Enzo
TFF member
Posts: 283 
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Post by Enzo on Oct 17, 2009 16:13:25 GMT
Another draw at home against lowly opposition. Sounded quite an entertaining game for the neutral and at least we are out of the bottom two....albeit on goal difference. That will do me come the end of the season!
In some respects this result is more worrying than some of the others - no win in god knows how long and the Manager does not seem to know his best formation let alone starting eleven. The fact that Taylor was on the bench today highlights the need for squad strengthening - bu strengthening of the team rather than squad please - Yet again some of Buckle's recent signings were not deemed good enough for a starting place. Would you trust the guy with more cash??
I'll be interested in any first hand opinions of this game - it was horrible to listen to as it sounded like they were cutting through and creating chances whenever they got the ball - particularly attacking Nicholson - was this the case?? Poke certainly seemed to earn his money.
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chelstongull
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Favourite Player: Jason Fowler
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Post by chelstongull on Oct 17, 2009 16:27:25 GMT
ONE WORD: Too many long ruddy aimless balls  Right....I'm off to take the missus up the Dumpling!  |
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Post by aussie on Oct 17, 2009 16:45:42 GMT
ONE WORD: Too many long ruddy aimless balls Right....I'm off to take the missus up the Dumpling! You keep doing that, must be getting a bit sore by now!  |
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Post by ohtobeatplainmoor on Oct 17, 2009 17:27:10 GMT
Just got back from a battling performance from both teams and it was played in a good spirit. Certainly a very positive advert for League 2 football.
We created some good chances (probably more than we did in the whole Grimsby, Barnet and Bournemouth defeats put together) but sometimes we were our own worst enemy and could well have lost it if we had Bevan in goal with his injury.
Sponsors' MOTM was Poke, I would have been surprised if had been anyone else. He was exposed many times by the defence - particularly as Ellis and Robertson were exposed themselves because the fullbacks were exposed from the failure to "defend from the front".
We started brightly and ramped-up the pressure on Morcambe, who looked every inch the typical lower-league stereotypes - some very short haircuts, a few stocky players, perhaps not blessed with the skills that would give them the ability to play at higher levels but determined, organised and not lacking in know how. Fortunately their grittiness was matched by their profligacy in the box, because they really should have scored more than two by the time the final whistle blew.
I noticed Mark Lillis was on their coaching staff today - a battling opponent from back in the late 80's for Scunthorpe. His know-how seemed to have rubbed-off on the Morcambe team.
Although we were frustrating to watch at time, the players' heads never dropped and we gave it a good go. What frustrated me more than anything today was not the formation, or the selection or the inability to snatch the win, it was the decision making and so often individuals not "doing the right thing".
So often we didn't put a foot through the ball to clear from danger, so many times the telling pass was missing and I felt that it was typified in the first half when we poured forward, Benyon had the ball in space, Rendell (and others) were free, but Benyon kept his head down and kept running - everyone in the whole ground could see that he was running into a blind alley and players were closing from behind, but he didn't release the ball and the chance went begging.
Stevens was frustrating as well in his second half appearance - yes he looked fresh and gotstuck-in, but the deccision making was not there and he looked second best so often agaisnt the canny Morcambe warhorses.
I didn't hear any rumours on arrivals next week, but Bucks said n Radio Devon that he hopes that there are arrivals next week on loans with a view to a permenant deal when the transfer window opens. I can only hope that they have the know-how at this level, because when you compare some of the players that we have against solid professionals we fall short in some areas......
Still - there were several positives to come out of the game and certainly areas to work-on. We could well have won it at the end if Steven's hadn't seen their keeper pull-off a top-class save from close range, but that would have perhaps been more than we deserved.
I would be surprised if we didn't see a similar approach against Lincoln next week as we did against Notts County - perhaps having Charnock in a back 3 might have been a better bet today, but then football is all about opinions.
Finally, I thought the referee had an excellent game today. It was good to see that he picked-up the pushes and pulls that Morcambe unfairly employed early in the game and it was more or less stamped-out for the remainder of the match, which flowed well and never threatend to boil-over.
