Torquay United v Southport

Post by **Dave** » 19 Mar 2016, 18:44

Well the team certainly won this game ugly, one of those games where I just don't know how to react, 3 vital, massive points so we have be happy and out of the bottom 4 also, but, and there is one, overall a very poor performance.

Just don't know why Nicho is persisting with this god damn awful set up, again first half no natural width and very narrow, with Berry and Butler pushed back, we resorted to just hoofing it forward, tactics that's was never going to work against a bigger physically stronger Southport side.

Just don't know why managers and coach's at this level have to complicate the game, at this level, simplify it. What's wrong with 4 at the back 2 in the middle, 2 wingers and 2 up front.

First half we have one winger playing centrally and the other sat on the bench, thankfully Nicho did change it at half time, and it did restrict Southport as an attacking force, the goal was fortunate in the finish, however it was all about making your own luck, Ajala comically got MOTM, for the first time in the match woke up and di what made him such a fans favourite last season, pressed, won the ball made the right decision to play in Butler, Blisset scored purely because he took up the right attacking position on the back stick, and there where he deserves massive praise, take up the right position and score, whether he knew much about it or not.

MacDonald an absolutes man mountain today, my man of the match by some distance, so many last ditch tackles and clearances especially in the first half.

Burnhamgull · Post by **Burnhamgull** » 19 Mar 2016, 18:57

A dreadful game and our attacking ideas seem sadly lacking considering we have players with "ability". Defensively, we look better and better but there's very few crosses being put in for the forwards, even less shots and once the ball goes past the half way line, we seem to just hope something will happen.

Richards cannot pass a ball if his life depended on it. Fact. I would suggest his prayers are falling on deaf ears.

The win is most welcome but as others have said, we now play teams in the top half and nobody should be relaxing as the only reason we've got some results recently are because the opposition have been teams also fighting for their lives.

There is still a long way to go.

PS. It's bloody cold sat in that family stand with the kids. No wonder it's always so empty.

Added in 2 minutes 57 seconds:

forevertufc wrote:
Ajala comically got MOTM

MacDonald an absolutes man mountain today, my man of the match by some distance, so many last ditch tackles and clearances especially in the first half.

Agree with both of these points. Ajala was bang average I'm afraid whilst McDonald was very solid at the back alongside Smith and fully deserved MOTM.

Swanny · Post by **Swanny** » 19 Mar 2016, 18:59

A priceless win for the Gulls and joyous scenes at the end! After all we achieved 3 points. The downside - it was a dreadful performance and we barely deserved anything. It was disjointed, passes went astray, Torquay seemed to be second to the ball and we barely had a shot all game. It was like a throwback to our dismal performances earlier this season. However, one quality move produced our goal and at the other end MacDonald was a colossus at the back throwing his body on the line and good old Moore in goal kept up his remarkable clean sheet record with another assured performance. The only blemishes for those players were MacDonald's 14th. booking and Moore's distribution was often erratic. Crowd 1,783 at a surprisingly cold Plainmoor, 33 from Southport, sponsors MOTM Ajala.

Torquay opted again to attack the Family Stand in the 1st. half and were kitted in all white to avoid Southport's florescent green. The other bizarre decision was us having no defenders on the bench. I do feel a little sorry for Big Ex and it seemed ridiculous not having any defenders on the bench. That was particularly worrying when MacDonald went off for treatment in the first half and got knocked out in the second half. Torquay just could not get going and Southport were playing like the home team. Our only effort in the 1st half was near the end after good play from Richards on the by-line, Blissett's tame shot was comfortably blocked. There were too many players having off-days like Ajala, Verma and Harrad. In fact you could include all our offensive players in that list. It does make you wonder as well whether Torquay's diamond formation is working. The returning Blissett understandably seemed off the pace. Luckily Southport were not that potent themselves and Torquay held them at arms length.

The second half improved slightly but it was still a poor show. Substitute Iffy Allen offered a bit of zip down the right and we made more in roads in Southport's half. But we did not look like scoring. Moore saved brilliantly coming off his line on a 1-on-1 for the clearest chance of the match. Then with 10 minutes to go, Richards fed the ball to Ajala who went on a dangerous run down the middle. The ball was fed to Butler on the left and his low delivery was scored at close range by Blissett. Torquay had got out of jail and manfully defended for the rest of the match.

The league table looks great tonight but let us not delude ourselves. Our performance level will need to go up significantly if we are to avoid the drop. We got away with it today but we will not against better opposition.

torq2u · Post by **torq2u** » 19 Mar 2016, 19:00

wivelgull wrote:I was at three games against Southport in the 60s (in 1963 and 1965). Unfortunately I expect our run to come to an end. Thus:
TUFC (0) 0
Southport (2)
Att: 1404.

