FL2: Torquay United v Lincoln 20th March 2010

that made me laugh ;D just about the only thing that has,after yesterdays shocking result,another defeat snatched from the jaws of victory,lincoln must have laughed all the way home.

Did you see the back heel then? He`s quality that bloke he should start every game!

Very good. ...watching the points drift away... ;D

Budleigh, many thanks for your really flattering words in Saturday's programme. My Mrs has no idea what I write on here and couldn't believe that it was me whom you were referring to.

I left the ground after the match feeling more frustrated and disappointed than I have for many years. How could we have lost that game after dominating almost throughout ?

It was really all down to panicking in front of goal and hesitancy in front of our own, but at the end of the day it has to be said that Lincoln had two outstanding players and nine mediocre ones, and on any other day Rob Burch in their goal would have been acclaimed as their matchwinner.

If the game back in 1962 was Albert Broadbent's match, then this was surely Davide Somma's. He showed sublime skill throughout the game and it occurred to me at one point how unfair it was than Lincoln had acquired such a player and we hadn't.

Having said that, I agree (for once) with the manager that we gifted them their goals, or at least two of them. The corner which led to their first goal appeared to be mishit, but Somma sized on it and had it in the net while none of the four defenders around him were sharp enough to get in a tackle or block.

The second goal was eerily reminiscent of one we conceded at Salisbury last season, when a player was allowed to dribble all the way along the byeline and set up an easy chance. Somma did brilliantly to make a monkey out of Mansell, but then Robertson and Ellis made pathetic challenges and allowed the cut back, and even then Wroe had every opportunity to clear, but somehow fluffed it completely. No wonder Branston was going berserk.

As for the third goal, the ball was booted down the middle and the entire defence seemed to be sleeping. In all honesty, I don't think that Ellis would have got to the ball even if he had not slipped. It was one of those goals out of nothing which can happen at any level.

As I have stated on another thread, for me Kevin Nicholson completely changed the game when he came on, and produced a performance which has been desperately missed since he lost his place back in November. He didn't put a foot wrong as far as I could see, and could so easily have won the game for us on another day.

I was also impressed with Adam Smith and particularly with Carayol, who seems to have found a new lease of life. His loping sort of stride completely belies his pace and ability on the ball.

Nicholson's shot, Rendell's glaring miss, and those two or three goalmouth scrambles, all of these conspired to make it an afternoon of total frustration for me. We still have it all to do and the game at Grimsby next month could easily turn out to be another Barnet.

Leigh in an email last night asked me not to give my professorial opinion, I have decided its best that I don't