P.S.F Torquay United V Plymouth 15th July 2009

This is probably one of only two PSF's that I will get to see. On the injury front I see that both Bevan and Hargreaves are probably out injured. Not such a bad thing as a chance to see if Rice has made any improvement since last time out and who else could compliment Wroe in CM.

Also an opportunity to rate Joyce and Hatch for the first time.

Having fun following this game on a Plymouth forum PASOTI

Current score Torquay 2 Plymouth 2 - goal from a far post Sills header after one previous missed sitter from an 'unspecified Gull'.

Reply just before half-time from Rory Fallon - we need a big commanding centre-half to deal with these bruising forwards. Where's Branston?

Early second half Argyle take lead through Steven MacLean, again from a cross.

Our equaliser comes from a Marcel Seip own goal.


Sack Buckle

First-half lineup
Rice
Mansell
Nicholson
Robbo
Todd
Wroe
Hodges
Carlisle
Carayol
Stevens
Sills

4-2 down now, apparently a screamer from Sawyer and a penalty after Jamie Mackie was brought down. We appear to have offered very little in the second half - perhaps because of changes?

Final score 4-3 we scored a last minute penalty...no idea of the scorer or attendance.

Now back to the porn...

After watching that I think Plymuff would struggle in the BSP, Championship your avin a larf! I wish they`d leave their animals at home, saying that though I thought it was nice of them to agknowlegde Hodgey.

Tufc01 is going to do one of his top reports tomorrow for us, (he offered honest) so I’ll just give my views onto night game. Just over 2000 at the match and I would guess that about 1000 were from Plymouth.

Not knowing the Plymouth players I would say it looked like many of their fringe players started the first half, while we lined up with the team you might expect to start a proper match.

Sills was played upfront on his own with Carlisle high up and out on the right, Mussy played high up on the left, with Danny Stevens playing more in the midfield, with Wroe. The back four was made up of Mansell, Robertson, Todd and Nicholson, with Hodges playing a holding midfield role.

We were far the better team in the first half and played a good passing game with the ball mostly on the floor; Mussy showed his pace and had the beating of the fullback and got the ball into the box or had a shot himself.

Carlisle had a good game for me, showed what a good footballer he is and most of what he did came off, but failed to get the ball past the defenders from some of his crosses. Sills got beat in the air on the few occasions the ball was played up high, but worked hard and scored our first goal with a header at the far post.

I prefer to see Stevens out wide, he gets lost in the middle I feel, but he played a few good balls and was ever willing. I thought Robertson looked unsure at times, making the odd mistake, maybe his mind was elsewhere.

Sorry but Rice does not install any confidence in me, he did make a good save near the end of the game, but stays at home when he should be coming and commanding his area. Not sure what others thing but I felt he should have come out for Plymouths first goal, but it was a good move and maybe I’m being a bit harsh on Martin.

Second half was a very dull affair, so many changes were made and I was hoping to see what Joyce could do against what was a much stronger Plymouth side in the second half, only he never saw the ball until the last ten minutes.

Plymouth were stoking the ball so well all over the pitch, but one man really stood in their way and that was Mark Ellis. Brave and always getting stuck in, he won so many headers, got in really good tackles and you wonder why he was never given a decent chance last season.

I was not sure who our no17 was nor was Timbo, there was not a no 17 listed in the programme, but I like the look of him. He looks quick and I though he had scored a fluke goal, only it was given as a home gaol. He raced up the left wing and put in a low hard cross that from where I was just seemed to go across the keeper into the far corner.

Benyon who had also started the second half looked a bit weak and I do fear a little if Sills was unable to start a game, as Joyce and Benyon upfront together did not look a good combination to me.

Great goal for Plymouths second, ball went across our box and out and the Plymouth player hit such a powerful shot that not many keepers could ever hope to save.
Not sure it was a penalty for Plymouths third, but it was taken well, sending Rice the wrong way completely. I thought that was going to be it as it was nearly time, but we were then awarded a penalty and Benyon tucked it way nicely.

It that was the new club stewards on duty tonight then I fear what might happen some games this season. Yes it was only a friendly, but when Plymouth scored their first gaol about six of their fans came onto the pitch.

They were not really removed and were just allowed to get back to their places in the away end; the club won’t be allowed to get away with that in a league match. Yet they had no problem moving on a TFF member who had just stopped to say hello, where is Steve 001 when you need him

A surprising starting line-up had Hodges as holding midfielder giving Wroe and Stevens license to push on from midfield (sort of inside forwards) with Carlisle and Carayol as wingers and Sills on his own up front. Rice in goal, Mansell, Todd, Robertson, Nicholson the back four.

It was quite effective and we had the better of the first half with Carayol in particular enjoying himself. Sills put us ahead with a typical Sills header. Blame for the equaliser shared between Rice glued to his line and Robertson leaving the striker unmarked.

Second-half seemed more 4-4-2 to me :

Rice
Hatch Ellis Brough Nicholson
Carlisle Thompson Adams Stevens
Benyon Joyce

Yeoman replaced Stevens late on, with Joyce pulling out wide left and Yeoman tucking in behind Benyon. Fisher, Palmer and Beattie were unused subs.

The second half performance was far more disjointed than the first. We took the lead against the run of play with a great right wing run and cross by Hatch leading to a defender putting through his own goal. Looked like we might cling on to a win until a stunning strike by Sawyer ten minutes from time.

A last minute penalty looked to have lost us the game - not sure who made the rash tackle, was it Ellis? We went and got a penalty in stoppage time that was confidently converted by Benyon.

An entertaining game with some tasty tackles flying in - the ref had to speak to Argyle's captain after a particularly nasty one on Ellis just after half-time. Does it tell us much about our prospects for the season? Probably not.

Disappointing crowd of just over 2,000 seeing as well over half of those were from Plymouth.

That's what you get from pillocks who can't just watch a football match and accept it at face value for what it is.

Instead they have to text away or talk all match about anything but the game ~ but spare a thought and be happy for any Gaws fan with six goals being scored.....................if it had finished 4-3 they would have had to take one of their wellies off to carry on counting!