There you are, Snivelgull. Another 3 easy points. An absolute walkover piece of wee-wee in the park. :-|

Burnhamgull · Post by **Burnhamgull** » 19 Mar 2016, 19:43

If McDonald was booked, is he now due a ban?

gateman49 · Post by **gateman49** » 19 Mar 2016, 19:53

I see that we are above Altrincham by virtue of scoring one more goal than they have despite Aldershot having caved in again. Bar that goal, we have identical records.

lucy6lucy · Post by **lucy6lucy** » 19 Mar 2016, 20:04

It's a results business at the end of the day. How many times have we put in a great performance and got nothing from the match. The lads are know doubt knackered and under immense pressure, so to win today when not at the races is a guide to how much we have improved as a team unit. Absolutely buzzing that I look tonight at the league table and have a smile on my face. Beating southport pulls them into a relegation fight now(we have 2 games in hand on them). Guiseley are in freefall( great to see marsh sent off for violent conduct tw.t). 9 cup finals to go. No doubt the grand final will be on the 30th April

arcadia · Post by **arcadia** » 19 Mar 2016, 20:23

Southampton Gull wrote:
Some people said quite a while ago they thought he would prove to be a good manager for us and would pick things up once he had a chance to ship out the deadwood. Can't think who though :~D

Credit to you for keeping faith I know I was wavering and lost a little interest.

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » 19 Mar 2016, 20:49

Great result. The lads must be f***ing knackered after the weeks they've had, yet they've come through it all unbeaten and out of the relegation zone. Couldn't ask for any more than that really - we might have hoped for 2 more points from that run but am happy with where we are.

Well earned few days rest for the team I hope! I'll be at Dover and I'd hope we can get something there - can't deny they are flying at the moment but there aren't many names in their team we should be afraid of

Added in 2 minutes 8 seconds:

Burnhamgull wrote:If McDonald was booked, is he now due a ban?

I think he was on 13, so would now be one away from a 3 match ban. Although their may be some kind of amnesty, I'm not sure?

tomogull · Post by **tomogull** » 19 Mar 2016, 20:50

That was an awful game against surely the league's least attractive side. A niggly, time-wasting, whingeing team from the start with the biggest whinger of all time - their no. 8 Wright. The ref should have stamped on his constant complaining early in the match. Unlike RobTustMember, I didn't think the ref was too bad. I thought he got most things right. The passing and control was awful today. As it happens, Southport were worse. They were a niggly side last season when they got Bowman sent off and they were the same today. They are not safe from relegation and of all the teams we've seen this season, I wouldn't shed any tears if they went down. In any case, they should be docked 10 points for wearing such a goddam awful flourescent strip. Angus unlucky to get booked - his only foul during the whole match.

Didn't expect Altrincham would beat Aldershot so easily. The gap between us and Guiseley has closed and the gap between the relegation places and Southport and Chester is closing. They could both yet be dragged into the mix. Still a long way to go.

Glostergull · Post by **Glostergull** » 19 Mar 2016, 21:03

gateman49 wrote:Forgettable match with little to warm me up until the goal. I was just wondering what our record for 0 - 0 draws is as I couldn't see one coming as Southport were resolute in defence just as we were lacking in ideas. Then came a bit of a mix up between Cameron and, I think, Allen. That was enough to put Southport's defence slightly out of position and Toby was fed for a run in. He slipped it out to Butler who took a few more paces forward before sending a low cross in for Blissett to stick out a very long leg!

Southport then looked like creating something as Westcarr gave them some space up front but our luck held. We could even have doubled the score at the end as Iffy was put free on the break but the final ball was not great.

I suspect it was one of those square balls.. they tend to bounce really funny.

chardie · Post by **chardie** » 19 Mar 2016, 21:24

Jeff wrote:Great result. The lads must be f***ing knackered after the weeks they've had, yet they've come through it all unbeaten and out of the relegation zone. Couldn't ask for any more than that really - we might have hoped for 2 more points from that run but am happy with where we are.

Well earned few days rest for the team I hope! I'll be at Dover and I'd hope we can get something there - can't deny they are flying at the moment but there aren't many names in their team we should be afraid of

Added in 2 minutes 8 seconds: I think he was on 13, so would now be one away from a 3 match ban. Although their may be some kind of amnesty, I'm not sure?

Here's the FA website section on suspensions, looks like you are correct and Gus is now one match away from a three match ban.

http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-gov ... uspensions

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 19 Mar 2016, 22:32

Clearly the number of games we have played lately caught up with us today. Southports lack of a midweek game this week seemed to give them an advantage.

We were playing with the Bermuda Triangle in the first half with Ajala, Verma and Harrad all going missing. In fact Nico's decision to leave out Rees looked a distinctly odd one.

Nico went 4-4-2 in the second half and we nicked it at the end when Ajala managed finally to do something right. Quite farcically Nico then left four men up front which looked like a really weird tactic as we were hanging on at the end.

We were truly abyssmal but won - if anything it illustrated what you can do with a rock solid keeper who doesn't let a soft goal in every match.

A priceless 3 points.

samuel · Post by **samuel** » 19 Mar 2016, 23:16

That must be the worst game I have ever seen Torquay play and win. But I don't care.

Modgull · Post by **Modgull** » 19 Mar 2016, 23:21

Awful performance but, hey ho, who cares when 3 points is the outcome.

A look at the stats shows how much better Southport were and they must feel they were handbagged.

Well done to the lads though - out of the relegation zone at last. But we still need to fight if we are not to get drawn back in - we need at least two points over the Easter games and then the Altrincham match will be another cup final game. Win that and we might find that we have opened up a gap.

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