FL2: Torquay v Crewe Alex 28 April 2012

To be fair, it's galling to have been in the driving seat until the dodgy extra injury time, but we did let them take control the last 25 minutes and they'd had a lot of inaccurate shots/free-kicks from just outside the area, so it was coming (BBC says 99 minutes were played). I don't think we can blame the substitutions which weren't until the 81st, 85th and 89th minutes as we were getting backed up into our third for at least the last 20 minutes and I think Lingy was trying to change that. Crewe were getting down their right and getting crosses in, so I presume he hoped LRT would offer Nico more cover than Danny as Danny and Rene weren't relieving the pressure in an attacking sense. While Rene had a great game, he still seems to be conserving himself with his injury and perhaps does it more when we go ahead. As the game went on he seemed happy to hassle people within close range of him but not if they were 10 yards away so we weren't really defending from the front towards the end. In fact, when our attacks broke down or he chased down back passes, he then ambled back and was 20 yards offside, so if we headed back their keeper's kicks Rene wasn't there to go for it or to harry their defenders picking it up leaving Eunan and Manse to be drawn forward. I thought Eunan never stopped trying to hurry, hassle and tackle Crewe out of their passing to feet game - didn't look tired to me - and when Rene's not chasing down back passes of late it's often Eunan sprinting 30 yards forward and then 30 back to get back to midfield.

No, our failing seems to be not having the goalscoring capability, and in particular to get that second goal. Even if we're 1-0 up against Hereford it could be the same. We've just got away with riding our luck when one up so often it couldn't last. We haven't got threatening pace up front - Barnet scored four against Wimbledon, we barely mustered a chance. If Rene's not out-muscling the centre half we're in trouble as at Wimbledon (luckily Crewe had Artell out) Yesterday we played pretty well first half but still only made the odd half chance.
When teams throw people forward as Crewe did and Oxford when we led, that's when our strikers should have space to pick them off to seal the 3 points. In fact, ARE WE REALLY SO GOOD COUNTER-ATTACKING WHEN TEAMS COME ON TO US AS WE'VE ALL COME TO BELIEVE? When they DO throw men forward 1-0 down, we rarely ever pick them off with a second. Our goals come at 0-0 when they DON'T have to throw men forward and they can be cautious. Then when we take the lead and they have to attack, our counter-attacks don't produce goals. Yet when the boots been on the other foot and we've had to get back in the game and the other team has sat back - after going behind against Bristol Rovers, Port Vale, and Oxford - we've successfully scored when we pushed forward.

If you look at recent goals how many were from fast breakaways - not yesterday, not Wimbledon, not Southend, neither against Oxford, neither against Bristol, not Swindon, not Cheltenham. I haven't been to all games but I can only recall Tai's at Burton and way back at home to Plymouth. I know we'll never get Carayol back, and it was his choice to walk out, but I remember how in his latter days he'd kill off teams a la Grimsby 3-0. (he made 3 yesterday with his wing play). To hold 1-0 leads we need to hold the ball and if it's not by passing it around, difficult if it's cleared to one or 2 isolate up front, then someone who can attack at full backs down the wing and win throws/corners/free-kicks or make goals. Danny was better yesterday (credit for the goal) because someone told him to go outside and use his left foot Saturday, and he did beat the back once that way before shooting straight at the keeper with his left and he did win a corner or two, but still didn't manage a successful cross with his left. And when you're dribbing with your right foot on the left wing and push it outside the full-back the defender just gets his body in the way as happened yesterday and I've seen it before. People have said what's the point of getting to the byline and crossing with just Rene to head it in, but the point is if you beat the back and get to the byline you pull it back on the ground and Manse or Eunan can be running on to it. Rene did it down the left at Crawley and we scored.