cheltenham town v torquay united - 14/2/2012

[Plymouth Gull]

461.

[tufc si]

How many Gulls fans at Cheltenham today? Between 400-500?

Crawley could only manage 260 at Swindon..

Think peeps have said on here that it was 441 or 451 or summin similar!! Absolutely brilliant turn out though and I know it ent exatly a million miles for most Gulls fans to travel but a midweek game in winter, it ent half a bad number!!

[loyalgull]

That was incredible, just incredible. After watching Southend on the box last night, Swindon and Shrews at Plainmoor and Cheltenham tonight, I genuinely believe we are good enough to go up automatically. If we can break our duck against Crawley, Ling will have surpassed our wildest dreams. We defended like absolute heroes tonight, the unity within the team is incredible. Granted, we didn't offer much (if anything, second half) going forward. However, we were hardly allowed any time, and Cheltenham continuously pumped balls down the centre.

The atmosphere was immense and just can't believe this run we are on. The night was topped off by me (finally) winning a bet. How we were 3/1 to win tonight is beyond me, but had a tenner on it so happy days.

Hard to pick a MOTM, but Saah, Ellis, Manse, Morris and Bobby were all up there. Cracking night, cracking run, cracking, cracking, CRACKING!!!!!!!!!!!! The Gulls are going up!!!!!!!!!!

[AustrianAndyGull]

[quote="loyalgull"]That was incredible, just incredible. After watching Southend on the box last night, Swindon and Shrews at Plainmoor and Cheltenham tonight, I genuinely believe we are good enough to go up automatically. If we can break our duck against Crawley, Ling will have surpassed our wildest dreams. We defended like absolute heroes tonight, the unity within the team is incredible. Granted, we didn't offer much (if anything, second half) going forward. However, we were hardly allowed any time, and Cheltenham continuously pumped balls down the centre.

The atmosphere was immense and just can't believe this run we are on. The night was topped off by me (finally) winning a bet. on iHow we were 3/1 to win tonight is beyond me, but had a tenner t so happy days.

Well done Loyal! I actually flagged this value up on the bookies view thread earlier on this evening but looks like nobody read it. Pat on the back for Torquay, you and me!

[Heritage gull]

A big THANK YOU to all on this forum. Following the yellows from down under. No TV or radio coverage, so got up early this morning (Oz time) to follow the game on a your forum. WONDERFUL result. EXCELLENT commentary. COYY!!!!

[Dave]

That was incredible, just incredible. After watching Southend on the box last night, Swindon and Shrews at Plainmoor and Cheltenham tonight, I genuinely believe we are good enough to go up automatically. If we can break our duck against Crawley, Ling will have surpassed our wildest dreams. We defended like absolute heroes tonight, the unity within the team is incredible. Granted, we didn't offer much (if anything, second half) going forward. However, we were hardly allowed any time, and Cheltenham continuously pumped balls down the centre.

The atmosphere was immense and just can't believe this run we are on. The night was topped off by me (finally) winning a bet. How we were 3/1 to win tonight is beyond me, but had a tenner on it so happy days.

Hard to pick a MOTM, but Saah, Ellis, Manse, Morris and Bobby were all up there. Cracking night, cracking run, cracking, cracking, CRACKING!!!!!!!!!!!! The Gulls are going up!!!!!!!!!!

Nice post Loyal, you cracked me up, with the cracking end, to your cracking post, on this cracking day, and a cracking result.

[Southampton Gull]

A big THANK YOU to all on this forum. Following the yellows from down under. No TV or radio coverage, so got up early this morning (Oz time) to follow the game on a your forum. WONDERFUL result. EXCELLENT commentary. COYY!!!!

It's your forum as much as anyones, glad you enjoyed it from so far away.

As for tonight, we were simply outstanding, sublime passing football in the first half. resolute defending by everyone in the second half. McPhee take a bow, rammed all that criticism down peoples throats with a real gutsy display. Saah was immense as were Bobby, Nico, Oastler and Ellis. O'Kane, what more can anyone say about him, he gets the ball and the way he sets off with it is why we pay what we do to follow our team home and away, he really is one of my all-time favourite players. Good shift from Morris, Danny and Mansell, even Tai was back defending at times and nobody can complain about his performance tonight, he won balls against a big brute of a centre-half but didn't get a lot of decent service.

If this is what boring 1-0 wins are all about I'll take them every week.

[Glostergull]

