Torquay United v Fleetwood Town - 8/3/14

ferrarilover · Post by **ferrarilover** » 08 Mar 2014, 17:50

Denied two nailed on penalties, conceded a goal to the only shot a terrible Fleetwood side had all day. 3-0 Torquay would have reflected the game accurately. They should have ended the game with 9 men but, of course, didn't. Fleetwood fans didn't make a sound all day, long way to come to sit in silence. They knew they done a number on us. Their bench celebrated as if they'd won the Cup when Matt scored.

They were thoroughly outplayed by Torquay reserves and have nicked a win against all evidence on show to suggest that they couldn't beat an egg.

That's why we're going down. If we sign a striker who can find the net 25 times next year, this team will win the Conference with about 170 points.

Matt.

gullno4 · Post by **gullno4** » 08 Mar 2014, 18:07

gullno4 wrote:I'm going today, oddly I'm looking forward to it, can guarantee a 1-0 loss, but may aswell take in our last ever games in the football league!

hate to quote myself. but it's just so predictable!

gullno4 · Post by **gullno4** » 08 Mar 2014, 18:10

ferrarilover wrote:That's why we're going down. If we sign a striker who can find the net 25 times next year, this team will win the Conference with about 170 points.

Matt.

I expect most of the team have got get out clauses in their contracts, so they probably won't be playing for us in the conference! i imagine we'll be building our team around Nicholson. everyone else will leave!

robbotufc · Post by **robbotufc** » 08 Mar 2014, 18:20

Quite nice now when walking out the ground, i don't seem to care anymore when we lose

ROADRUNNER · Post by **ROADRUNNER** » 08 Mar 2014, 18:39

Crap ref, dirty fleetwood team, how did pond stay on the pitch, you cant play against that, thought the fans made some decent noise today, looks like we are doomed now.

ROADRUNNER · Post by **ROADRUNNER** » 08 Mar 2014, 18:40

Crap ref, dirty fleetwood team, how did pond stay on the pitch, you cant play against that, thought the fans made some decent noise today, looks like we are doomed now.

robbotufc · Post by **robbotufc** » 08 Mar 2014, 18:43

Thought Mansell was lucky to stay on the pitch with that foul in the first half

arcadia · Post by **arcadia** » 08 Mar 2014, 18:44

One of the better performances of the season but as we've said before we just can't find the killer touch in front of goal. I don't usually blame the referee but this one was a shocker. After this game Chris can see that playing all stronger players has it's benefits in midfieid but needs to sort the strike force out Benyon struggled. It was noticable that Downes was outstanding and half our side are good weather players, when it's wet Downes cannot stay on his feet. We've now got something to build on hope Chris see's it this way. Nico did ok but needs to practice those freekicks, dissapointed with Ladabie, Benyon and Hawley.
Lost the game trying to win it but if the spirit stays to the end like today there is a future with Chris Hargreaves. The crowd stayed to the end as well glad I went.
Referee

Post by **Colorado Gull** » 08 Mar 2014, 18:53

When you're down the bottom you just don't get the luck. Awful referee, shocking Fleetwood side and we couldn't score. All very similar isn't it? This is why we are going down.

The fans did their bit today, Hargreaves couldn't have asked more.

tommyg · Post by **tommyg** » 08 Mar 2014, 19:22

Can't fault the effort and commitment from the players. They gave their all today and chucked the kitchen sink at Fleetwood towards the end but we're simply not good enough - especially in the final third. We put so many balls in the box and there were plenty of blocked shots and goalmouth scrambles but we didn't really create what I'd describe as a clear-cut chance.

The ref was rubbish and should have sent Pond off in injury-time (one fan actually went on the pitch trying to confront Pond but was stopped by stewards) but it wouldn't have altered the result. We had a couple of penalty shouts but would need to see them again.

Our tactic was pass the ball to Nicholson and have him hoof it up to Showunmi. I can't remember us stringing more than four or five passes together, although the pitch was cutting up badly so made it difficult. Back five played well - Nicholson wasted a couple of set-pieces but he touched the ball more than any other player and got in some decent positions down the left. His long ball was at times predictable but we didn't have anything else in our locker. I was surprised Poke and O'Connor were left out but Rice and Tonge did well. Pearce and Downes were immense although it was a simple pass between them that gave Fleetwood their goal.

Mansell had a shocker would prefer Harding in midfield. Lathrope is a much calmer presence and keeps it simple. Labadie had a strong finish to the game but was anonymous for the first hour. Benyon and Hawley were too isolated in the wide areas. Both look uncomfortable when they're not playing through the middle. Neither can cross the ball or take their man on. I assume Goodwin was injured. Showunmi won his fair share of high balls and held it up well but he's not a goalscorer. Thought Cameron and Stockley did well when they came on but Chappell struggled.

