PSF: Torquay United v Walsall - 3pm, 19 July 2014

An enjoyable afternoon in the sunshine where we had the better of the first half and them the second, not helped by the number of substitutes used in this type of game. No sign of Pearce, Briscoe or perhaps worryingly Cameron.

Our first chance came from a free kick, a couple of yards from the corner of the area. Young now seems to be our de facto dead ball specialist and his well struck free kick was only just tipped over the bar. Bowman had a good game and a well struck shot from range forced a good save. The first goal came from a corner, slightly overhit which had Downes having to step back to head it back into the fray where Ajala was able with a deft touch to feed it to Yeoman on the edge of the six yard box where literally it was harder not to score!

Ajala also set up the second, when he managed to nick the ball off Walsall and feed a pass to Bowman just outside the area and to the left of goal who drove deep into the area and was able to slot the ball past the keeper towards the far post. So two nil at half time and apart from the odd scare we fully deserved this lead.

Ajala had a very good game and despite being right footed, played on the left with Chappell doing good things on the right. Young continues his good start we us with some nice touches and nice steals and was supported well by Harding who had a better game. Cruise had a better game as well although wasn't put under as much pressure as on Tuesday! McDonald supported Downes well and should be a good stand in.

During the second half Walsall put us under a lot of pressure and Seabright had to earn his wages, making a number of smart saves, all to his left funny enough. Our best chance came when Benyon managed to just take the ball past their keeper from a pass back but their covering defender managed to knock the ball out for a corner. Benyon didn't have a bad half an hour and target man he is not,still made a useful contribution.

Just as I thought we would get away with a clean sheet, they managed to get through for a one on one with Seabright who couldn't do anything about conceding. So a 2-1 win and two goals scored against league opposition at Plainmoor in consecutive matches - I was happy!

The post arrived at 1045 yesterday and included a bank statement. "Proof of residency" for a local railcard which was purchased and used in time for the delayed 1108. Exeter to Torquay for £4.30 day return. A cuppa at Corbyn's Head; the climb up St Marychurch Road to Plainmoor. It was if I'd not been away. Jon and Chelston in their usual well-worn first-half popular side place; RJD joined us in good time for kick off.

A friendly; an opportunity to attempt to read the runes without too literal an interpretation. A game which, perhaps, had more slhape and validity for the first hour than the final half-hour. On which basis you'd need to say those sixty minutes were encouraging for Torquay United. Enterprising football; plenty to admire from Young, Bowman and Ajala. Strength in the middle of defence but not the flanks; in midfield Harding could yet be the key to something better. And what of Chappell? We know there's something there. As for those who didn't play, there are apparently rumours of an impending metropolitan existence for Cameron.

Then, as befits these affairs, the game took another direction. You'd imagine Walsall's substitutes were better than ours and it showed. But I liked the touches shown by young Chaney. Yet, overall, the "issue of the day" would probably be Ajala who appeared a far better player than his fairly modest record-to-date suggests. If he can be that good in competitive football, he'd be a cracking signing.

A few more Walsall supporters than you may have expected but a pretty sparse turnout in general. That's hardly surprising. I guess it was a hardcore turn-out that, if anything, was predicated towards the cheerful end of the spectrum. But, having said that, there was the air of cautious optimism at the end of the afternoon. Neither unbridled triumphalism nor wild expectation based solely on a friendly; merely reasonably-expressed hopes of an improving situation.