NL: Torquay United v Eastleigh 7:45pm 24 Sept 2019

Hope we play two up front...

Olaf is not the answer just yet and I pray he's not another David Bing!. Far to green especially at this level and will be knocked about by the many experienced defenders at this level.
His chance will come along at some point but not right now.
Duku has done nothing since his arrival but must be given more pitch time to prove himself though from what we've witnessed so far its going to be a tough ride and he has to get his game on track pretty soon or risk being farmed out on loan to see if he can regain some confidence.
We were crying out for an old head again In the middle on Saturday but Dickson is once again injured and on the sidelines and as much as I like his commitment and way he plays his injury's have taken their toll and we simply cannot rely on him from one game to the next. With Hall out also our first choice eleven are pretty young.
Opie Edwards another talented but fragile player who is always struggling with injuries. Good to see Jake Andrews back again but just imagine if we lost Reid to injury - where would our threat come from/ It would spell big problems if we were left without his services for any length of time. Really think we nee more experienced cover up front.
In the meantime we have to get on with it and muddle our way through matches with a depleted squad and hope that our first choice midfield return sooner rather than later or I fear we will start to slide.
CLE is a massive miss, no one gets near him on quality or threat to opposing defenders and can cause havoc when hes really on his game.

Due to p*ss down this afternoon to about 6pm and then a good chance of some rain during the match.

2-3 Another home loss.Another late goal conceded. Worrying.

We should have been 5 - 1 up at HT but thought we should have won the game but for 3 sh@te pieces of defending and a strange sub - Whitfield who was our best player was subbed and Andrews who looked knackered was left on. Whitfield didn’t even get past the corner flag before Eastleigh made it 2 - 2

😟😟😟😟😟

Disappointing to end up losing to a late goal in added time in a game Torquay were winning for much of the game. It was an open, entertaining game with both teams having their dangerous moments. There were times when Torquay played with confidence and bossed the match but did not finish the game off. Eastleigh then had their periods of play when the ball got in our danger areas behind our defence. Crowd a disappointing 2,005 with just 45 from Eastleigh. Sponsors MOTM going to Vincent.

Torquay played with a strong wind in their favour in the first half attacking the away end. Eastleigh should have scored early on following a low cros but Covolan made a first class save with an outstretched arm low down. Covolan impressed me again tonight with good, clean handling when needed especially from high crosses. Torquay tested Eastleigh's keeper a few times mainly with long range shots that their keeper was equal to. Davis who had an outstanding game often winning some vital tackles hit our best attempt low down but again their keeper parried it. Whitfield went one better and unleashed an unstoppable shot from outside the box that beat finally their keeper. After Torquay's goal, our confidence went up a level and we were playing with more freedom. Torquay went in at the break deserving their 1-0 lead.

Shortly after the break Danny Hollands, who we remember fondly from his loan spell years ago, finished very sweetly for Eastleigh driving the ball low into the net from outside the box after the ball broke loose. However Torquay soon took the lead again, following a Whitfield cross Andrews got the final touch at close range. Torquay stepped up their game again and did a lovely one touch move involving several players that nearly undid Eastleigh. Torquay had chances to finish off the game but out-of-the-blue Eastleigh hit long range shot with Covolan out of his goal that dipped beautifully under the cross bar. This happened immediately Torquay had brought on Kalala for Whitfield with Torquay in the ascendancy. Both teams went for the winner but Eastleigh were looking more and more dangerous. Just when it seemed Torquay had survived those scares and into added time, Eastleigh got behind Torquay's defence again and this time finished off from another low cross into the danger area. The home crowd went deadly quiet and there was not time to get back.

So a shock defeat in the end. It was a decent Torquay performance for much of the game so it is difficult to pin-point why we lost. We had plenty of decent chances throughout the game and it was a good, committed performance. Saying that Eastleigh had a lot of dangerous moments themselves and often got in behind Torquay's defence. It was that sort of game that swung one way then another. It could easily have been Torquay who won the game. Perhaps a lack of experience is costing us or perhaps a lack of the killer instinct? Reid had a quiet game tonight. Keating was typical Keating. Work very hard and helped to make things happen but lacks composure in the opposition box and did not finish off a couple of decent chances. I like Covolan in goal and our new recruits Cundy and Whitfield. Whitfield has bags of energy and skill and tonight showed me he can finish. Clearly we are missing that extra bit of quality in Evans and Edwards that can turn games and Hall's experience and leadership in midfield. It's fine margins at the end of the day and in the end Torquay just came up short.

TUFC match report- link