Forrest Green V Torquay United 23rd Sept 2008

I would add Jon, I don't know how anyone could turn around a display our team put on tonight, against the odds(even the guy on the radio sounded as If he was waiting for the doom to come) got a result and fully deserved. Maybe some will never be pleased or happy.

I will let the performance and results speak for themselves Jon

Just got back from the game so thought i would put a very quick match report on here as a few people have been asking for one. I expect you will get a few more tomorrow.

It probably sounded a better game on the radio than it actually was, apart from the last 2 minutes.

To start with Forest Green were poor, probably worst side we have played so far. They didn't deserve to win the game and we probably did enough to warrant deserving what we got, 3 points, though we did ride our luck at times.

Poke going off was an early blow, must have been carrying an injury because there was no challenge on him, he was collecting a hoof ball from them and just went to ground. Surprised that Sills went in goal, i was expecting Hodges, who has played there for Plymouth i believe.That said Todd looked like he was carrying an injury (for the 2nd game in a row), so i suspect that they had an inkling he wasn't going to last the 90, so Hodges was going to have to play Centre Half.

No sooner had Sillsy gone in goal that FGR were thru, sills caught in no mans land, was chipped but goal (rightly) disallowed for a push, on Woods i think. We knew then we were in for a nervous time. However, for some reason they didn't threaten to much, we had a few chances that could, perhaps should, have been put away. The best being Dsane 1 on 1 with their keeper, but no surprises in him hitting at their keeper.
Sills then let a cross cum shot slip thru his hands, but we cleared it off the line. Their goal came from a corner and a goal mouth scramble, which was hard to make out as we were at th other end of the ground. It was against the run off play as well.

During the half time break, Sills came out with Kenny Veysey for some extra coaching, along with some help from Martin RICE. He WAS at the ground and also more then a bit bemused at not getting onto the bench. Sillsy lapped it up as the crowd were signing "Englands Number 1".

Second half much the same as the first, we were the more positive, we appeared to have more chances, but still a bit of a scrappy, boring game. It looked an uphill struggle with Todd & Poke off injured and the centre forward in goal, however that was all to change when PB brought Benyon on, for Thompson, who up until then i had forgotten he was playing.
For me it was Benyon who changed it around. He looks so lively, gets all around the pitch, unlike the lazy Green.
Benyon took his goal superbly, it resembled Sodje's goal against us for York. Up until then Sillsy had touched the ball 3 times, each of those was to collect a speculative hoof up field. We looked the more likely to score.

Then for some reason around the 75 minute mark, we went to pot. FGR just upped their game massively, we couldn't get out of our half. We were awful for 13 minutes, or so. In that time They hit the bar, sillsy made a great save and they were given a penalty. It happened right in front of us and you have to give it to their striker he made it look a dead cert pen, although I'm sure woodsy got the ball first???
All the penalty taker had to do was hit the target, it was obvious sills was going to standstill, yet he knocked it a couple of yards wide, that was criminal and they didn't deserve anything from the game for that alone, that and the fact that even though we had a 'dodgy' keeper they didn't try to test him, i bet they didn't have more than 2 shots on Target?

After they hit the bar and missed a pen i said to the guy next to me that to rub salt into their wound we would go down their end and bang in a winner in the last minute, which if you are reading this you will be able to verify.

Next thing ball over the top, benyon and green both free, Green takes it from 20 yards ish, 2-1, crowd goes wild.

Did we deserve it? Yes i think we did. They certainly deserved nothing out of the game.

Did we play well? Not really, but who cares, a win is a win and to score in the 90 odd minute, away, with your centre forward in goal, with them hitting the bar and missing a penalty, you would take that any day of the week.

It would have been a long journey back.

Here is how i rated the players;

Poke ??: Not on long enough

Sills 10: Why, because he did what he had to do and more, and you cant ask for more than that. He didn't move for the penalty, but made a great diving save down to his right.

Mansell 8: Solid as usual. The defence did so well to keep the pressure off Sills.

Woods 8: Won all of the balls they hoofed forwards, didn't push the opposition once, must have read my last post.