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Post by jmgull on Oct 17, 2009 17:42:19 GMT
Out of the bottom two and we stretch our unbeaten run, as well as a pulsating end to end game, especially in the second half.........thats the positives out of the way, sadly today their were far more negatives.
Defensively we were awful, Morecambe's centre forward Paul Mullin absolutely terrorised Ellis and Robertson today, he was magnificent to be honest, and won absolutely everything......Nicholson will again probably get the most stick as he was beaten time and time again by the right winger Duffy but he was left horribly exposed in the 1st half as Rendell is not a track back type of player, for the whole game we allowed Morecambe's forwards so much time and space to turn and build attacks. After some better performances, our defenders have plenty to work on this week, Mansell was by far, the best of a bad bunch.
Now the formation.........a bold (strange) 4-3-3 in the 1st half that worked quite well for the 1st keenly fought 20 mins, we probably deservedly went a goal up as Morecambe's night club bouncers (centre halves) were finally penalised for shirt pulling, holding and general brutish behaviour that they had previously got away with up until then............then the wheels fell off.
Morecambe realised they had the freedom of the flanks and punished us for it.......equalizing a few minutes later and then predictably taking the lead just after half time, in fairness to them they should have won in a canter and thanks to some good saves from Poke and some woeful finishing we got a scarcely deserved point, Morecambe really should have had 4 or 5 in the second half alone.
With the introduction of Stevens and Carlisle we reverted back to 4-4-2 and started to regain a foothold in the match as well as finally starting to cover our overworked full backs.......a role reversal got us on level terms with Carlisle heading home a pinpoint Sills cross, we really only created two more chances after that as Morecambe broke with skill and pace time and time again, Carlisle missed a good chance just after his goal and Stevens nearly commited daylight robbery when the Morecambe keeper brilliantly saved his shot in stoppage time.
Our midfield was mainly bypassed in the 1st half and overrun in the 2nd.....though they certainly battled well. Up front Sills won his share of headers, Rendell had a quiet 1st half then came off and Benyon was......very poor again. Carlisle and Stevens both played well in the 2nd half and Mills had little chance to show what he could do but still caused their defence more trouble in 10 minutes than Benyon did for the 1st 80.
It would have been nice to have nicked the winner but it would have only papered over the cracks......we look good enough to win games in this league when we are playing at our absolute best and with some tempo, when we drop from that level we look like relegation fodder to be honest.
Their are at least 4 or 5 players that need replacing, and that is the kind of number of better players we need to bring in, starting this week.
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Post by Swanny on Oct 17, 2009 17:48:36 GMT
From a neutral viewpoint I suppose it was a great match to watch, loads of chances at both ends, defences wide open (especially ours), in a highly entertaining game that swung one way and then the another. Great value for money. From a Torquay's fan's viewpoint it was a worrying afternoon that could have easily have resulted in a defeat against fellow strugglers. Thanks to a masterclass in goal by sponsors MOTM Poke, some last-ditch defending and some poor finsihing by Morecambe at least we gained a point. Amazingly we are out of the bottom two. Crowd 2,614, around 70 from Morecambe.
First half Torquay lined up 4-3-3 against Morecambe's 3-5-2. Leading up to Torquay's goal, we were having a good 15 minute spell and you felt a goal was coming. Mansell had a decent shot just deflected wide and there some other close chances. Our penalty was fortunate. A Nicholson free-kick came over, the referee noticed a push in the box that no-one else had and pointed to the spot. Wroe dispatched the penalty down the middle, luckily the keeper had already dived to his right. 1-0 with Torquay in command and you thought were on our way to a long-awaited win.
However all that was to change as Morecambe gained the initiative playing with width against our narrow 4-3-3. Suddenly Morecambe were finding huge gaps in our defence passing with ease and having far too much space to pick out players. It was no surprise when they equalised from one of their several well crafted moves that sliced us open with worrying ease. For the rest of the half Morecambe were the better team whereas we were just feeding off scraps.
