TT MATCH VERDICT

Peter Wade

Pete and Louis Wade report back from Plainmoor!

TORQUAY UNITED 1-1 MAIDSTONE UNITED – 24.10.2026

SUMMARY

The four Wades headed into Bristow’s Bench on an awful day for football, with high winds and heavy rain, but the pitch played well, bit damp in places but mainly the ball ran well. Ben is a regular on the verdict but today was his young brother’s debut working in conjunction with grandad. We opted to make notes at the end of each five minutes to give him a chance to contribute.

The Gulls played towards the Woollens Enclosure with the wind and rain in the first half:

Minutes 1-5: early fouls with poor distribution by both teams

6-10: still even, with our team selection looking a clever choice by Jimmy Ball as we tried to play the ball to feet in the poor conditions.

11-15: not a lot happening, something involving The Popside that the Ref seemed to make a great deal of fuss about. The wind is rubbish.

16-20: still quiet, Maidstone trying to press with little success.

21-25: scrappy with some strange refereeing decisions.

26-30: GOAL – good work down the right by Shield saw him fire the ball towards the penalty spot where defender Frankie Hvid made a total pig’s ear of his clearance and put into his own goal, passed a perplexed keeper.

31-35: PENALTY – Shields again but a driven ball into the box which was dummied and arrived at Jay and as he was about to the pull trigger 10 yards out he was ripped up. So up stepped Cooke, but his under hit penalty to the keeper’s left wasn’t in the corner and was easily saved. It’s all TUFC now.

36-40: the Yellows are pushing hard but the weather isn’t helping.

41-45: first chance to Stones but Olufunwa blocks a shot and Jay cleared. Two minutes of extra time added.

Louis commented: “Torquay dominant, rain getting heavier, with both teams doing well in the conditions.”

46-50: TUFC go close as Moore shoots and keeper claws it wide, good start by Gulls.

51-55: Ref is making a fuss about the Maidstone bench, involves the 4th official and stewards again. A great break by Cooke sets up Moore, whose shot is almost parried in by the keeper. TUFC giving it a real go here.

56-60: All TUFC but “frantic and feisty” I’m told from my right.

61-65: MU subs come on then when one of those weird laws invoked after ref who stopped play in MU penalty area for a head injury when we were in a dangerous position and about to cross. Ref restarts the game with a drop ball to their keeper! Sees unfair to punish the attacking team.

66-70: ref not helping as Cooke is booked for winning a header but given nothing when he was clattered, getting feisty.

71-75: Hayfield on for Jay and we keep the pressure up with Stones rarely getting near our goal.

76-80: Cooke goes close with a header but offside, getting very frantic

81-85: Pressure coming on from Maidstone now – GOAL. Corner cleared but played back in where Cooke slices his clearance and Hvid heads it in at the far post. So unfair.

86-96: MU pressing for a winner – ref helps with two dodgy fouls but we hold out comfortably.

Louis commented: “Both teams did well, good battle that went down to the end. We should have won being the better team: both teams will disappointed with the goals they conceded”.

PLAYER RATINGS

Savin – 7 – didn’t have much to do, and nothing he could for the goal

Olufunwa – 7 – all three of the back three had good games dealing with crosses and long balls forward. One misplaced ball could have been costly but his colleagues redeemed the situation

Wannell – 7 – back from injury as with above commented, dominated at the back

Hill – 7 – a solid game, good with his cover and played the ball out well

Shield 8 – an excellent game on the wing back roll, made the goal and the penalty, close to being POTM

Jay – 7 – a good busy match when he dropped deep to collect the ball and look to spread it about

Worthington – 7- back to his best, being strong and covered the ground to make space for his colleagues

Roberts – 7 – another workmanlike performance, covering the ground and making tackles

Jenkins – 8 – A good display from him, he has grown in stature this season and is stronger and more solid now. See POTM comment

Moore – 7 – put in areal shift with looking dangerous but always making life hard for defenders and being available for balls played up to him

Cooke – 7 – excellent in is all round play, making space linking well with Moore and delivered some great balls forward, however, he missed the penalty and his sliced clearance led to the equaliser!

Subs

Hayfield – 6 – the only sub used late on and did his usual busy work

TUFC PLAYER RATINGS VOTE – Maidstone (h) – TORQUAYTALK

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – KIAN JENKINS

Our Player of the Match award goes to Jenkins who impressed in both defence and attack. He is much stronger now and dealt with the Maidstone attacks down his side and delivered good balls forward.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

The back three, who dominated the Maidstone forwards and rarely looked in trouble.

TACTICS

Interesting as Jimmy went in with a 3.5.2 formation with Jay pushing forward and helping to feed the front two. We largely dominated the midfield and kept the attacks at arm’s length when playing against the wind.

THE OPPOSITION

For a team at the top of the table they were very disappointing and were lucky to get an equaliser from Cooke’s mistake. Inevitably on the back foot against the wind, and did little in the second half when playing with it. Savin was rarely troubled by them.

THE OFFICIALS

I hate to criticise the referee, but this was another one who made strange decisions and seemed keen to show that a big crowd did not influence him. Lots of petty decisions against the Gulls and what on earth the two long conversations involving the 4th official and stewards were all about, who knows.

CONCLUSION

It’s never great in conditions like this but you could not fault the Gulls’ commitment, effort and desire and we were the better team. But another home draw, if only a few had been wins. We need to win some of the up and coming away matches at lower teams to get this season going.