FL2: Torquay Utd v Morecambe 1 Oct 2011

So another home draw and considering both teams chances it was probably a fair scoreline. The frustrating thing was that at 1-0 up Torquay were having a good spell and should have made it 2-0. However the next minute Stevens gifted possession to Morecombe and Ellison ran free from the half-way line and equalized. Crowd at sun baked Plainmoor 2,207, officially 76 from Morecambe, sponsors MOTM surprisingly O'Kane as I thought he was pretty hit and miss today.

The first half won't take long to report as it was incredibly dull with few chances at either end. Torquay were not creating anything of note but Morecambe thankfully looked poor and not a team at the top. Occasionally we did a good move but there was little end product. Typically our moves broke down with a poor pass. Again we were playing 4-3-3 with Morris, Atieno and Bodin in attack. Our best move and chance was in injury time with Bodin going close. I thought Bodin looked our likeliest striker with Atieno and especially Morris offering little. So 0-0 at half-time and at this stage you felt the game would end like it.

The second half half did not improve much until Mansell scored on 62 minutes. Torquay were having a decent 5 minute spell and Bodin took the ball past a couple of defenders before threading the ball through to Mansell who slotted the ball into the bottom corner of the net. Morecambe finally woke up and threatened as the game became end to end.

Stevens and McPhee came on as a double substitution for Morris and Atieno. Keeping 4-3-3 with Stevens on the left, McPhee centre forward and Bodin on the right. Torquay were playing some really good stuff going forward with good precise passing and movement but Morecambe were carving our defence apart and there was some last ditch defending. Olejnik made 3 or 4 outstanding saves and Morecambe missed some absolute sitters. Torquay had a great chance to extend their lead. A delightful move on the left between O'Kane and Stevens sent Stevens clear thanks to O'Kanes backheel. Stevens crossed to McPhee at close range and had 2 bites of the cherry. Both shots were saved on the line. Then shortly afterwards just when you felt we could win this one, Stevens header went to the opposition just inside their own half but with a clear run on goal. And run Ellison did with our defenders scrambling to get back. He rounded Olejnik well and slotted the equaliser.

McPhee had another close range header that was saved on the line again but Torquay had their scares and had to thank poor finishing and great goalkeeping from Olejnik. A lot of Torquay's attacking in the 2nd half was fluid and impressive but our defence was opened up too much in the second half.

My thoughts today was that when we get going we are impressive with the ball with good passing football. 4-3-3 does seem to suit us. I think we badly miss a goal poacher like Benyon and that is the difference between drawing and not winning. There were several occasions when we badly needed a goal poacher to be in the right place at the right time. McPhee, try as he might, is not a natural finisher and Atieno did not enhance his chances today. Stevens did very well apart from his mistake today I might add.

I understand that one of our so called fans (so called fans) was ejected from the ground today for verbally abusing Robertson. Hence why he came over to the Popside at the end of the game with his hand over his eyes in a looking mode.

Didn't see the incident myself but it is (I believe) the same git who was abusing Carlise when he was here and no doubt endless players since and before. If its the bloke I think it is then he should be banned from the club for life.

Anyone else aware of the incident?

Kick him, and his wife out Simon.

Fan......my arse.

I see that home sick Billy scored (again) for Burton.

It's always the same old s*** from the same old 'fans' (and to be clear, I mean the idiot on the Pop today and not you, Chelstongull!!). I heard McPhee get some abuse from some idiots after his second spurned chance, it just doesn't help at all.

I was expecting Morecambe to come and steam into us today, but they never really were allowed to get a foothold in the game. Our approach was very positive from the off - the players look confident in a 4-3-3 approach. O'Kane seemed to be all over the pitch in the attacking moves and he was an absolute joy to watch - I'm delighted that he has signed a new deal with us.

We would deservedly have been in the lead in the first half - certainly Roche pulled-off an unbelievable save that saw the metalwork rattled. It wasn't the first time he would do that during the match.

Morecambe held fairly resolute until the unfortunate injury received by Danny Carlton in what was a fairly contested and clean match (and also very well refereed). His replacement caused us a lot of problems (although he missed an incredible chance to have scored) but he didn't provide the defensive side as much and I think we then started to get on top - thanks to a fantastic through-ball by Morris (who otherwise disappointed again today) and a fine left footed finish by Mansell.

The double substitution didn't have the impact that Ling intended. Stevens had some good moments but inexplicably headed to Ellison who waltz past the anyone who came near him (someone should have stopped him by fair means or foul) and such a moment of collective madness (it wasn't just the error of Stevens that cost the goal) saw us drop two points. McPhee was shocking, he really didn't show enough awareness of his team mates, his efforts were powderpuff at best.

In addition to the shocking miss by Reid, Ellison could have scored a second and we could have had nothing out of the game so a point was better than nothing. I thought it was good effort by the team, they seem to have bought into the Ling footballing philosophy.

We are a couple of players short of really kicking-on - to start with, Atieno hasn't shown that he is a League Two striker - he might have a bit of pace, but seems to be totally out of touch with the rest of the players at time and hasn't demonstrated that he is likely to reach double figures at this level. I think we are shakey at the back as well, Morecambe had some very clear-cut chances today and should have put them away - I think that Saah doesn't have any of the leadership qualities that Branston demonstrated - that's not to say that I want Branston back (it won't happen anyway), it's just an observation that we lack the stability and organisation that we had last season. That said, Ling rightly states that we are in a transition stage, I don't think that we are ready to push-on to League One as things stand - that is, I think we are better to develop the players that we do have at the moment, tie them down for next season, make the necessary adjustments in the summer and give it a bit more of a go.

Thought Sir-Boldy-Locks missed a defo penalty in the first 5 minutes of the first half when Robbo had his shirt pulled and also in the second half when there was clear contact on one of our players in the box via a push in the back.

According to witness`s this bloke is called Dave Harris, anyone know him as he should be pointed out to the stewards, dragged on to the middle of the pitch and made to apologise profusely to Robbo and the club, then ejected from the ground in front of everyone and banned for life! Or should Robbo be allowed to do `The Cross-bar Challenge` with this blokes nuts?