FL2: Burton v Torquay Utd, 17 March 2012

Nice journey home for the lads.
They just keep on surprising me. This is possibly the best run of results since we lost 1-4 at Southend I can remember.
Just Incredible what they are achieving though I doubt it will get the public recognition the management team and players truly deserve.

Most negative 4-1 win I've ever heard of!!!!!!

cant believe we conceded sort it out lingy

i dont care really if plymouth stay up or go down,but shrewsburys defeat there today was extremely important to our own aspirations,it put daylight between us and them,that will do me,long may it continue

Have we done that before this season?

Where do you start after that ! Well, the ground first - a bit like Plainmoor in that the big stand must look a bit like our new one will. The opposite side is like the popside but there is no seating behind the goals. We started well and got our passing going, getting ahead when a good move saw the ball knocked down for Danny to score from close range. The ball bobbed around our box once or twice but they were generally forced to shoot from range with us having plenty of bodies behind the ball. Aisworth did try an optimistic shot from a tight angle, grazing the crossbar. At the far end we built another neat move and the ball flashed across the goalmouth with noone getting the final touch. Then Nico got in behind them and fired just wide. I was wondering if we would regret not taking these chances when another great move saw Nico played in behind them He seemed to underhit his cross but Manse was at the near post to knock it in off the bar. Manse then had a fabulous chance to kill them off - O'Kane got in on the right and, when it seemed he should have a go he squared it to Manse clear in front of goal. It came to Manse's left I think and his first touch was heavy and the chance gone. Still, with our record of holding on to 1-0 leads we were quite confident at half time as long as we could weather the start of the second. While not playing great at first everything seemed comfortable, with Burton still shooting, woefully at times, from distance. Then Bobby went up to collect a cross, no danger, but was clattered by Ellis I think and laid out. He dropped the ball and even Burton couldn't miss. It took Bobby five minutes or so to recover and, with us playing deeper and deeper, Burton grew in confidence and I was prepared for the waste of a couple of points. Then Rene got the ball wide left on his own, advance towards the retreating defence as if waiting for reinforcements and then curled a delightfull shot round the defender and keeper into the top corner. If it was Rooney it would be shown over and over as proof of what a great player he is, but this is li'l ol' Torquay.... That was Howe's last kick as he was replaced by Atieno. Jarvis came on for a tiring Danny and LRT replaced Lathrope, I think, who seemed to be struggling with an injury. The 4th assistant showed 5mins added time when a Burton player got free bearing down on goal and was brought down in the box, although from the distance we were at some Utd players seemed to be saying the ball was played. No worry, Bobby got down and saved the kick, which wasn't great, and the guy hit the rebound over from in front of an empty net. For me MOTM was Saah - immense ! Wish I could be at Swindon but we've put ourselves into a position where it's not the end of the world if we were to lose that one. Final word - I like the way Ling communicates with his players, often via Manse, and seems to try to adapt things to the way the game is going.