League 2 Playoff Final: Stevenage vs Torquay United

[andygull]

Just got back and i am so pissed off its untrue. I thought we WERE the better side overall and dominated the second half. Just a combination of good defending, bad luck ( jake hitting the bar ) and disgraceful finishing by Kee when one on one. That was THE chance to get us back into it after that i thoTught our card was marked. We wbed orked hard and sprayed the ball about well on the suface but we just had 4 players in TOMLIN ( brilliant at Shrewsbury, today should have stayed in bed ) ZEBS, KEE and ROBINSON who are all similar players. Robinsons finishing was also poor and he has been disappointing of late. Kee ran himself into the ground as did Zebs but no real threat. O'Kane was excellent again. To top it all off i was sat with thousands of mannequins around me or they could have been painted on supporters as the area i was sat in was like a bloody mortuary!! There were a few of us who tried to get involved when we could but could only sit and watch with longing the large band of singers behind the goal of which we could play no part in and instead had to endure the quietness people i honestly believed were clinically dead! Yeah your gonna get people who want to come and watch but not get involved but an entire stand!! Do me a favour! Secondly the crowd was abysmal, 11000 odd and it was like going back to Darlington man!! It was all a bit surreal. Thirdly i don't know now where this defeat leaves us as i expect Bucks and a number of players will leave in the summer and once again we will be left with a new manager and a threadbare squad like when Bucks took over. Added to that the likes of Crawley, Plymouth, Bristol Rovers, Swindon, Rotherham, Vale etc etc we can expect a massive relegation scrap. Thats the way i see it. Could be a bad day for us in more ways than one. Finally apologies from me for not staying at the final whistle and applauding the players for what has been a great season, i was just so frustrated and angry and i just had to bail at the whistle otherwise i may have gotten myself into a bit of bother. Sorry lads, great season and thankyou. **** off stevenage!!!

[royalgull]

The first half was the worst we've played since Aldershot away. We looked like a rabbit in hadlights shit scared to go and play and do our stuff.

The one ask from us was to go and play like we've tried to do all season and especially like we've done against Shrewsbury. Go and attack, quick movement and try and create chances and have shots. We didn't. We were slow, we were abject and allowed Stevenage to play their long ball game, and to be honest i was thankful to get to half time at 1-0 down.

2nd half we tried to correct the 1st half, we tried to play but too often our final ball or final shot wasn't good enough. Stevenage held out comfortably and their keeper hasn't had to make a decent save in 94minutes.

I had no problem with our set up but when it goes wrong there's no Plan B. The only attacking sub we've got is Stevens but to replace Robinson for him was a waving of the white flag.

I'm not bothered we haven't gone up, truly i'm not. League 2 will be a competitive league, we have a LOAD of southern games and it's our level. To get to the final of the playoffs has been an excellent achievement and a massive bonus. The disappointment for me is we've allowed a terrible and pathetically supported side in Stevenage a free pass to LEague 1. We haven't turned up, we haven't played our best and that's what rewally grinds with me right now.

As for Bucks, if this was the last hurrah its a shame it ended i defeat but the guy has done a great job for Torquay. Thanks Bucks good luck if you choose to go elsewhere. As for Torquay an uncertain summer awaits and a tough year next year as well in my opinion. I think this was a one off and only next season will some fans realise just what an effort it was this year for our club to get this far.

[eveshamgull]

all i can say is.... that was crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how on earth can buckle say we were the better side, better drop him at Bristol on the way back.
we might have well have played with 10 as zebs was useless. Kee useless, my mum has more pace, if u chopped robinsons left leg off he would fall over cos he cant kick wiith it and buckle useless with his subs.
why was everyone clamouring for a singing section, it was shocking, quiet from start to finish, most songs stated from the corner we were in.

all in all pissed off

[Southampton Gull]

Got what we deserved = NOTHING.

The team we've all been watching over the last few weeks failed to show.

Ripped off by the League, ripped off in the pub and pretty peed off right now, not because we lost, I can take that, it's how we lost.

If Buckle is going which I'm sure he is, please can he do it over the weekend before he starts his holiday, I want a replacement asap and I want us to start preparations for next season.

We're in for a scrap next season, make no mistake.

[andygull]

Unlucky guys but I did feel Stevenage were the better team. See you next season

Who asked for your opinion anyway??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Scott Brehaut]

Gutted with that display. Never really looked like scoring.
I wouldn't have minded the loss if we fought a bit more but we didn't. I think we were as bad as we played against Crawley.

Couldn't believe that we were charged to get into the pub too.

All in all a bloody crap day.

