FL2: Cheltenham v Torquay 22 February 2011

We certainly need another out and out striker I would say. Zebs still looks better on the wing and Robinson is more of a winger TBH. Billy cant do it all on his own, although he will certainly try his hardest.

just got back,absolutely furious,the same old routine,take the lead against a very very poor side and then sit back,why oh why do we need to do this? we started brilliantly,a full first half of that and cheltenham were finished,but we retreat after scoring,its neither clever or entertaining and we have proved on many occasions that it doesnt work.I dont care about how good or bad the ref was its no excuse for our ineptness at keeping a lead.Robinson scored a cracker that by rights deserves to win any match,then in the 94th minute the calamity between defence and potter,that hands that lot a draw,it was like they had one the fa cup when the final whistle went,our fans were brilliant tonight and gave it everything,but were let down by an unprofessional approach from our players.If the opponents cant get the ball they cant score simple really,so why is it proving so difficult for us to do?i was not happy with potter tonight,every time cheltenham crossed into our area potter didnt move at all,bring back bevan please.2 points dropped not one gained imho,all in all gutwrenchingly disappointing,but yet could of been oh so different

Ouch, this inability to protect leads is costing us. 4 points extra this week would have had us in sixth place and add in Morecambe we would have been on the same number of points as Shrewsbury with a game in hand. We are actually doing pretty well but could do better! A late run up the table isn't a bad thing and the main thing is that we are still within touching distance of the teams above us.

Bucks said it was Potters kicking ability that made up his mind to drop Scott and while he may be unhappy with him, he knew full well that Potter can't deal with high balls in our box.

The goal that Crawley scored was not down to Scott making any sort of mistake, In fact it was his two penalty saves that saved us from an embarrassing score line. When he was dropped I felt he was in very good form for us and I know I was surprised to see him lose his place to Danny Potter.

Steve Breed mentioned how our defenders needed Potter to come off his line and deal with the high balls, but for what ever reason, it seemed he stayed glued to his goal line.

But the thing is if we did not sit back so deep and just let the other team come onto us, Potter would not have as much to deal with in the air as he had to.

This taking the lead and then saying to the other team why don't you have a go at trying to score yourself, is becoming a bad habit that is costing to many lost points.

I know looking at the table we can say we are still doing OK in this league, but we could and should be doing so much better. Once again reading the reports, we played another poor team and ended up giving them a share of the points.

Better teams are going to beat us with far to much ease at the moment in any game where we take the lead, I'm starting to think we might do better if we go behind in a game.

Scott needs to be back in the starting eleven on Saturday, we need Nico back as well as far as I'm concerned. Rowe- Turner might well be good at getting in a few tackles deep in our own half, but he does not offer half of what Nico does going forward.

So a team starts throwing the kitchen sink at you? well throw the bloody thing back at them and not end up playing defence against attack, as the attack so often comes out on top in the end.

The free kicks might have been soft but they are given for you and against you in any match. They still needed to be defended correctly if they are soft or not and while Bucks feels they were soft, he said the blame lies with us for not defending them properly.

It is our own players naivety to run down the clock that is causing these lost points, as Bucks has said, when we have the ball it should not just be sailing through the air to their keeper and we should be clipping it into the channels.

We may well still be a learning side, but some of the things we are doing wrong are very basic things we should have learned a long time a go to not be doing.

Well from being home painting my bannister rail at half past four yesterday afternoon I did not expect to find myself in Cheltenham at half past seven, but a combination of one bored son and his girlfriend being on holiday and my other son finishing work early and a quick frap up the M5 in second sons Ford Cougar and there we were.
Cracking away support from the 500 odd behind the goal only to end with utter frustration and crushing disappointment by Cheltenham's equaliser with the last kick of the game. Ten minutes earlier you could have staked your life on another three points as Stevens fluke second against the run of play had all but ended the match.
Unfortunately you always had the impression that the officials might be hell bent on influencing the result of this game.
Matches turn on decisions and so this one did on a staggering piece of ineptitude (or cheating) whichever way you look at it.
We looked to be seeing the game out comfortably when Rowe-Turner cleared a ball down the line from the left back position only to be taken out by a late challenge after the ball had gone. The ref was following the ball so didn't see the foul but it happened so close to the linesman that another foot closer and the Cheltenham player would have taken out the ginger moustached turd as well - pity he didn't.
All the linesman had to do was stick his flag up or communicate with the ref - the booking count was 0-4 against us at the time and get us the free kick.
Astonishingly the linesman did nothing apart frrom keep telling Rowe-Turner to get up. It was just completely unbelievable. Cue the inevitable - ref then gives a free kick the other way as United players react in frustration. The ball is punted into our box, the ball canons straight up in the air and Potter under his crossball punches the ball straight to an unmarked Cheltenham player in the center of the goal who can hardly miss from five yards.
We kick off again and a minute later the ball goes down the same touchline. Zebroski is blatantly impeded as he challenges for the ball. This time the ref and linesman totally ignore the foul but with the next challenge gives them another bloody free kick and we are defending in our penalty area again.
Cue fearful stick and abuse for the linesman who proceeds to laugh for the laxt five minutes. Cheltenham get three corners in quick sucession. Branston in fouled as he heads the ball away each time - on the third occasion the baboon in green actual gives us a free kick.
We look to have seen the game out when Danny Stevens gets the ball in space on the left wing deep into injury time. All he has to do is run the ball to corner flag but god knows why he checks back - we punt the ball forward and lose it.
Their keeper hoicks it forward - Branston is fouled again as he heads it - the ball goes just in front of Rowe-Turner. Potter hesitates for a split second. Thomas stcks out his leg more in hope than anything but gets a faint touch on it and the ball trickles between Potter and into the net just inside the side netting.
Absolute silence at our end. We sat too deep in the last ten minutes and no way would Beavon have conceded their first goal but we were done by the officials pure and simple on this occasion.
Memo to Buckle: if you want to sit deep - don't bring on three lightweights on a glue pot pitch. The last ten minutes were crying out for Mark Ellis and another big booming header of the ball.
Zebroski put in a great shift again but expecting to go one up front with a knackered player = no ball retention at the end of the game = pressure on your back four. End of story.