Torquay United Fans Forum

I think we'll finish in the top 8, and give ourselves a shot with the playoffs. Omar and Holman are really intriguing signings, and hopefully will prove masterstrokes. Lapslie seems as solid and dependable midfielder as we could've hoped to sign. I imagine today's starting XI will be:

Halstead
Wynter Lewis Omar Moxey
Little Lapslie Andrews
Holman Wright CLE

A solid team with goalscorers in it. One concern is a definite lack of pace. In Nemane and Whitfield, we have lost that dimension, and Randell also dribbled well (see Wright's 2nd vs Notts County). It'll also be interesting to see how long Moxey keeps Martin out the starting line up. Pointing out the obvious, we also need another central defender to deputise/challenge Lewis and Omar.

1-1, Wright

Altrincham were one of the top 3 sides to visit Plainmoor last season, played some really tidy football and deserved their win. Colclough looked a handful that night, and is perhaps the type of winger we're missing.

Nemane

Moxey
Randell
Cameron

G: Gregory Goodridge

There's one on eBay - I hope the link works for you.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/163900930282

Reid
Janneh
Cameron
Whitfield
Vincent

Outstanding win today. Prior to this afternoon, I'd seen two defeats and no goals for. Well, no danger, it was incredibly convincing at The Shay. Our interplay going forward was exceptional for long periods, at times reminscent of the incisivie possession during Leroy's stellar season.

Speaking to locals after the game, it seems they were missing their captain and defensive linchpin Brown. However, I'd be amazed if he would've been able to hold his team together against our frontline. Reid was simply brilliant. Two years ago, he fired our equaliser at Halifax, but cut a confused and maligned figure. Now, he guarantees goals. More than that, he occupied their defenders, held the ball and supplied the right ball at the right moment (for his second and Kalala's goal). His partnership with Janneh - great to have him back, but how did he not make it 3 in the first half?! - could be devastating before the new year.

It felt like a real collective effort today, and Johnson and the team include the fans in that with the celebrations. Of course it'd be good to avoid conceding goals, and we do seem susceptible to direct wing play and scrambles in our box. In reality, though, a team above us in the table mustered a 10min spell straight after a half time rollicking and a consolation when the game was safe. Job done. Great to be part of the Yellow Army - viva the Yorkshire Gulls!

Bigman wrote: 13 Oct 2019, 08:49 Our forward passing was poor today, don't think Reid had a touch for first 35 minutes so dropped to halfway where he's not going to threaten. Whitfield kept driving into dead ends out wide and although Kalvin seemed to have the beating of the full back he was too slow with decision making. Think an Andrews free kick that was easily gathered and a Cameron scramble from a set piece were our only attempts all game.

Notts had hardly any of the ball first half but missed 2 good chances and were a threat from set pieces all game. They managed second half well and we never had a sniff.

Weren't helped by ref at start of second half, so many free kicks for nothing breaking up the game and never gave us a chance to get going. Never a foul for their second, the winger went to lean into Kalvin who got out the way. Good delivery though, and good strike for their first (which given he's a full back and the way he shaped up i thought he was going to sky it).

As said in another thread, set piece delivery was especially poor, had lots of them but never threatened.

Second game of the season after Chesterfield. This was much better, but as said above, for all our enterprise and some slick play in the middle of the pitch, we barely looked like scoring. Notts County had a couple of old heads in Turner and Doyle, who, with their excellent right back, were streetwise and gave them the edge.

On the MOTM thread, I've mentioned 3 midfielders. Their endeavour was plain to see, and at times they drove positively in possession. However, there were times when I wondered what their strength is. Defending, our back 4 looked exposed (Wynter had an uncharacteristically poor game), yet in attack Reid was massively isolated for long periods. I actually thought Duku briefly offered some additional presence.

For the first goal, watching live, it seemed a crisp shot displaying technique rarely seen by a full back at this level. I don't blame Covolan, but here and at Chesterfield, his defenders did point the finger at him at times. Doesn't look like they have much faith in him, unfortunately.