Something had to be done about Morecambe's ease they were slicing through us like butter so for the second half Carlisle came on at left midfield for Rendell who was playing up front. Sadly 2 minutes into the second half another crisp Morecambe move on their right was finished off at close range. Shortly afterwards, on came Stevens for Thompson (who was one of our best players) and Torquay were back to their tried and trusted 4-4-2 with Stevens on the right midfield. Stevens and Carlisle turned the game in Torquay's favour and both had impressive games going forward. Carlisle also shored things up better in defence, but Stevens sadly struggled to do that. After decent Torquay pressure Carlisle headed in from a Sills cross on the right. 2-2 and now it was an even contest with the match going from end-to end.
Luckily Poke was in inspired form when a Morecambe goal looked a certainty, there were far too many "heart-attack" moments in Torquay's penalty area. Torquay nearly got the winner in injury time when a Stevens shot was brilliantly parried by their keeper. Mills had come on for Benyon in the last few minutes but it has to be said he did not impress. He looked and played a bit too much like Sako for my liking being easily brushed off the ball.
So full-time 2-2 and most supporters were quite relieved we drew which says a lot really. Again you cannot fault our effort and spirit but it ended up as another struggle.
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Post by jmgull on Oct 17, 2009 18:15:48 GMT
.............. a game i'm feeling confident about......think we'll win well actually and will have a few quid on 4-0, or 4-1, always a generous price. An early goal for us is key though.  This is more the sentiment I was responding to Dave, and the one which stated "we will bleddy murder' em"Of course we can beat them, any team is beatable in the same division; but their current form and central defensive personnel doesn't suggest it will be "easy" By all accounts there have been some extensive periods of time spent on the training ground this week which indicates to me that 3-5-2 will be persevered with and that intense concentration has been put on getting the back three to improve their decision making above the lamentable level they showed in the opening third of last Sunday's game. Without having first hand knowledge of the Morecombe team, I would suspect that a one for one change of Rendell for Benyon will see the same lineup as Notts leaving Carlisle and Stevens as formation changing options should the wing back option not prove successful.  ........i wrote that rather hopeful one liner on the back of a sudden rush of optimism, after a couple of very good results away from home, I should have remembered from our previous league days that we rarely "deliver" when you think that we're due. I didn't get chance to get the bet on anyway thankfully  I rarely bet on us these days anyway but i look back longily at the time when i did find it very profitable, it was back in the Kevin Hodges playoff defeat season. I would back 3 of our defenders Gibbs, Gurney and Gittens for 1st goalscorer at prices ranging from 25's to 50's each week, as they contributed close to 25 goals between them that season......i was collecting regulary. Yep, the 3 G's were certainly worth a few G's that season |
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Post by ohtobeatplainmoor on Oct 17, 2009 18:21:09 GMT
I fully agree JM, although I think that given we have 3 on the books already (the maximum being 5 in a matchday squad) then it's unlikely we will see anything along those sort of numbers.
Perhaps if Truro have picked up the majority of the wages of Hodges and Adams (and thankfully Rice has joined them on a permanent basis!) then that would allow that sort of additions that we do need. I have no doubt that either of those two players are on "league wages".
Mills didn't offer anything more than you would expect from a very raw young player with very little match time and I don't think he offers what we need in the league.
Nicholson offered some offensive options with his set pieces, but I felt that Thompson, Wroe, Benyon and Stevens disappointed against experienced opposition. I feel that the midfield today didn't compete well enough, although Hargreaved held things together as best he could.
If the arrivals are gnarly, solid, steely and experienced at this level like Drummond, Bentley, Mullin and Adams then that will benefit the squad. I would be disappointed if we get rookies at this level like Mills or Rendell (who may well go on to have decent careers, but at the moment I can't see that they benefit much over what we already have) because we are in a relegation scrap and although I fully appreciate the finances are very, very tight we need to ensure that we stay in the league to keep pushing forward because I can't see a way back if we are relegated again.
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Oct 17, 2009 18:26:59 GMT
As I left for the game I received a phone call from the club and was asked to attend a meeting, I will post the details later tonight.
When your goal keeper is the man of the match at home, it tells you all you need to know about how the game went, we were guilty of being to slow to the ball and just knocking long hopeful balls and we were also guilty of failing to do any basic marking.
If Bucks has had the team doing extra work this week on the system we played first half, then sorry Bucks the time was wasted and it certainly did not work at all today. No cover out wide and the opposition found easy routes to our box and once there, passed it around like they were just in a training session.
