Torquay United v Bristol Rovers 26/12/13

[AustrianAndyGull]

Thanks Chris.

Well it sounds as though we were relatively poor but at least having had a couple of low key performances against Daggers and Rovers we have got 4 points instead of losing so it's all positive I guess. Nobody is saying we are going to go on a run therefore we should be happy with a point we maybe shouldn't have got, forget about it and try and get at Exeter on Sunday.

I think Knill was right to go the one up top but could he possibly have changed it late on in an attempt to win the game? I'm not criticising as at 1-1 it was in the balance and going all out attack might have cost us the game and then we'd be on here having a go but how did he approach the last 20 minutes do you think? Was he happy to be hanging on in there?

I'm happy with a point and we're currently 2 points clear of 2nd bottom Bury who are 1-0 down at home to Scunny and therefore as it is we are safe and still in there fighting and flushing out results now and it could have been so much worse if we had collapsed in these last 3 games.

We move on and try and take the game to Exeter and see what happens. Really pleased with a point today.

[bengull]

Not too difficult to see why both teams have struggled so far this season. A really poor game of football between two poor sides, which oddly made it quite enjoyable as I thought there could be a horrendous mistake at any point. Defensively we look suspect and error prone, and whilst Harrod is a menace, he is not even the crux of the problem as to why we struggled today. Positionally we are all at sea, the shape and organisation just does not appear to be there and better teams than Rovers may have exploited this better.

At the other end Bristol were not much better and had our wingers actually got going at all we could have got in behind them at will. Marquis continues to impress but he can only do so much, the new system relies on runners supporting the striking figurehead, but sadly he looked far too isolated.

I felt the penalty was somewhat fortuitous, not so much that it wasn't a handball, but more so that you rarely see them given. We didn't really capitalise from this head start and started to drop deep from about 20 minutes in and sadly the equaliser was inevitable.

Bristol were a dirty side and targeted Mozika for the physical treatment, this I felt disrupted our play just as were starting to impose ourselves on proceedings again. One prod in the face from O'Toole was nasty and cynical in the extreme but went either unnoticed or ignored from a referee who started off like he was going to be the fussiest ref since Deadman rolled up at TQ1.

With 15 minutes to go we actually managed to get Rovers on the back foot and were building up a head of steam, McCourt was actually starting to pull a few strings - he does a lot of good, simple, effective things in a match, its the slightly more difficult things that go awry which he gets castigated for- until he got subbed. This caused much merriment to a few boo boys on the pop-side which annoyed me greatly. He's a young kid, miles from home, probably his first Christmas away from home, and he's getting abused by his own fans, its sad really. He would have been close to man of the match in our wins against Bury and Dagenham. He was nowhere near the worst player on the pitch today, but some players are above criticism it would seem.

He had a hand in the best move of the match, cleverly delaying the pass to allow the overlapping (Tonge/O'Connor?) a better angle to cross, Mozika's bullet header narrowly missed the target.

I also heard a few loud shouts at Bodin during a silent stop in play, I am more than sure he would have heard them too. I just can not understand what people think this achieves. Discussion on performances on a forum is one thing, but personally slagging a player off during a match is counter-productive and unhelpful.

1-1 was both a fair result and a good result on what it must be said was a terrible playing surface- no criticism attached to anyone for that, the rainfall has been torrential and unprecedented. Vitally Rovers haven't advanced ahead of us, and we keep our good run going. 1pm on Boxing day is a difficult time to play a match.

There is a fair bit of work to do in order to get us moving forward and backwards as a unit, but I do feel the new system is getting more out of a greater number of our players. We need to move the ball faster, on the couple of occasions we managed to do so today we looked a threat.

[Chris B]

I agree with you tomo, although Cruise's positioning and reluctance to tackle still concern me. I think Chapell on the left to help Cruise/Nicho/O'Connor with Pearce rightfully restored to the XI, with McCourt in front of Tonge in a 4-4-2 could suit us more. Particularly as the highly-rated Stockley could partner the impressive Marquis up front. Let's face it, our three-man central midfield was confused and bossed in the first half. We simply failed to get close enough to Rovers.

[PlainmoorRoar]

agree with those posts, their RB had a field day surging forward unnoticed too many times!

Cruise was all on his on with 2 to mark at most times!

What i did notice in the last 30mins of the game the whole formation went out the window! McCourt was a winger/striker bodin went up front, mansell disappeared, it go so stretched it was impossible to create an attacking play!

[Dave]

Effort from us today was there, but quality agreed abysmal, first touch, ball control awful, passing dreadful at times, real shame as the team got into some really good positions just to waste a good move with poor quality touch/final ball, however once McCourt went out wide he deliver some real dangerous stuff into the Rovers area, which saved him from a forever style lashing, as up to that point he looked a real poor excuse for a footballer.

Bizarre moment of the game for me, tame free kick lands in the grateful hands of Milldenhall, groans of disappointment turn to cheers as we some get a spot kick. comedy moment, was a fair few, myself included were shocked to see Craig brought on for Chapell, some even booed, only to realise it was Stockley, all of a sudden it became a good substitution.

Whether it was a penalty or not for us, don't know didn't see it and to be fair no one near me did, Rovers goal came from a corner that should have been a free kick to us, Poke clearly fouled, ref from the moment he gave penalty just went from one bizarre decision to another he was truly shocking for both teams, Mozika clearly slapped in the face, gets the free-kick no card, and worst of all he was a yard away from a Rovers player who pulled his shot wide, didn't touch a Torquay foot, yet managed to give them a corner.

