added time, a free kick in a good position and a resulting corner, both of which fell by the set piece wayside, and the points were shared.

DISCIPLINE

Much has been made of our disciplinary record this season, a statistic of 27 yellows and 2 red cards accrued already, however with the football played so far, supporters can refute any label of this squad being a team of thugs or scrappers, more an element of naivety or lack of nouse in our game management. 4 yellows were picked up in the final 16 or so minutes of the Maidenhead game, and we were 4 nil up against 9 men!

A big talking point was the second yellow card shown to Jake Wannell deputising for club captain in Matt Worthington’s absence. A conversation with the referee about the perpetual man-handling of Deon Moore, all game, and Wannell imploring a “how many more times before the lad gets booked” clearly piqued the ref’s sense of integrity, whatever was said or what kind of hand semaphore was interpreted, he took it as a slight on his officiating credentials and that was that. An incredulous Jake Wannell, a limping Deon Moore and a National League Referee that could be a modernised take on a Tom Stoppard play.

THE NEXT FEW GAMES

We embark on our road to Wembley this Saturday against Hampshire’s finest Stoneham which you would hope will be an exercise in shooting practice and elicit a few goals to cheer. Then back to league action away to Billericay away, Slough at home, Hemel Hempstead away, Maidstone at Plainmoor before visiting Jimmy’s old gaffe Totton. Returns from suspension, injuries, a new signing, maybe 2, extensions of loans, certainly from that hammer horror film at Farnham we are beginning to look like a very good NLS team, a clear injection of pace from both the Argyle lads and signings Beaumont-Clark and Angelo Cappello, a rich vein of form from the sublime Sonny Blu, a fired up Deon Moore, there are reasons to be cheerful.