Hodges 8: Ditto Woods

Nicholson 6: 2nd touch was a long hoof down field to no-one, looked a bit slow, bu they helped keep them at bay. Long throw caused them problems.

Dsane 5: We missed Carlisle here. Dsane missed a 1 on 1, other than that didn't really threaten, deliver or make too much of an impact.

Carayol 6: A couple of good runs, but made a few errors, first touch not there tonight, would definitely have gone off if we hadn't used all our subs.

Thompson 2 (or poss 8??) i say that because he might have had a good game?? but i didn't remember him doing anything, when he went off i thought it was Carayol who had gone, until he knocked the ball into touch 2 minutes later. So Thompson either had a steady game and everything he did was standard, or he was so awful that he didn't get into the game.

Hargreaves 7: Steady

Wroe 7: Steady but inconspicuous at times.

Green 6 for 90 minutes, then 9: What a frustrating player, he appears to be so lazy, rarely closes down, never chases back, but quality goal and for that alone, winning the match, deserves a 9.

Benyon 9: Only on for 35 minutes, ish, but the stand out player. Stacks of energy, stacks of enthusiasm, chases everything, closes down, does everything Green doesn't. Fantastic goal, could have had a couple more. Would like to see him start, ahead of Green, Thompson and Dsane. My man of the match.

Cracking atmosphere in the away end, so well done to the travelling supporters for making more noise than the home supporters.

Thanks for a great report tufc01, I know you always give an honest view and the game did sound better on the radio. Like you say a win is a win and under the circumstances we were under, to get all three points can only be viewed as great result.

My view about the radio was the man talked far to much, only breaking off to go to any action, so I only heard the bits Of the game he did mange to commentate on. This made It sound all action, the important thing Is the three points, so well done lads, sorry I could not be there.

I certainly did, and what a lucky break for me to find myself down in the Thames Valley so that I could rendezvous with Andy Full in Marlow and get driven the rest of the way!

First things first, and Dave Shaw you are talking out of your arse with pre-match statements like "to fail to win will be unacceptable" and your serial carping about Buckle. You've not seen a single minute of action this season, you've got a one track agenda and to be perfectly honest pal...................you're getting on my tits now!

That game was a privilege to be at last night and a curious parallel to the game at Histon last season when we also overcame great adversity to win in the last minute.

Only teams with a real and genuine desire to play for their manager, turn in performances like that and watching where I was on the half way line (and yes Jim, quietly............well until we scored!) I would want to take issue with TUFC1's observations on Thompson, Green and Dsane. Last night wasn't all about running round like headless chickens and for me it was about affording Sills the maximum available protection by rigidly keeping shape, closing down quickly and keeping behind the ball - none more so than the aforementioned Thompson, Green and Dsane.

Alex Lawless was given the freedom of the park to spray passes forward from just in front of his back four, but to what end product? I'll tell you, 80% of them went to our sitting midfielders - I know I cribbed the notes of the watching Wrexham scouts sitting beside me!

We lined up more 4 -4- 1-1 last night and having to lose the all important central spine of the team so early into the game(keeper,centre half and centre forward) I felt that Hodges was pushed to central defender in order to minimise disruption to the defence........................and how well he played there, a genuinely versatile and highly experienced operator in a number of roles.

That said, our passing and patience in holding possession for an extra second or two to create extra space was of the highest order and allowed decent spells of possession and the opportunity to make FGR chase lost causes....................dunno where all this "hoof ball" paranoia comes from

The running off the ball from the said Thompson, Green and Dsane was prolific and if you can't see that from behind the goal Anthony, come and sit where the professionals and the press who can and did see it, sit; they sit there for a reason.................and so do I!

Other observations, I thought it was Mansell who fouled Afful for the pen and that it was (although a harsh decision) a correct call by the ref. But did you lot behind the goal see it differently, as I note the HE and .com reports say it was Woods?

The nature and volume of support from the Yellow Army was an important factor in turning adversity into advantage and everyone who contributed to that support should stand up and take a bow!

The superb playing surface and generous size of the pitch were a contributory factor to such a good game last night and FGR are to be complimented as ever on excellent hospitality, presentation and professionalism..................a model small football club!