Oh well, in the end a good point won, as to fair, I thought Rovers were by some way the better footballing side.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Cheers Ben and Dave

[Gullscorer]

I pretty much agree with Forever and Bengull's reports. We were lacking in many areas, and Rovers, who were just about the better side on the day, should rightly feel aggrieved they did not take all three points. A number of our players were underperforming, but the main problem in my view was an over-cautious approach by the manager. The strategy of playing with one up front obviously worked in the previous two games against in-form teams much higher up the table, but Rovers are a team much like ourselves in a similar situation and we approached the game as if they were another Southend.

At the very least Alan Knill should have changed our formation and tactics at half-time so that we had more than a lone striker up front, and should have made substitutions much earlier than he did. A much bolder approach from him might have won us the game. But as with most substitutions it seems to be a case of too little too late. The players themselves will mostly be disappointed with their performances, and should be determined to make amends in the next game. And perhaps the manager will learn something from this one and will take appropriate action for the Exeter game.

Anyway, the Gulls will win all their December games and Alan Knill will be named Manager of the... Oh...!!!! :Oops: :~D

[goodluckgull]

What happened to Johno ? He was pulling his shorts down for the Ref to have a look and the whole popside nearly got an eyeful ! Johno went off for treatment. He took his shorts off and there was some tricky application of plasters (I think) Eventually he came back on, after putting on two pairs of shorts!!! I hope he is ok for sunday. It may swell up !!!
I did enjoy todays game. The atmosphere was good. Well done TUFC.

[portugull]

A very scrappy game. A draw was a fair result. Rovers were a very physical, niggling difficult side to play and O' Toole was a real dirty player.

Tonge got a yellow right in front of me but it should have gone to O'Toole.

Rovers had 17 shots to our 8 and 8 corners to our 2 if you believe BBC Sport.

Poke was again excellent under severe pressure. Our big problem is poor passing. In the last 20 minutes McCourt started blasting great crosses into the box. I hope Alan Knill noticed. If you get the ball in the danger areas more often you will score more often IF you put Marquis AND Stockley up front.We have got to be more offensive. Having taken the lead we immediately let Rovers take the initiative which they did.

Anyway 3 games unbeaten is good for morale lets just hope for a little more quality on Sunday and 3 points against City.

[Gullscorer]

If we want to pull away from the relegation zone we should be beating teams in Bristol Rovers' position at home. However, Exeter have won only one of their last eight games, and a win for us on Sunday would set us up nicely for the Argyle game.

[taunton_gull]

Just home from the game, the only real positive is that I would have taken a point before the match and we remain unbeaten. I thought we might have come unstuck today, it was a shame the performance was so poor given in the last two games we seemed to have turned a corner. All over the park we were second best and to be honest I was surprised we held on for a point. After being gifted the lead (I'll need to see it again but I can't believe it was handball) we seemed almost apologetic in our response, as though we were going to allow Rovers a route back into the game. That said there can be no doubt in the build up to their goal Poke was blatantly fouled before the corner was given, everyone saw it except the officials who were much closer than I was. For the Exeter match I would like to see Craig brought in for McCourt. I couldn't believe Knill left it so long to change things today when the game was only going one way. It was crying out for the introduction of Benyon but once again we weren't proactive with our tactics. The next two games will be very tough and to be honest I would take one win from the pair. The attendance was very poor, I just hope the club looks at it again before deciding all ticket matches so far in advance.

[ferrarilover]

Agree with everything everyone has said. Rovers are a dirty, dirty side. O'Toole elbows MoMo and the Frenchman gets a bollocking from the ref. Truly bizarre.
Not denying Rovers a point for which they were good value, but there were three fouls in the build up to their goal. A blatant stiff arm in the midfield, a bad tackle on the wing and Harrold on Pokey from the initial cross.

We failed to win today for having far too many players down at 3/10. Bodin, McCourt, Cruise, Chapell. Poke, MoMo and Marquis did well. Two subs came on far too late and were totally anonymous. The last word for Downes, who was Rovers' best player today. Absolutely atrocious from first whistle to last.

Hard to know just how much of the apparent Rovers quality was a by-product of our poor play and how much was genuinely of their own making. That said, had the roles been reversed, I'd want us to have done more than a cheap header from a corner which never should have been in the first place.

Matt.

[limbsofsimb]

Same old defensive woes. O'Connor showing his quality by winning most of his headers, considering hes a smallish bloke, perhaps a couple of others should take notice. McCourt looked lively when he found himself on the right in the second half, strange decision to sub him while he was so involved (i know his 1st half performance was poor). Felt marquis, mozika, o'connor and manse gave it their all.

[MidDevon]

O'Toole is without doubt a dirty player, but to me he was the most effective player on the pitch today. Head and shoulders above everyone else. The first to balls, prepared to but his neck on the line for his team......

Rovers team looked continually to him to receive passes and he seemed to be everywhere, possibly having more of the ball than any other player today

Is that not what we are missing ? I non compromising hard player who plays close to the rules, given a player to watch and not giving him an inch all afternoon?

I was amazed to read he is only 25, Playing more like a 32 year old with years of experience.......I can see why john ward got him signed up for 3 years.

[nickbrod]

Not the greatest of performances today compared with the last two games but importantly unbeaten over the last three matches - seven points out of nine could be promotion form!
An early gift of a penalty could not produce a dominant home display and to be honest Bristol Rovers were in charge for much of the rest of the match.
Having said that there was a blatant foul against Poke before the visitors' corner that led to their equaliser although Harrold pushed Downes over to get his head to the ball.
Both Marquis and Mozika had headers to have secured the win with the latters hitting the foot of the post before going out for a goalkick. The Marquis effort flashed past the post.
What was the ref on? Booked three of ours and inconsistent sums up his performance.
Pleased to hear O'Connor now on a season loan as I've been asking for; now I want to hear Mozika has signed a proper contract.
Bring on Exeter on Sunday.