We got a point and we can count ourselves so very lucky to get , because I don’t think we deserved one and the away manager could not be blamed if he said to the press, his team were robbed of a deserved victory.
Rendell who I have rated did not look interested and Benyon far too light weight and not willing to put in any work, so often failing to track back with players once he lost the ball, making it far too easy for them to get the ball to the edge of our box.
It was only the second half changes that made our shape look a bit better and more likely to get anything out of the game, but if Poke had not been in top form; we could have faced a white wash today.
The game did not start to badly we won a soft free kick on the five minute lark and Nico put in a great ball as he does, but nothing came of it and just after than from a corner the ball fell at Thompson’s feet, who fed the ball back out to Nico, who then hit the worst cross I have even seen him it.
On 12 minutes Benyon was fouled just out side the box, Wroe hit the dead ball but it got blocked inside the box and came out to Mansell, he hit it well enough and the ball took a slight defection that took it just wide of the post and out for a corner.
Four minutes later Benyon was fouled again my Morecambe’s no3 Adams who got booked. The free kick was sent in by Nico and Ellis looked like he was clearly being held in the box, but nothing was given.
We had a half decent chance around the 18 minute mark, a throw in on the left by Nico, a great flick-on by Sills with his head and as the ball bounced near the penalty spot, Benyon just failed to get a toe on the ball and poke it toward the goal.
Morecambe nearly took the lead 60 seconds later, once again they carved us up and their no 4 got in a good header that looked like it was going in, but the ball fell onto the roof of the net. Whenever the ball went into our box they were just queuing up to get their heads on the ball.
Then out of the blue we take the lead, Nico took a free kick out on the left and as the ball went into the box the ref blew and pointed to the spot, by the reactions it must have been Rendell who was held or pushed, I saw nothing, but was glad when Wroe blasted the spot kick down the middle of the goal that gave us an undeserved lead in my view, but one I was happy to take.
Ellis got stuck in as normal and won some important headers, as always he gave the ball away a few times with weak clearances and he could have cost us a goal near the half hour mark. He had the chance to just head the ball back to Poke, but instead he let the ball drop and played a back pass far too wide of Poke. All Poke could do was just get to the ball and put it our for a throw in.
From the throw in Morecambe then made around five passes and the final ball into our box saw a Morecambe player head the ball just over the cross bar.
Benyon lost the ball again and did not bother again to try and win it back or chase after the Morecambe player, the ball was worked out wide and again we did not win our headers in the box, in the end the ball just got passed around our box and into the feet of a Morecambe player inside the box on the right who put the ball into the net.
We could have gone behind on 35 minutes, a poor clearance by Mansell saw the ball fall to the feet of the Morecambe winger, we had six players who all ran to the same spot near the edge of our box, a simple pass was played to the unmarked Morecambe player out wide of our box, he just ran into the box and fired a shot that went just wide of the left hand post.
Benyon then compounded his poor first half performance with a dreadful cross, or was it a shot? Sills done well to steal the ball and it just fell to Benyon to Sills surprise, but he got on his bike as did Rendell and headed into the box, all that was needed was a good cross, but Benyon just hit it high and over the goal.
On the 41 minutes Wroe did well to get and win a ball he looked second best for, only to end up by our corner flag, he had the chance to clear the ball, but wanted to beat his man again, lost it and the ball was played into our box and Ellis made a good block on the shot they came in.
Swills might have done better just before the halftime whistle, Benyon found the ball at his feet with his back to goal o=inside the Morecambe box, laid the ball back to Sills on the edge of the box, but he hit is shot wide of the goal.
So a first half that saw effort from most of our players, but playing a formation that only half worked for the first 20 minutes and ended up being our undoing for the rest of the half.
At the start of the second half Rendell went of for Carlisle, a player based on how he was playing for us this season, would be first on my team sheet, its fine playing different systems, but ones that mean your better players are sitting on the bench can’t really be a good idea in my book.
We then went a goal behind, a few simple balls, a good run and perfect low cross into the box for the Morecambe forward to just have Poke to beat, Poke got something on the shot, but not enough to keep it out.
