Torquay v Dartford

Gullscorer · Post by **Gullscorer** » 04 Apr 2015, 17:35

We need three more points to be safe from relegation!

Swanny · Post by **Swanny** » 04 Apr 2015, 17:46

So we cannot even beat second from bottom Dartford in another disappointing performance. It was a game of few clear chances and both keepers were mainly redundant for the game. You assumed Torquay would win this one after taking the lead but no they could not even do that. Dartford's equaliser was out of nothing and was preventable in my opinion. Crowd 1,754, 160 from Dartford, sponsors MOTM Ives, twitter MOTM Cameron.

My first priority today was to see who was sat in the director's box. Thea is still there with her son and Kelvin was back. I was heartened to see Sturrock there which gives me a little hope that he may have some say in our future? We desperatley need someone of his calibre.

Onto the game and my first concern was that with Ajala playing up front with Briscoe, we had no striker to hold the ball up like Bowman can. Ajala and Briscoe did put in a decent shift and tried to win possession off Dartford's defenders by closing them down when they were in possession. Ajala ceated a good chance when he robbed a defender but opted to pass the ball to Briscoe instead of shooting, and guess what, his pass went astray. That summed up our first half performance, there was no end product and when we did get a move going it broke down. Dartford had a couple of half chances that they did not get on the end of a move. McQuilkin had a great chance before half-time but blasted the ball over the bar when clear in the box. It was a poor finish that lacked technique from someone who has played at a higher level.

Torquay, kicking towards the away end, had more pressure in the second half and the approach play was good at times. But clear chances were at a premium. Briscoe had a clear chance but like McQuilkin blasted the ball over. McQuilkin finally broke the deadlock and finished well keeping the ball down this time. I suppose Torquay's pressure deserved this but we still rarely worked their keeper which spoke volumes. Our new loanee, Daniel, was involved in much of our play and showed some good skill at times. But he is very raw and he also wasted possession. None of our players really stood out. Cameron made a really run cutting from the right and beat a few players and was pulled down just outside the area. The referee waved play-on which summed up his performance today. Torquay had a few corners and dangerous free-kicks but did little with them. Dartford had a rare attack and predictably scored. Rice parried a long distance shot, he looked favourite to get the rebound but the ball fell loose and Darford slotted the ball home. Our defending was suspect to say the least as our defenders just watched and did not act. Torquay never looked capable of restoring the lead and the game just petered out. Our 2 subs came on too late to make an impact and it was another shambles of an afternoon at Plainmoor. It's all so poor and loyal supporters around me just shook their heads at full-time. It's not getting ant better and only mass changes in the summer will give me any confidence it will improve next season. There's no proper leadership out there on or off the pitch and it again showed today.

Plainmoor87 · Post by **Plainmoor87** » 04 Apr 2015, 18:40

Leadership, as the previous posters cited, is exactly what has been missing since Martin Ling became unwell. That is at every level - pitch, management and board level.

arcadia · Post by **arcadia** » 04 Apr 2015, 18:48

Cameron just ambles about and does not seem to care less about the effort he puts in. He gave the ball away so many times I lost count and I think he went past his fullback once. Why Hargreaves did not put on ping pong earlier and put Ajala wide I do not know.
Disappointing game that we could so easily won.

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 04 Apr 2015, 19:11

I have no idea how we got on as I went to a local game. I caught the preamble and a small bit of the aftermatch reaction. Inetereating that Chris Fleet was saying that the floating supporters will go and watch Plymouth or Exeter because there is "no entertainment on offer" and the football "was the worst he had seen in thirty years".
So this isn't me saying it - this is one of the commentators.
Actually a crowd of 1700 is fantastic in the circumstances and i doff my cap for those who forked out their hard earnt money to watch this shower of shite.
All I can tell you is that one of my sons (despite getting sent off) was happy in the pub afterwards. He was waitiing on a Dartford equaliser for £138 on an accumalator. He said "I knew Torquay wouldn't win".
Thats sums it up really - we are an embarassment.

Hubert Parry · Post by **Hubert Parry** » 04 Apr 2015, 19:18

Hi guys, Cheltenham fan again, and I look forward to playing you again next season!

Went to your game today and thought I'd offer a few thoughts.

It was a strange game in the sense that you looked very comfortable all game, and if you really wanted to, could have won by a few. I just got the sense that the players were a bit bored and were trying lots of nice little tricks and flicks without the purpose of trying to extend the lead. That said, I appreciated the attempt to play football on the floor, and you did so successfully. Noble as it is, is it an effective way to gain points in this league?

I thought you lack a bit of intelligence in the final third too. Both your forwards were looking to play off the shoulders of Dartford's defensive line, when you might have created more had you showed a little more movement and imagination in between the midfield and forward lines - like you see in the higher divisions a lot more.

It could be a major coincidence, but it has been literally every single game I have seen Martin Rice being culpable for a goal conceded. He also can't kick to save his life.

