Torquay United v Hungerford Town, 22nd April

[goody2449]

Far too many players already on the beach, season done & dusted in their eyes,their keeper played a blinded & if he'd conceded 3 or 4 today it wouldn't have been an injustice.
Over 5300 supporters let down by half hearted challenges & commitment, sorry if it sounds harsh but that's the way I saw it. A damp squib & the celebrations were somewhat subdued.

Totally agree, summed up perfectly.

Quick point about the stewards, one drunken fool thought it clever to push my 9 yr old down the steps, although more than capable, I thought I’d be the better man and after checking my son was ok, reported it to the stewards, even pointing the guy out. What did they do........ went for a chat with him, ending in a high 5! Needless to say, next time I’ll deal with it myself!

[divingbboy]

As disappointing as it was to lose that game, it certainly didn't look to me as though the players had switched off. If anything, it looked like they were overeager and trying to hard, losing any methodical, clinical play in the process.

[culmstockgull]

I disagree with all the many comments that we had already won the league so it doesn't matter how we play subsequently, damn right it does matter, after the poor display against Eastbourne and the abject display against Chippenham you would have thought that changes could have been made, I believed before these matches we needed four or five experienced players to cope with the National League. Now after these last three matches I think seven is nearer the mark. How we missed Hall and Keating, the latter having the physical and mental strength that is so lacking in Reid.I hope that a club comes in with silly money this summer for him because we so desperately need a centre forward that can actually leave the ground and head a ball. But he alone is not to blame for todays loss, the team collectively were somewhere else. If Johnson is to be believed and it is all about momentum then unless we win at St albans who have something to play for then we will start next season on the back of four straight losses.

[Nightrider]

It would be 3 straight losses we beat Eastbourne.

[brucie]

Well theres a surprise someone having another dig at Reid (the leagues top scorer) - do you seriously believe that the resut at St Albans has any bearing on what we do next season?

You are truly a complete idiot.

[TUST_Member_Rob]

Reid could have had a hattrick after 20odd mins, the Hungerford goal was always coming after the misses!

We tried to walk the ball into the net and passed up so many chances to shoot, how Reid didn't equalise at the end was baffling!

We really are missing Janneh, hall and Keating and we will need a bigger squad to challenge next year

A commanding CB/ CM / ST to improve the spine of the team for me

But all in all we got to celebrate the first league trophy in Torquay history, the flags did add to a great sight at the start of the game!

MoM - Keating for his choice of song during the celebrations

[Jerry]

Far too many players already on the beach, season done & dusted in their eyes,their keeper played a blinded & if he'd conceded 3 or 4 today it wouldn't have been an injustice.
Over 5300 supporters let down by half hearted challenges & commitment, sorry if it sounds harsh but that's the way I saw it. A damp squib & the celebrations were somewhat subdued.

So if we'd scored 3 or 4 it wouldn't have been an injustice and yet we were already on the beach with halfhearted challenges and commitment?

Which is it as both statements surely can't be true?

[markw]

Yes an early goal would have made all the difference.. but I think the players are mentally and physically exhausted.. it’s a good job we had already won the league because given the size of the squad and number of minutes most have played I think we would have struggled in the playoffs..GJ. Will need at least 7- 10 new players next season
It’s been a great season (1 game to go) after years of rubbish.. let’s just enjoy it .. the new season hopefully with GJ in charge will be fun and a challenge

[MellowYellow]

Today was a duel event - firstly to celebrate being Champions which I did and will do again next week at St Albans. And secondly to see a football match - Champions v Relegation Fodder. The latter was not enjoyable. Does it matter - well for us fans of course not - we are the Champions - so as many have stated the matches are meaningless. So I am in the camp of 'lets just enjoy it'.

The only people these matches matter too is the players and their future career trajectory. Good luck to them on that one.

[desperado]

That's a good post MarkW . Complete rubbish people saying the team were not trying their best
We can't steamroller every team and score a hatful. Credit Hungerford for some very good defending and play, we were almost trying too hard at times , wasn't our esp Reid's day in front of goal, sometimes you get games like that ,think
Weston super Mare

[Dave]

Well what a day of mixed emotions for me. It starts with excitement at actually going to Plainmoor for once at the seasons end to see us with something to cerebrate on our own ground, rather than watching the away fans doing it, as so many times before, that turned to joy, when the 4 man syndicate I'm part of, for the second time this season won the 50/50 nice £100, that turned to disappointment as the game was lost late on, once again on high as the team come out for the trophy presentation, then my day turned to despair as I suffered a blow out on the way home over an hour and snapped jack later I finally get home, guess that's part of my winnings down the drain already

Anyway on to the match, to be fair the teams had more than a few chances to put this game to bed, Reidy hitting the bar, and shooting wide when he should have done better, Olaf with a great chance also, but as I said on the Chippenham thread, it really is difficult for players who've given much to win something, then to win, to get to the same levels of intensity and urgency, so they're forgiven in my book, as we saw there was a lack of chasing down the 50/50's we've seen all season, and not the same desire to get that tackles in.

Didn't take long for moaners corner to start up again, the squad won the league with games to spare, really what is there to moan about, cut them some slack they've given everything for the cause, and deserve to enjoy the moment, and us fans, enjoy it, this may never happen again.

Best moment of the day, Keating leading the Gerring chant

[MellowYellow]

...really what is there to moan about...

Best ask Gary Johnson that - he will give you chapter and verse.

[standupsitdown]

We didn't play well today or at Chippenham but it often happens to teams who've won the league with games to spare. Reid had an off day but if he'd taken just one of those chances we wouldn't have lost. Disappointing but no cause for alarm.

I enjoyed Keating's choice of song!

[fred]

Could have been a few up at half time if we had taken our chances. Hungerford came with a game plan to leave with a point and were rightly elated to snatch the win at the end. I felt we lost our shape at the end as we pushed for a winner and were left exposed at the back several times. Better control from a couple of their players should have punished us earlier. We were right to go all out for the win as in our position a point makes no difference. Had we needed the point I'm sure we would have got it.
I thought the players/ management staying out at the end for pictures and mixing with the fans was really good.

[Dazza]

Ready misses chances. Strikers do. His instinctive lob looked a certain goal but today it hit the bar. He has shown this year a lot of people totally wrong. He works really hard whether he scores or not and a lot of what we have enjoyed this year has been built from,there.