Torquay United v Fleetwood Town - 8/3/14

[Dave]

http://www.cheshamunited.co.uk/player-p ... ew-roberts

Perhaps this players should be on Hargreaves list for next season - 35 goals in 31 games for Chesham.

Nice thought, more chance of signing Alf Roberts...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alf_Roberts Nicho, Manse and Stevens probably, already have their contract offers.

[SuperNickyWroe]

You kid yourself. Every team we play, according to you, is terrible. Fleetwood had been threatening to score for sometime before they actually did. Once Parkin was on they were especially threatening.

Torquay were clueless today. Just abysmally bad.

However, I didn't leave angrily, like some were, I have been resigned to our fate for sometime now - essentially, since the clueless Knill was here - and I am no longer angry about it all, just sad. Sad at the utter waste of all the good work that has been done to be left with a cavernous new stand that will sit empty while we play teams like Brackley.

Part of me is looking forward to playing new teams, winning (hopefully) more than we lose, but then we were winning more than we lost two and three seasons ago at this level.

Non-league football is just so unnecessary - that is what grates at me the most. The after match interview with CH didn't exactly inspire confidence and the mass changes today and I suspect again on Tuesday have perhaps undermined any progress the team may have made.

CH needs to start planning now. Identify the line-up/formation he wants to play and start thinking about which players will do a job in the conference in those positions. Get rid of the deadwood/old boys like Mansell, Nicholson, Benyon, Stevens - get Harrop out scouting around the Conference and South/North to identify which players we could try and sign.

When we were there last time, Ebbsfleet managed to spot a forward from Cambridge City called Michael Gash. Great name but a good player at that level. There must be someone like him, scoring bucketfuls of goals at Step 6/7 who would not be too an expensive risk to take - the likes of Matt Tubbs at Salisbury...even Charlie Austin at Poole Town, showed what can be found if you look hard enough.

The club need to start looking now. Not wait for the pre-season lottery of trials. Grab those hungry, young players with something to prove, that we see other clubs unearth from the lower levels of non-league. Hargreaves needs to start building his team for next season now.

and me mate. that is the most annoying thing.

[nickbrod]

Yet another predictable result against a pretty average side which hadn't scored for three games. We tried hard but with no end result. Can't score at home, can't win at home = relegation.
For me Tuesday's game against Rochdale, who turned us over in the FA Cup match with ease, represents Chris H with the opportunity to recall our loan players to give Craig, Yeoman a chance.
I also agree with an earlier post which says get scouting the lower leagues to give an opportunity to a young up and coming striker who can score 20+ goals in the Conference.
Listening on my drive home to Chris H on Radio Devon I admire his optimistic view of the last 12 games but in his heart of hearts he knows the score.
Come the end of the season he needs to put sentiment to one side and have a big clearout which should include 'old favourites'.

[CP Gull]

This squad of players simply never looks like scoring enough goals. When ALL your forward players seem shot shy, or simply don't have the technique to shoot accurately, you are always going to struggle and it was oh so inevitable that a poor Fleetwood team were always going to nick it 1-0. It summed it up for me when in the dying minutes of normal time Nicholson had a free kick in a "dangerous" (if only it was!) position on the edge of the box. Fearing the worst, I predicted that he would hit the K of the Lazy Jacks advertisement above the away end stand .... say to say I was so very nearly spot on .... sad, but true and all too predictable. Our lack of quality, in all areas was there for all to see today.

Yes, we huffed and we puffed and probably didn't deserve to lose, Fleetwood were poor, the referee was a disgrace ... but it was all so inevitable that we would lose this one something-nil ...and sure enough we did. We tried very hard but the quality, particularly in front of goal is simply not there. We are where we deserve to be .....

[ferrarilover]

I can't help if they (and a lot of sides we play) are garbage. Fleetwood were one of them. Ok, they had a chip couple of other shots. They didn't look likely to score at all. The launched isolated breaks in between red extended bouts of total Torquay domination.

If we'd had £500,000 Jamille Matt up front, we'd have won that game so, so comfortably today. We did give away the ball cheaply, but then we won it back easily.

We were absolutely mugged today.

Matt.