[miltonkeynesgull]

Just got home. Not much to add really, just genuinely absolutely gutted. As others have said above, losing I can take (and I'm generally a very optimistic fan), but rolling over and going down more-or-less without a wimper...I just can't stomach it. Day started off badly with traffic on the M6 (was ahead of the worst of it), met up with family in Manc and headed to the Samuel Platts - great atmosphere in there. Taking our place in the stands, and outnumbering the Stevenage fans at least 4:1, I felt quietly confident. But we didn't show. Defensively we were poor, and Nicho got skimmed time and again by Wilson. Midfield weren't great, O'Kane the standout, but going forward we were pathetic. Zebs was appalling, Kee not far behind, Jakey and Tomlin huffed and puffed by achieved nothing. Tough to take but the best team won on the day. Apart from a 15 minute spell at the start of the second half, we didn't really come close (apart from Jakey hitting the bar). As poorer performance as I can remember.

As for Buckle, don't think he could have done much more today. The team selection should've had enough to see us through. Subs were strange, but when faced with no options from the bench, what can you do? If this was his last game (which I strongly suspect it was), thanks for the memories Bucks. What a 4 years.

We're in for an interesting summer break I think...

Great support today, and up the Gulls,

John

[ferrarilover]

Who asked for your opinion anyway??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Exactly the same people who asked you for yours. He is a member here, and as such is entitled to post what he likes.

The fact that he's right helps his cause, we were rubbish.

Matt.

[tommyg]

Been home for a while but not had the stomach to come on here until now. Unfortunately and frustratingly, we choked. Simple as that. Too many players didn't turn up for the biggest game of the season. Can't blame Buckle. He picked the same team that dismantled the Shrews and employed exactly the same tactics. He was just let down the individuals who have been fantastic for most of the season.

O'Kane was the only one who produced a good performance. He was quiet in the first half, but was the best player on the pitch by a country mile in the second. However, he was let down by his team-mates, in particular the misfiring four in front of him. I thought Zebs, Tomlin, Kee and Robinson would be too hot to handle for Stevenage, but they were all below-par. You can afford to carry the odd passenger, but we had too many of them today. Even Branston, for all his experience and the wise head on his shoulders, seemed to be struggle on the big occasion. As others have mentioned, we didn't possess the subs to change the game and were too reliant on the starting XI to perform.

Fair play to Stevenage. They deserved the win, but despite us being terrible today, there wasn't that much in it. We certainly weren't outplayed and had them on the ropes for a 15-minute period at the start of the second half. If we had performed close to like we did in the first leg against Shrewsbury, we would be celebrating right now. I also don't buy into some supporters' theories that this was a 'no-lose game'. We will probably lose Buckle, a few first-team players and the loanees as a result of this defeat. If we had the same group for next season, plus one or two new signings, I'd be confident of another promotion battle. But this looks to be the start of a sh*t summer which will see big changes at the club, and that could lead to a battle at the wrong end of the table.

[andygull]

Exactly the same people who asked you for yours. He is a member here, and as such is entitled to post what he likes.

The fact that he's right helps his cause, we were rubbish.

Matt.

season
Yeah well what a pointless post. Unlucky even though you didn't deserve it see u next seson?! Basically. Whats the point in coming on a torquay forum when people are pissed off anyway after today and coming out with shit like that?!! You know i'm sick and tired of being nice to people and so understanding of other fans feelings!! My feelings as a torquay fan are one of despair at the moment and as this is a forum for torquay fans not shrewsbury fans then i have a right to convey my annoyance ( as does the shrews fan about anything ) about todayI'm sorry if i hurt anyones feelings but if their comments are as banal as that then they can piss off!!

[PlainmoorRoar]

That was a complete re-run of the Crawley game,

1)We didn't turn up or fight at all
2)We got sucked into trying to go through Stevenage rather than round them( which we did for the first bit of the 2nd half, then it fizzled out)
3)Deadman was a wanker

[ferrarilover]

Your attitude is not only wrong Andy, but it's embarrassing.

Matt.

[andygull]

I,m not embarrassed.

[ferrarilover]

I,m not embarrassed.

The ignorant never are.

Matt.

[royalgull]

That was a complete re-run of the Crawley game,

1)We didn't turn up or fight at all
2)We got sucked into trying to go through Stevenage rather than round them( which we did for the first bit of the 2nd half, then it fizzled out)
3)Deadman was a wanker

This post is my feelings also. It's why i'm annoyed tonight. Couldn't give a toss about being in League 1, just annoyed we didn't turn up and play like we've done for the last month of the season. It was a Crawley/Aldershot performance when it really mattered. We played their game not ours and lost to a truly dump side.

Didn't think the ref was the reason for us losing he was a bit shit but pfff he wasn't as bad as half of our players today.