Whitfield
Andrews
Buse
Cameron
Vincent

Frustrating performance yesterday, albeit the result had a sense of inevitability about it. There were times when we were full of bluster in the second half, but although we got a few crosses in, we never looked like scoring against a dogged but very limited side.

Personally, I think the criticism which came Covolan's way for the goal was harsh, and was unhelpful from his defence. He stood little chance with Boden so close to goal. He also kept us in the game with an excellent stretched save, after our defence repeatedly failed to clear their lines. Duku had our best chance in the opening 5mins, and somehow shot wide after Kalala's most meaningful contribution (what a frustrating player!). Similarly, when Reid was presented with the ball in Chesterfield's half, he fired wide.

Then we come to the midfield... Dickson and Vincent improved after the break, but were non existent in the first half. Both have been thrown in there and it's a new partnership, but it was very worrying. We can complain about injuries, but Hall is very prone to them and the fact is Lemonheigh-Evans will probably be missing til the New Year. Fingers crossed Little is back asap and stays fit. As others have suggested, Whitfield is a cracking addition and looked a bright spark throughout.

Plenty of long trips north to come; hopefully we'll see better performances and results in the coming months.

Efete
Murphy
Reid
Davis
Gowling

A deserved draw in dreadful conditions against very poor opposition. It astounds me how low the standard is in the division.

Setting up with a back 3 seemed wise, and all of the central defenders acquitted themselves well. I've heard iffy reports about Efete, but I was impressed (bar the dreadful loss of possession at the end). He was possibly my MOTM. In the last 15mins, we looked vulnerable to any ball into the box, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt with the swirling wind and driving rain. Davis and Higgins provided a decent outlet on the wings, and the former should've scored early in the second half.

Goalscoring is a clear issue for us. On an increasingly slick pitch, we should've utitlised positions created through tidy passing and shot. Instead, we frequently took another touch or played another pass. That said, Murphy's contribution was more than handy - he was a pivot for attacks and has a footballing brain. McQuoid showed the briefest glimpses of quality (I thought he dived) and Reid, well...Reid scored!!

Onto the midfield, where I thought we looked neat in possession and switching the play. However, Evans' touch was pretty appalling and Young chased shadows due to a lack of pace. His corners - besides the one that counts most - were largely terrible. In any other conditions, surely Dowling would've come on.

Another point, off the bottom, but we look far from a side about to storm up the table. We're lucky the teams around us are so inept. A point here and there might inch us up the table, but work still needs to be done in recruiting a goalscorer.

Making a short journey across West Yorkshire for this one. Expecting a routine 1-0 or 2-0 defeat with us showing fight but next to no goal threat.

With the dismal weather and early goal fest, this goes down as one of the more bizarre PSFs I've been to.

Young got the first, deceiving the keeper with a curling free kick into the near bottom corner. He was a busy and dominant presence throughout. Persistence after a goalmouth scramble saw Gray make it 2, before he lashed his second with the Truro defence asleep. Completing the 14 minute madness, Higgins smashed a left-footed fourth into the top corner. The most promising RB we've had in years, and not an undeserving MOTM.

Second half sub Pittman coolly slotted in a one-on-one and was narrowly judged to be offside after an even better finish. The scoring was rounded off with an unlikely belter by Lathrope - it's been a long time coming!

All in all, a real confidence booster and chance for a few of the forwards to get amongst the goals. Poor Ruairi Keating worked tirelessly and looked gutted to be denied what looked a certain goal. Hard to tell against a side whose standout was Gerring, but we played some good stuff. Gosling, Young and Chaney showed good vision and interchanges to keep the strikers in the game.

Truro had a couple of moments with Klukowski and McGinty a bit immobile and sloppy in possession, and there were moments where a better side would've punished us. On this occasion, Clarke's biggest challenge was to avoid catching a cold. Fallon...no comment.

I remember him playing a friendly for us at Newton Abbot or Dawlish whilst on trial with us in 2006. Atkins opted against signing him (he also plumped for Carl Motteram ahead of Ryan Harley that busy summer).

There's no denying Clarke has had a really solid career, particularly in his years at Oxford. He might not pull off spectacular saves like Moore, but hopefully experience and consistency will help our defence.

Welcome to the club, Ryan