[hector]

This squad of players simply never looks like scoring enough goals. When ALL your forward players seem shot shy, or simply don't have the technique to shoot accurately, you are always going to struggle and it was oh so inevitable that a poor Fleetwood team were always going to nick it 1-0. It summed it up for me when in the dying minutes of normal time Nicholson had a free kick in a "dangerous" (if only it was!) position on the edge of the box. Fearing the worst, I predicted that he would hit the K of the Lazy Jacks advertisement above the away end stand .... say to say I was so very nearly spot on .... sad, but true and all too predictable. Our lack of quality, in all areas was there for all to see today.

Yes, we huffed and we puffed and probably didn't deserve to lose, Fleetwood were poor, the referee was a disgrace ... but it was all so inevitable that we would lose this one something-nil ...and sure enough we did. We tried very hard but the quality, particularly in front of goal is simply not there. We are where we deserve to be .....

Yet there are those misguided enough to think Benyon is the answer. Unfortunately, we are stuck with Hawley next season, unless we can offload him but who in their right minds would sign him? Oh, hang on, maybe Knill will - has twice before.

[Burnhamgull]

It's not just about the forwards putting chances away. Where's our creativity? The little slide ball that put Matt through on his own was sublime.

When was the last time one of our strikers was through on goal because of a perfectly weighted pass along the ground? Probably when O'Kane was here.

I thought Mansell did well to stay on the pitch as long as he did. Lots of effort but poor touch, poor passing and a shocking lunge on their left back that earned an unnecessary yellow card meant he had to calm down or face a red later in the game.

Pearce was MOM in my opinion. Solid, steady and put himself on the line. I thought Showunmi did ok, won plenty of balls but Hawley and Benyon just didn't get anywhere near the flick ons.

I agree with others on here, we need to focus on next year as relegation is inevitable. Bring back Thompson and Yeoman, start to plan for next year and develop a pattern of play.

[Oil Beef Hooked]

I thought we played reasonably well today. Certainly better than some of the games I've watched this season. We matched Cheatwood (man for man) for most of the game, but as usual, our consistent failure to hit the back of the onion bag has done us again. There were a number of occasions where we were camped in their half, put them under pressure, but as usual no end product.

Boys, this what a bleeding goal looks like is there any chance that at least one of you can find it and soon.

In the first half, Downes had a shot from way outside the box, but went inches over. Nicho's free kick early in the second half was well saved by their keeper. Manse had 2 goal bound shots blocked by their captain and the best chance of all fell to Labadie in injury time. With goal at his mercy, he shot wide from 8-10 yards.

As for 'the' incident at the end. I've seen some sh1te refereeing decisions at Plainmoor in my time, but that tackle on Cameron takes the biscuit. That challenge would have been a red card in a rugby match. An utter disgrace!

2 wins and 14 goals scored at home all season is why we are standing above that trap door to the dreaded Conference. It's not good enough, just not good enough at all.

[Neal]

I thought a draw would have been fair given what I saw.

Downes, Pearce, Rice, Tonge, Labardie did OK

Chappel Mansel Nico and the rest poor.

Hawley absolutely terrible, completely useless! Did nothing at all. This guy gets in my worst ever 11 who have put a Torquay shirt on.

I disagree, Cameron did beat a a couple of players, yes one of them he was fouled big time but he isn't good enough.

The huge worry is that most of our contracted players for next season are crap.
In my opinion that will mean a struggle next season because we won't be able to get rid. So it will mean the season after when we might be able to make a decent attempt at a play off place. My prediction, CH won't be here then.

[ferrarilover]

according to sky stats

tq possesions 55 vs fleetwood 45
tq shots on target 2 vs fleetwood 1
tq shorts off target 6 vs fleetwood 4

That doesnt sound like dominating a team it looks like the old ropedope, lure them in, tire them out and be effective with the shots, sounds like a tactic which most teams knows works aganst torquay as the qulity isnt there.

Those numbers are absolute bollocks and even the true stats won't tell you what happened on the pitch. We must have swung over 40 crosses today, we had at least 10 shots blocked, we are owed two stonewall penalties, they should have had two men sent off, their goalkeeper did more juggling than the circus act on the Popside, the strung three passes together about twice in the whole game. They punted at least 50% of their goal kicks out of play. Their only defensive strategy was to punt the ball as far up field as possible.

We were totally dominant throughout. They didn't muster motte than about 60 seconds of continuous possession or threat all across the game. We were the better side by a country mile and we weren't even especially good ourselves. Like I said, if we'd had Matt or Reid or Winnall in our side, we'd have beaten them handsomely and quite rightly so.

