BucklandAthletic v Torquay United

[Yellow4life]

Well what a poor performance, rice at error for second goal after just flapping it, LRT deservedly send off for going back to the player who he fouled(it was only going to be a yellow before he went back) so he misses THREE football league games!

No stand out players, Thompson would be JUST motm if you pushed me for an answer

The defence was terrible, you can tell they've hardly played together

Lets see if they pick it up Monday!

[AlexGulls]

Tonight showed why none of the players tonight are no where near the first team aside from Craig who I thought looked good. Macklin made a few decent runs. We came with the attitude that we only had to turn up and fair play to Buckland theyve got a cracking team there you could tell they were up for it and wanted it more.

And I thought Rice was dreadful practically dropping the ball into his own net for the second. If he gets anywhere near the first team we are seriously doomed to failiure.

And can anyone confirm LRT's banned for FL matches? I'm fairly sure he is but my mates adament he isnt but I'd like to prove to him he is as this is an FA Competition. Or happily be proved wrong obviously.

[cambgull]

Out of interest, were Macklin and Craig played on the opposite wings? (i.e. Craig on the right and Macklin on the left)

[Dave]

Dont know whehter the others at the game would agree, It appeared to me that Macklin or Craig were not playing as out and out, left/right wingers, they were poping up on both sides, and Nathan Criag in the first half was drifing into the centre, cant remember much of the second half was yapping a bit to much.

[AlexGulls]

Dont know whehter the others at the game would agree, It appeared to me that Macklin or Craig were not playing as out and out, left/right wingers, they were poping up on both sides, and Nathan Criag in the first half was drifing into the centre, cant remember much of the second half was yapping a bit to much.

I'd agree with that. And same I was talking a fair bit was more enjoyable than the game

[ferrarilover]

Is the Devon Bowl a first team competition?

Matt.

[Yellow4life]

Craig played in the middle the whole game

The Devon bowl IS an FA first team game.

[ferrarilover]

Well done to LRT then, signing his own exit papers. Clown.

How did Craig look? What was the pitch like?

Matt.

[Yellow4life]

craig was OK, definately not league 2 standard yet at least, looked lost at times

Pitch held up well, mud in patches

[MidDevon]

It was a dissapointing evening for me. Not because we lost, but because there was not one player without first team experience who looked good enough to get in Buckland's team, yet alone the first team. The same could be said for the match at Willand.

In previous seasons we have had the likes of Yeoman, Halpin, Spear etc all looking "head and shoulders" above the rest of the team in Devon cup matches, this year there really is no-one who either looks like they have the ability, or, sadly, the attitude, to make it in league football.

"Academys" (I use that term loosely) have always, in reality focused on the one or two players who shine and just hope the rest of the squad is good enough to support their progress into first team football.....if we do eventually find another bright star, we are going to need a much better team around them in the future.

As for the sending off, well one of the most exciting prospects at the club let himself down badly, he could well get a 3 match ban, so the pressure is now on Nico to stay fit for the rest of the month and see the 90 minutes through.

[bobby93]

Would have liked to have seen what is effectively our reserve side come out and prove something last night. Shame, really. Sounds like more negatives than positives.

[CP Gull]

Well that was an "interesting" night of football. Have to say how well I thought Buckland played, we just about lived with them in a pretty even first half but they cranked it up in the second half and were by far the better side. We did attempt something of a fightback in the last 10-15 minutes (with 10 men) as you might expect but in reality I can't really remember their keeper having a proper save to make. Most of our efforts came from Macklin and most of them ended up fizzing over the bar or just wide.

As for LRT, it was a stupid challenge, clearly born out of frustration at being 3-0 down. He might have got away with a yellow for the challenge though but didn't help his cause by then getting "involved" with an exchange of words with the stricken Buckland player which inevitably (sadly) led to a rush of players from both sides getting involved in a few handbags.

He (LRT) is fortunate that his 3 game bad (which I assume he will get as it was a straight red) only counts towards RESERVE team football and so he will be eligible for our upcoming first team games. If you remember the same thing happened last year at Buckland, when Damon Lathrope saw red (2 yellows) late on - he missed one reserve team game as a result. I think the FA have "downgraded" the Devon Bowl to reserve team status in recent years as let's face it that is all that the 3 Devon pro teams turn out in the competition. Mind you, on the other side of the coin, it would have been handy if Rene Howe could have served out one of his FOUR game ban in this competition , but in just the same way as this (type of) match wouldn't have counted, then the same will apply to LRT.

As for LRT, well with no more qualifying competitive Reserve Team fixtures remaining this season it will mean he will have to serve his 3 match ban at the beginning of next season - whether he will serve them at TUFC remains to be seen.

As for our team, it really was men against boys at times. Quite simply, although we looked good with the ball at times, we were nowhere near as effective without it as Buckland. We really lacked a strong spine to the team and too many of our players seemed to lack strength and aggression (not in an LRT sort of way though ). The reality is I suppose is that we had a team stuffed full with wingers (Macklin, Halpin, Thompson) and ball playing midfielders (Craig, Kewell) and as for Yeoman I just don't know what his best position is, does he even? He really didn't look convincing as a striker last night which was disappointing given his decent little cameo performance against Bradford on Saturday.

We really do seem to have a desperate need for greater strength in depth in the strikers and combative midfielders department, not just in the first team but in the whole squad. Unfortunately I came away from the game with my thoughts on the strength of the sqaud pretty much unchanged (having already seen quite a few reserve/friendly games this season) namely that beyond our first 12 or 13 there really isn't too much to shout about and aside from thosed that are already contracted for next season (Macklin, Halpin, Leadbitter and to give him his full name "Following a mistake by Martin Rice") I would seriously doubt question as to how many will still be here with us next season and even of those that are under contract for next year I think perhaps only Macklin now is showing enough of what it takes to "make it" in the game and even he (still) needs to work on his end product - to be fair to him though he had perhaps three or four decent efforts on (but actually off!) goal last night and from memory he pretty much created his own chances by running at pace and skill at their defence - frustratingly though it invariably ended up with him blasting well over the bar!

Nice to meet up with Forever and the rest of the "boys" - what a great set up they have at Buckland these days too. In fact, with the quality of football on show I might even be tempted to go and watch the odd game down there from now on, if the opportunity arises as it's only 3 miles down the road for me - only on days when TUFC aren't involved though, of course.

[Dave]

That pretty much how I saw the game bobby93, in fact after about 15 minutes gave watching it , however went to the bowl match at Buckland last year which ended in a 2.1 defeat.I was highly critical of Mark Ellis who played in that game, I thought after he displyed should a poor attitude to that game, we would never see him in the first 11 again, and formed the opinion which I shared in private with a few, that our then manager should give Lathrope away to the nearest S.D.L club.

How wrong was I on both counts, Ellis has come back better and stronger, and Lathrope is up there with the most improved players at the club, to the point that many see his current injury as a real blow, so I am ging try and not be to over critical this time, however I can't let it pass with talking about the one biggest diss-appointment from last nights game.

Which was Saul Halpin, whats happened there? Anyone know, this time last year he looked hungry full of confidence, last night there was just no spark what so ever from the lad.

[Yellow4life]

Im just wondering where Ray Spear was'...

[CP Gull]

Im just wondering where Ray Spear was'...

Apparently he was cup tied - presumably must have played for Bideford in a Devon Bowl game while he was on loan there earlier in the season.