We more than matched Fleetwood today and deserved something from the game but goals win games and we haven't got a player in the team who can bloody score one!

hector · Post by **hector** » 08 Mar 2014, 19:44

ferrarilover wrote:Denied two nailed on penalties, conceded a goal to the only shot a terrible Fleetwood side had all day. 3-0 Torquay would have reflected the game accurately. They should have ended the game with 9 men but, of course, didn't. Fleetwood fans didn't make a sound all day, long way to come to sit in silence. They knew they done a number on us. Their bench celebrated as if they'd won the Cup when Matt scored.

They were thoroughly outplayed by Torquay reserves and have nicked a win against all evidence on show to suggest that they couldn't beat an egg.

That's why we're going down. If we sign a striker who can find the net 25 times next year, this team will win the Conference with about 170 points.

Matt.

You kid yourself. Every team we play, according to you, is terrible. Fleetwood had been threatening to score for sometime before they actually did. Once Parkin was on they were especially threatening.

Torquay were clueless today. Just abysmally bad.

However, I didn't leave angrily, like some were, I have been resigned to our fate for sometime now - essentially, since the clueless Knill was here - and I am no longer angry about it all, just sad. Sad at the utter waste of all the good work that has been done to be left with a cavernous new stand that will sit empty while we play teams like Brackley.

Part of me is looking forward to playing new teams, winning (hopefully) more than we lose, but then we were winning more than we lost two and three seasons ago at this level.

Non-league football is just so unnecessary - that is what grates at me the most. The after match interview with CH didn't exactly inspire confidence and the mass changes today and I suspect again on Tuesday have perhaps undermined any progress the team may have made.

CH needs to start planning now. Identify the line-up/formation he wants to play and start thinking about which players will do a job in the conference in those positions. Get rid of the deadwood/old boys like Mansell, Nicholson, Benyon, Stevens - get Harrop out scouting around the Conference and South/North to identify which players we could try and sign.

When we were there last time, Ebbsfleet managed to spot a forward from Cambridge City called Michael Gash. Great name but a good player at that level. There must be someone like him, scoring bucketfuls of goals at Step 6/7 who would not be too an expensive risk to take - the likes of Matt Tubbs at Salisbury...even Charlie Austin at Poole Town, showed what can be found if you look hard enough.

The club need to start looking now. Not wait for the pre-season lottery of trials. Grab those hungry, young players with something to prove, that we see other clubs unearth from the lower levels of non-league. Hargreaves needs to start building his team for next season now.

taxilady · Post by **taxilady** » 08 Mar 2014, 19:45

Poke didn't play because he has 'a tight thigh' & O'Connor has a very sore shoulder, despite having a cortisone injection.Shamir got injured in training yesterday. I don't think this lot could score if the entire opposition team sat down on the bench & watched them ! Probably worth recalling Ashley.......... he can't be any worse !

Post by **Dave** » 08 Mar 2014, 19:55

hector wrote: You kid yourself. Every team we play, according to you, is terrible. Fleetwood had been threatening to score for sometime before they actually did. Once Parkin was on they were especially threatening.

Torquay were clueless today. Just abysmally bad.

Funny you should say that Hector, sent a text to a friend who went today, asked him. Did we play well ? His genuine answer was; No mate. Can't pass, can't shoot, can't score. Only high point, Exeter could go down with us.

Kind of says it all to me, even though wasn't there today, first match I've missed, and that really sums up our season, certainly not bad luck, you can make your own luck, in answer to the Yorkie above, been grade A shi'e for most of the season being honest.

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 08 Mar 2014, 20:15

Fleetwood did have more than one shot. One was well saved by Rice and the second went through his legs and luckily it didn't go in.
I didn't think we deserved to lose today - its typical that we were done 1-0 yet again by a side who are in sixth place and quite frankly didn't look any better than us.
In all fairness couldn't really fault the players attitude today. The new guy gave us something extra up front -I really think Hargreaves made a mistake by going with youngsters a month ago.
Can't fault the managers subs today - he went 4-4-2 to try and win the game.
Cameron has been lambasted for being useless all season but showed he has some real ability - he hasn't been managed correctly.
How the foul when he was clotheslined wasn't a red card god only knows.
The criticism of Mansell is predictably boring, thought he did well. He was in the side because Harding has been out for six months, a sensible decision in my book.
The penalty shout on Labadie looked an absolute stonewaller. However Labadie had dived several times in the first half - thats why we didn't get it.
He also missed a great chance in injury time.
The application today should have been there against Northampton and Accrington.
It must have been a better peformance because there was at least some atmosphere in the ground. At the end of the day it was desperately disappointing to lose.
Bad luck,decisions going against us all the time,lack of ability who knows.
A terminally awful Accrington side managed to turn over the league leaders today. Why on earth other sides can continually pick up points when being as equally as bad a we are is beyond me really.
However it really is all over and that really is me finished for the season. Desperately sad.

hector · Post by **hector** » 08 Mar 2014, 20:19

http://www.cheshamunited.co.uk/player-p ... ew-roberts

Perhaps this players should be on Hargreaves list for next season - 35 goals in 31 games for Chesham.

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