Matt.

[SuperNickyWroe]

Those numbers are absolute bollocks and even the true stats won't tell you what happened on the pitch. We must have swung over 40 crosses today, we had at least 10 shots blocked, we are owed two stonewall penalties, they should have had two men sent off, their goalkeeper did more juggling than the circus act on the Popside, the strung three passes together about twice in the whole game. They punted at least 50% of their goal kicks out of play. Their only defensive strategy was to punt the ball as far up field as possible.

We were totally dominant throughout. They didn't muster motte than about 60 seconds of continuous possession or threat all across the game. We were the better side by a country mile and we weren't even especially good ourselves. Like I said, if we'd had Matt or Reid or Winnall in our side, we'd have beaten them handsomely and quite rightly so.

Matt.

but guess what?
we didnt.

and lost. again.

[Duncan]

Can we just accept that we are now a conference team.Always on the cards so now just enjoy that rest of the season without stress and build and get ready for a quick start to next season. No recriminations just lay back and let this season disappear and look forward to the conference.

Losing to both Accrington and Northampton was enough to convince me we are doomed; the last 2 home games have been OK.

I haven't seen a police dog inside plainmoor for years and Luton's ground is more than fit for purpose. We shouldn't be looking forward to next season, but getting ourselves ready to embrace it!

[jonnyfive]

Those numbers are absolute bollocks and even the true stats won't tell you what happened on the pitch. We must have swung over 40 crosses today, we had at least 10 shots blocked, we are owed two stonewall penalties, they should have had two men sent off, their goalkeeper did more juggling than the circus act on the Popside, the strung three passes together about twice in the whole game. They punted at least 50% of their goal kicks out of play. Their only defensive strategy was to punt the ball as far up field as possible.

We were totally dominant throughout. They didn't muster motte than about 60 seconds of continuous possession or threat all across the game. We were the better side by a country mile and we weren't even especially good ourselves. Like I said, if we'd had Matt or Reid or Winnall in our side, we'd have beaten them handsomely and quite rightly so.

Matt.

Gross exaggeration and blinkered, ill-informed tripe.

[friendlygas]

The problem with Football is that when things are not going well you always look at the Referee,the bad luck,the penalties not given but the truth is that over a season it evens out and in the end you are where you deserve to be. Its the same with the performance. If you are winning you accept a poor performance as being pretty good because of the result and you soon forget all the bad decisions,poor shots,number of crosses, disallowed goals. The "perfect away performance" is the best example of this ie you defend for 89 minutes and break away and score a goal totally against the run of play. I call this the "Accrington" way!!! In truth the perfect away performance is when you go away and give the other side a hammering!! I find you position at present very sad as we need as many local clubs in this league as possible and I can only hope that you can suddenly find a bit of form because in football anything is possible. I always look on football as teams make their own luck. We have been playing the one up front all season and the last six months of last season and i dont particularly like it but it clearly shows that football is not about luck but more about CONFIDENCE. Last season the system saved us because we were winning a lot of games by the odd goal and the results were bringing confidence. This season the same system saw us lose a lot of games by the odd goal and the players confidence because of this was low. Since December the same system has seen us win games and the players confidence is growing.Suddenly all the "unlucky" moments are forgotten and you see that it is Confidence that was lacking and not bad luck-It just seemed that way.
Don't give up, just hope that that one result may suddenly bring your players confidence level up and suddenly those half chances that at present not going in will hit the net. You CAN still survive but you need a positive RESULT to be the catalyst. I hope for you that it comes sooner rather than later and what better time to start than Tuesday. Good luck.

[brucie]

Really not that interested in how Bristol Rovers are playing to be honest. Perhaps you should be our manager as you seem to have all the answers. Of course our position isn't down to referees but they have robbed us blind at times.
You really cannot make your own luck when in a key match the referee ignores a two footed assault by an opponent and compounds the error by letting the opposition run the length of the pitch and score.
We are all biased but take yesterdays match. Our winger beats his opponent and then is taken out by the centre half who fouls him by a flying straight arm to the throat. Its a red card pure and simple - and he gets a yellow.
The same ref also fails to give the most obvious penalty you will ever see in a million years. It doesn't help when you are in our position.