Stevens then came on for Thompson, who did not have the best of games, he worked hard enough but never won the midfield battle and Hargreaves always seemed to be just on the edge of our box.
Stevens did make an improvement on our play, always prepared to run at players and try and get a cross in, it woke up Benyon who came into the game a bit more, while still getting knocked off the ball far to easy at times.
But it was our goal that was under greater attack and only the good saves of Poke and a few shots that the player might have done better with, stopped us getting a few more goals past us.
We then had the ball out wide on the right level with the Morecambe box, Sills had the ball at his feet and I was just wishing he was in the box and not the one crossing the ball.
The ball went just over Hargreaves head, and Carlisle was just behind him and headed the ball down toward the far post, as soon as it left his head you knew it was going in.
We did have a few more chances before the end of the game, Carlisle blasted a shot over the bar and put a free kick wide of the post, but you just had the felling we were going to get another goal put past us and lose the game.
It did not happen and it was a point gained as we did not deserve all three, but it would have still been nice if we had got all three and how we played would not have matter as much
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merse
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Post by merse on Oct 17, 2009 18:28:44 GMT
I would back 3 of our defenders Gibbs, Gurney and Gittens for 1st goalscorer at prices ranging from 25's to 50's each week, as they contributed close to 25 goals between them that season......i was collecting regulary. Way back when we played Wibledon at Selhurst Park in the League Cup a group of us CGs backed Lee Barrow (I think it was) at 80/1 with one hundred single pound coins to score the first goal. He had never scored for United to our knowledge and the girl at the betting booth had to phone for authorisation to take the bet. She got it, the player hit the post after a couple of minutes and we lost but had an "If Only"............. for the rest of the season. ;D |
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Post by jmgull on Oct 17, 2009 18:52:23 GMT
I would back 3 of our defenders Gibbs, Gurney and Gittens for 1st goalscorer at prices ranging from 25's to 50's each week, as they contributed close to 25 goals between them that season......i was collecting regulary. Way back when we played Wibledon at Selhurst Park in the League Cup a group of us CGs backed Lee Barrow (I think it was) at 80/1 with one hundred single pound coins to score the first goal. He had never scored for United to our knowledge and the girl at the betting booth had to phone for authorisation to take the bet. She got it, the player hit the post after a couple of minutes and we lost but had an "If Only"............. for the rest of the season. ;D ....Wow, to use poker parlance....that is a real bad beat  . Almost as bad as my sister who once had a 5 plus the bonus ball on the lottery.......on a night when all the numbers were low (she did birthdays ), she barely won enough for a week in a benedorm  ;D |
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Oct 17, 2009 20:04:28 GMT
matchday pictures to follow in about 20 mins.
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Dave
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Posts: 13,081
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Post by Dave on Oct 17, 2009 20:27:34 GMT
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Post by frobisher on Oct 17, 2009 22:36:09 GMT
If the visitors had taken their chances we would have lost 8-2. We really were that bad and playing a team that have won one game all season, will surely see us relegated if the manager or the personel or something doesn't change and sharpish.
Buckle dropped another howler by dropping Charnock and playing Rendell. The 4-3-3 was hapless - they had a decent winger in Duffy (didn't the manager already know that when he played against us for Southport last year?). Nico had no cover and was exposed by the winger as he had no cover in front of him.
We soon changed to 4-4-2 after the break but Stevens was again awful and luckily the visitors did not take their chances and Miuchael Poke was briliant.
All in all thougfh a terrible peformance.
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keyberrygull
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Post by keyberrygull on Oct 17, 2009 23:24:29 GMT
I am in no way defending his performance but Nico, outstanding last week was picked on today, his lack of pace exposed and made to look very ordinary. That does not make him a bad player or a liability but a player who needs help when teams decide to try and exploit his weaknesses. We were lucky to come away with a point today and Morcambe will feel they were unlucky not to get all three. Most of us are quick to criticize officials but when they award dubious penalties in our favour nothing said? Say no more.
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........i wrote that rather hopeful one liner on the back of a sudden rush of optimism, after a couple of very good results away from home, I should have remembered from our previous league days that we rarely "deliver" when you think that we're due.
