I only have two questions, one, how come we are not celebrating promotion instead of just being safe and two, why did we not win today’s game by ten goals. This was always going to be a game that due to both teams knowing they were safe, was never going to see crunching leg breaking tackles, or any players going over the top with any challenge, it was just played in a very good sprite with one team not bothered about wining the game and the other wanting to win it, but going back to old ways by failing to take their chances.
With the result not really being that important the fans were all in a very relaxed mood and it’s a good job nothing was riding on this game as the fans would have been in such a different mood when chance after chance was not taken.
I was back on the popside where I belong and decided to break my habbit of always being on the halfway line and instead stood up the away end side of the pop with Stuartb, chelstongull and Jon, after first having a chat with Barton Down, then at halftime going down the other end and I did enjoy watching the goal mouth action from much closer up and as it was us who did all the attacking for the whole game, it turned out to be a good decision.
Only the one changed made as expected, Charnock in for the suspended Guy Branston and while he made the odd mistake during the game, I’ll be happy to see him playing alongside Ellis (if he is here next season) should we not be able to keep Branston.
A perfect minutes silence was observed before the kick-off with only two seagulls failing to show their respect and making the noise those lovely seas birds do, can never understand why people have a problem with them.
We went on the attack from the kick-off and were still doing so in the extra four minutes added on at the end of the game, a mixture of poor finishing and some good goal keeping meant it was going to take someone to do something a bit special to get the single goal that gave us all three points and that is what Nicky Wroe did.
On five minutes Benyon in the Macclesfield box picked out Muzzy who hit his shot hoping to get it in near the right hand post, the Macclesfield keeper really flapped at the ball and just managed to get it out for a corner.
60 seconds later and Benyon was strong and held off two players and then made the space to fire in a shot from just outside the box, it had the Macclesfield keeper diving low and at full stretch to push the ball out for another corner.
Talking about corners, for some reason Nico was not up to his best taking corners today, so often hitting the ball far to low into the box and as a result the nearest defender was winning easy headers to try and clear the danger.
Benyon was once again working his socks off and he received a great ball in the box played to him by Mansell, Benyon chested the ball down and hit it on the volley with his left foot, a good strike that pulled out a good save by the Macclesfield keeper.
On 28 minutes Ellis had to make a defensive header on the edge of our box, the got so much power into the ball it sailed like a rocket to Muzzy who was out wide on the right just inside our half. He went on one of so manly blinding runs leaving the Macclesfield players around him just standing and admiring his skill and pace.
The only thing that let the fine run down was his poor ball into the box that got blocked far too easily on its way to its intend target Benyon, but the block only saw the ball fall to benyons feet who turned and took a shot that also got blocked and this time the ball fell to Wroe on the penalty spot and he should have scored but only managed to find the keeper with his shot.
Benyon should have also scored just after the Wroe chance, Muzzy played him in with a perfect pass and Benyon found himself one on one with the Macclesfield keeper and he should have just lifted the ball over the keeper who was going down to try and block the shot, but he hit it low and straight at the keeper.
Rendell was another player who missed a golden opportunity that would have seen the team end the first half leading the game, a fine run and perfect low ball into the box by Zebs that Rendell was coming onto near the penalty spot and I was just expecting to see the net burst from as power driver shot from Rendell, only he somehow managed to hit a poor shot over the crossbar.
So the end of the first half that had seen us miss so many chances and just one very hopeful shot by the lanky Macclesfield forward from all off 40 yards that went nowhere near our goal and it was time to do what I have watched so many other fans have done for more years than I care to remember and move down the other end of the popside.
Zebs and Muzzy were leaving players for dead out on the wings and a great run and low cross by Zebs saw Benyon not quite able to get on the end of the cross, it got knocked out to the edge of the box where Rendell was standing and a good powerful hard shot that was well saved.
Benyon then did well to hold off his man and played the ball back to rendell who hit a first time pass to Zebs who then laid the ball back to benyon who made a poor connection with the ball and as a result the shot was very weak.
The Plainmoor crowd were starting to celebrate the second the ball had left Zebs head after a good cross played to him by Ellis, it looked certain to go in and must have just missed the left hand post by inches.
Muzzy then got injured and O’Kane took his place, it was a shame to see Muzzy get injured as he was dazzling to watch today, yes one run he went on he forgot about taking the ball with him, but with the ball close to his feet he moved it so quickly and had the beating every time of who ever was marking him.
O’Kane showed some good skill and made one chance for himself from a tight angle that forced the Macclesfield into a save on his near post, then Benyon with a clear sight of the goal blasted the ball well over the bar with his right foot.
Shots were coming in from everywhere and Rendell had his share but he never really hit the ball with any real conviction and most of his efforts on from the edge of the box got blocked with ease.
Just when you were starting to think we were never going to score a goal, up steps Nicky Wroe and what a fine goal it was. He picked the ball up in the midfield, went on a run to the edge of the Macclesfield box and hit a great low shot to the left of the Macclesfield keeper, giving him no chance at all to make the save.
Rendell did nearly make it two with another shot from the edge of the box that hit the left hand post and the ball then fell to Zebs who took a shot himself, but the Macclesfield keeper made a fine save right by the post.
A good performance and a deserved win that showed the real character our players are now showing, lets hope we can keep most of them for next season as if we do then we are going to be a hard team to beat and one you would always fancy to win.
You could be on a sticky wicket with this one too. Branston is out and we surely can't go five games without conceding. Be nice though. I fancy a win. Benyon is on fire so a hat trick in a 4-1 spectacle (and no I haven't started early at the Tuckers Maltings Beer Festival!!) ;D
Today's lineups: Torquay (0-11-0) v Macclesfield (0-11-0) ;D