Exeter V Torquay 21st April 2014

[SuperNickyWroe]

it looked fab at the end of the match when they went live to it on SSN!

[divingbboy]

My first time at Excretia. Jesus, I'd heard the stadium was a bit rough and ready but, crikey, what a sh*thole. It was like stepping back into the 1970s. Good game. Ricey, Shaq, Cameron and O'Connor stood out, in particular (though Ricey worried me a bit in the first half). What was that business between Lathrope and Ricey towards the end of the game? All looked a bit 'come and have a go if you're hard enough'............

[AustrianAndyGull]

Lathrope would win, he's got tattoos. :}

[Colorado Gull]

Ricey called for the ball, Lathrope didn't listen and cleared the ball away. Eventually the ball fell to Ricey and he expressed his anger towards Damon. I did think it was a bit uncalled for from Ricey's point of view, but you could see throughout the whole game how important it was for Ricey to win yesterday and his emotions went over the top for a few moments.

[Gullscorer]

The goalkeeper should be the boss in his area, I'd have thought..

[tomogull]

I bought my ticket for yesterday's game before the D & R match cos I assumed Exeter v Torquay would have been all ticket. Had I known it wasn't, I probably wouldn't have bothered. Pleased I was there - good to see a win and Gulls goals. To put the game in perspective, the first half was the same old story - we had the greater possession, looked comfortable in defence and yet ..... there were NO shots on target. Benyon blazed over the bar when he should have scored and several crosses from Cameron went begging. Cameron and Cargill linked up well on the left and gave the City right back a torrid 45 minutes. I went with a mate who can't usually get to games and he remarked "Where's the midfield?". He was right. Craig was non-existent. Put it down to lack of match practice if you like, but he had a very poor half. Lathrope also had a poor first half I thought - misplacing passes or making short 'hospital' passes. City's goal came from the sort of defensive error we have become used to - this time it was O'Connor. Had a chance to clear the ball but dithered and lost it. However, leading up to that, one of our players (Lathrope I think) was beaten to a ball he could have won. There was an air of gloom and 'we've seen it all before' in the Away End at half time.

Hargreaves made an inspired substitution for the second half - taking off the ineffective Nathan Craig and bringing on Ashley Yeoman. It was a game-changing moment. Yeoman harried and harried, dropped back to help the defence, and of course scored the winning goal - a chance that I doubt Benyon would have scored. Cameron's free kick was sheer class - the City keeper didn't move. Much better second half - Yeoman almost had a second (well saved by the keeper) and we had a goal disallowed for offside. Good performances from Cameron (best player on the pitch), Pearce as always, O'Connor (set up Ashley for his goal and played on at the end even though he was struggling with an injury, probably cramp), Coulthirst worked hard and was always a danger, Cargill had a good game but seemed to tire a bit in the last 15 minutes or so. Rice played well and made a good save right at the end, although it was a save you would expect any keeper to make. Mansell worked hard without creating much. Lathrope had a much better second half. Tonge was reasonable, that's all you can say. That just leaves Benyon. I really feel sorry for Benyon cos he works so hard. Yesterday he played the role of target striker and like Hawley, this simply isn't his game. On the other hand, he never looked like scoring and didn't have one shot on target.

Nobody has mentioned the ref !! Probably because you wouldn't know he was there. The match was very well refereed - best ref we've had all season by far. He let the game flow and didn't miss anything. One final word - just like at Bristol Rvrs, the Exeter players were booed off the field at the end. Not once this season have Torquay been booed off the pitch. It doesn't achieve anything and I think that says a lot for us long-suffering Gulls fans.

I hope City stay up, mainly because I'd hate to hear Argyle fans, in particular that prat Gordon Sparks, crowing about Argyle being the only Devon league club as they did last time when both Torquay and Exeter were in the Conference. I spoke to a couple of City fans after the match, admittedly old gits like myself, and they don't want Torquay to drop out of the league and - how many times have we heard this this season? - couldn't understand why we are bottom of the league ...........

[Colorado Gull]

One final word - just like at Bristol Rvrs, the Exeter players were booed off the field at the end. Not once this season have Torquay been booed off the pitch. It doesn't achieve anything and I think that says a lot for us long-suffering Gulls fans.

I don't think that is true. Many times this season the fans have booed the players off, especially when Knill was here. Most recently, the players were booed off when Scunny beat us, the game when Tonge was chosen to take the penalty and Shaq taken off (which led to the loudest 'boo' I've ever heard at Plainmoor).

[PlainmoorRoar]

I don't think that is true. Many times this season the fans have booed the players off, especially when Knill was here. Most recently, the players were booed off when Scunny beat us, the game when Tonge was chosen to take the penalty and Shaq taken off (which led to the loudest 'boo' I've ever heard at Plainmoor).

the most stupid 'boo' too

[Colorado Gull]

the most stupid 'boo' too

Why was it the most stupid?

[Scott Brehaut]

I've seen the goals from yesterday on the telly box - Yeoman's goal was excellent. A good driving run, a proper finish and left the keeper flapping at air.

[ferrarilover]

Why was it the most stupid?

Because the only people booing were those stupid enough to genuinely believe that CH wasn't acting on information that they didn't have. This is the trouble with morons, they don't realise they're morons until someone points out to them the glaringly obvious.

CH's choice at the end of that match was yank Shaq for 10 minutes and have him for the rest of the season, or leave him on and lose him for a month. But, of course, no one in the crowd knew that. Those of us with triple digit IQs worked it out in about three nanoseconds, those who drag their knuckles along the ground and have foreheads which keeps the rain off their shoes booed. I find it's a nice way to see who to avoid in the pub after the game.

Matt.

[arcadia]

Agree with most things you've said Tomo but a little harsh on Craig as when was he last selected. I felt like you he was lost for about the first twenty minutes but was gradually getting into the game and Benyon should have finished off Craigs curling cross late in the first half when it looked easier to score.
Coulthirst may have been more effective in the middle but your right the Exeter central defenders could not handle marking two central strikers second half.
The problem now is does Chris start with the team he finished with as the next game will be a totally different ball game.

[PL21gull]

Missed the Exeter match but having seen the goals I can't help wondering why CC and AY have not been used more this season, especially when you look at the 'contributions' of BB particularly .....

[tomogull]

I don't think that is true. Many times this season the fans have booed the players off, especially when Knill was here. Most recently, the players were booed off when Scunny beat us, the game when Tonge was chosen to take the penalty and Shaq taken off (which led to the loudest 'boo' I've ever heard at Plainmoor).

I was away for the Scunthorpe game but can't say I remember much booing after the grim Knill matches - certainly nothing like the Exeter fans (so called) yesterday

[ethantufcbaker]

Highlights of yesterday in 90 seconds