If I were a fair weather or neutral fan, I would sack off the final few Torquay games - a real air around the place that you want the season to end.

lucy6lucy · Post by **lucy6lucy** » 04 Apr 2015, 19:59

brucie wrote:I have no idea how we got on as I went to a local game. I caught the preamble and a small bit of the aftermatch reaction. Inetereating that Chris Fleet was saying that the floating supporters will go and watch Plymouth or Exeter because there is "no entertainment on offer" and the football "was the worst he had seen in thirty years".
So this isn't me saying it - this is one of the commentators.
Actually a crowd of 1700 is fantastic in the circumstances and i doff my cap for those who forked out their hard earnt money to watch this shower of shite.
All I can tell you is that one of my sons (despite getting sent off) was happy in the pub afterwards. He was waitiing on a Dartford equaliser for £138 on an accumalator. He said "I knew Torquay wouldn't win".
Thats sums it up really - we are an embarassment.

Yawn yawn yawn.

PaulR · Post by **PaulR** » 04 Apr 2015, 20:15

"Thats sums it up really - we are an embarassment."

Less of the "WE" please.....you are an Exeter supported now!

Neal · Post by **Neal** » 04 Apr 2015, 20:15

lucy6lucy wrote: Yawn yawn yawn.

Agree!!!

Didn't go to the game, didn't listen to commentary, but has the time to come on here and do the usual. PATHETIC!!

Neal · Post by **Neal** » 04 Apr 2015, 20:16

PaulR wrote:"Thats sums it up really - we are an embarassment."

Less of the "WE" please.....you are an Exeter supported now!

Neal · Post by **Neal** » 04 Apr 2015, 20:22

brucie wrote:I have no idea how we got on as I went to a local game. I caught the preamble and a small bit of the aftermatch reaction. Inetereating that Chris Fleet was saying that the floating supporters will go and watch Plymouth or Exeter because there is "no entertainment on offer" and the football "was the worst he had seen in thirty years".
So this isn't me saying it - this is one of the commentators.
Actually a crowd of 1700 is fantastic in the circumstances and i doff my cap for those who forked out their hard earnt money to watch this shower of shite.
All I can tell you is that one of my sons (despite getting sent off) was happy in the pub afterwards. He was waitiing on a Dartford equaliser for £138 on an accumalator. He said "I knew Torquay wouldn't win".
Thats sums it up really - we are an embarassment.

"Chris Fleet was saying that the floating supporters will go and watch Plymouth or Exeter" yes he did say that, you are right!! And the key words are "FLOATING SUPPORTERS", which you obviously are. Many of us are NOT floating supporters and never will be.

Post by **Dave** » 04 Apr 2015, 21:00

This isn't an attempt to knock Brucie, but the big difference is, I may have decided to stay away for the moment and have a break from it, but I have not and will not withdraw my support for TUFC, I will not, in fact you'll never find me lining the pockets of Exeter or Plymouth, I will return to the popside when I'm ready.

DevonYellow · Post by **DevonYellow** » 04 Apr 2015, 21:06

Why is it every time Brucie casts out loads of people bite straight away?

Keep biting and he'll keep posting. Just ignore him!

gullintwoplaces · Post by **gullintwoplaces** » 04 Apr 2015, 21:24

DevonYellow wrote:Why is it every time Brucie casts out loads of people bite straight away?

Keep biting and he'll keep posting. Just ignore him!

You are right of course. I can't for the life of me understand why somebody wants to "cast out" like that. Peculiar behaviour, just wanting to upset people. Trolling by any other name.

tomogull · Post by **tomogull** » 04 Apr 2015, 21:36

As one who has only missed two or three games per season for many, many years (apart from when Webb and McFarland were managers) I'm seriously thinking about giving the last three home games a miss after yet another dreadful performance this afternoon. Dartford were the worst team we've seen at Plainmoor this season (worse than Telford) yet we could only manage a draw. The first half was about as boring as it could possible get - we'd have had more entertainment and seen more football if we'd gone to King George V Playing Fields. McQuilkin and later Briscoe missed chances that most South Devon league forwards would have put away - and that's not exagerating, although McQuilkin's goal was a smart finish. The second half was a little less tepid but not much.

Plainmoor87 and Swanny are absolutely right - there's no leadership throughout the club, although Downes provided more leadership on the pitch than Young does. My big disappointment with Hargreaves (and Hodges for that matter) is that they don't seem to have any game plan. It's all headless chicken stuff. The football we are expected to pay good money to see is the worst it has been for a long, long time and we are going to finish in the lowest position that we have ever finished. If we don't finish in the top half of the league, Hargreaves has failed to deliver. He'll have a lot of work to do in the summer because surely he'll have to replace half the players currently at the club.

For me, the most entertaining moment of the afternoon was when the young lad coolly won himself £250 in the cross bar challenge.

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