Well just got back. What can I say. This was one performance of heroic proportions. The lads didn't just do what was required they tore into Cheltenham in the first half.
I am not qualified to do a match report like the usual guys on here as my eyesight won't let me follow who is who a lot of the time. but I will comment on things as I saw them.
The area is not as easy to find parking in as usual. Some nut has had the bright. (or not so bright in this case) of putting LED street lights in all the housing estate. Dark was not the word. The locals are not too complimentary about them either.Walking to the ground is a little dicey as pot holes can't be seen so easily. Not too important to you young us but vitaly so for us old codgers.
Once in the Stadium. Wow what a noise. and all Torquay. well nearly all. The usual bunch of Nitwits (well thats what we called them last time wasnt it lads). vented their spleens. but never mind. The schools dont know how to teach em any better these days and most were mere 16 years olds.
Our lot. More Mature (well Matts socks were anyway) with education and wit. (certainly half of it) made our presence felt. We pummeled them into submission.
Danny running down the wings. Manse ruling the midfield. with support and Nico, Ellis, Saah, and Oastler providing a veritable barrier reminiscent of the Berlin wall. (you youngsters ask yer dads about that). Atieno providing the fire power, oh so many to mention.
Supporting Manse or should I now nickname him Immanse. as he was immense, was Lathrop, O'kane, and Morris who's goal was to take us to the top equal on points with Sarfend and Cheltenham, Only goal difference seperates us,.
O'kane was his usual brilliant self. Morris was having a blinder. . Lathrop soaking up all that they could throw at him.
Rowe Turner providing a foundation upon which attack after attack could pound away at their goal.
and who of course should forget to mention Boaby in goal. A rock solid wall who would catch whatever was shot at him and a couple of real bullets went his way, but did he flinch. did he eck as like. it wouldn't have mattered if the third army of the rhine had been launched into acton. he would not have let anything in at all..(all those with a longer memory will remember our (armies based in Germany during the cold war)
We must not forget Rene and Mcphee,.
Rene coming on and helping settle us when They threatened and himself causing them some real upset just when they thought they had gained the upper hand.
Mcphee having a short but real impact when he came on as sub only to be booted in the face.
His injury hopefully is not to serious. He told me it's still swelling. it is broken more than likely but he hopes to be able to be available for saturday, apparently you can see the stud mark in the side of his nose. ( I know a coupl of people for whome that would be a welcome improvment).
The atmosphere was electric. a change for the usual gas and more efficient.
The stewards estimated that we brought around 450. and your very own Paul Bastard had yet another argument with the stewards over his bag with dinner in it. (what on earth is their problem with haute qiusine) another glass of wine if you please Paul. at least he didn't get locked in the stadium tonight. I thought I would join in tonite so brought my own dinner complete with table cloth for my lap. shame about the silver service though.
I joined him in the celebrations after, with the team as they boarded the bus. surprised to hear that the driver hadn't been told that the A40 was closed. Never mind lads. Good Ole Gloster is here to the rescue. and proud as peacocks I led the team out of Cheltenham on the way home. and let me say it now. I was chuffed to Little apples,.
We sit proudly equal top seperated only by goal difference. Lee Manse was exchanging texts with me. |(I threatened to get the pop side to serenade him at night in celebration.)Only joking Lee.
One happy fan accompanies the coach part of the way down the M5 and we flashed our goodbyes at Junction 14 as i Left the motorway happy in the knowledge I had done my bit however small, to help us on the road to Promotion.
with the fans song ringing in my ears. We are going up say we are going up. dare i disagree. No. because even if we don't this time round. it will be nice to dream for a few weeks as if we will.
And you know what, We might just do that dear friends. we might just do that,!

[royalgull]

It was just like last year, only this years team has better players in key positions than last year and has the ability to keep calm when under pressure when others might lose control.

Despite us getting deeper and deeper and Cheltenham hurling it into the box, I never felt we'd concede. Bobby made 2 excellent saves (self inflicted by poor pass choices and defending) Saah made 3 massive headers tonight, he won countless others but 3 in particular. 1. Brilliant header for Morris to tap in the goal, 2. 1 minute later they got a corner and he made a great header at the back post at a dangerous time after we'd just scored, 3. Last few mins a shanked cross caused a problem, Bobby was beaten their guy was charging in to head the equaliser and Saah just got up and got enough of it to deflect it away. Saved the win, brilliant from him.

We've played better football at times this season, we'd have had better footballing wins but we haven't had a team win as good as that all season. The players will be feeling $1million tonight. When you win a game 4-0 you're delighted but that may well have been down to 3 or 4 players being brilliant, your defense might not have had too much to do so although it's great you don't neccesarily feel as part of it. Tonight was the opposite and one of those wins you only get 2 or 3 of a season if you're lucky. It's a win where everybody, even the lads like LRT or Rene who played 10minutes, will feel massively part of it. Everybody and I mean everybody played their part and put a shift in to earn that win.

The back 5 were incredible (best games I've seen Oastler and Saah have), the midfielders covered every blade of grass, Stevens was our most potent attacking player, Morris scored, Atieno ran his guts out. Lathrope who'd started well went off, McPhee whose barely played all season stepped into a match of high importance and as tough as it gets and played a massive part in the win. Don't underestimate his role, this wasn't Dagenham at home he stepped into. Cheltenham away 20minutes in, playing central midfield and he's barely played 5 full games all season. Outstanding effort. Summed up tonight's win.

like I've said was it us free flowing and creating loads of chances? Nope but it was a superb away performance. Even game, we got the goal and defended resolutely and stubbornly throughout. Their forwards got no change, resulted to fouling, getting subbed and throwing a strop. Embarrassing. But again Saah and Ellis must have looked at each other and smiled, job done.

Professional, strong, gritty, and deserved 3 points at a much improved Cheltenham side. Brilliant win and I for one just can't see where the next win is coming from.

[Glostergull]

It was just like last year, only this years team has better players in key positions than last year and has the ability to keep calm when under pressure when others might lose control.


Professional, strong, gritty, and deserved 3 points at a much improved Cheltenham side. Brilliant win and I for one just can't see where the next win is coming from.

With the run we are on and the way the lads are playing, Are you sure you meant that?

[cosmic74]

Just got back to deepest darkest Plymouth with 3 sleeping sons in the car!! One of which fell asleep with 20 mins to go, although he denied this when he briefly woke up driving out of Cheltenham!!

Well what can I say that hasn't already been said by my fellow Gulls who watched a truly memorable performance from a team of leaders, led by the one of the best if not the best Torquay skipper that I can remember! Hats off to ML and his back room staff, the players and especially Lee Mansell for leading by example and continuing this amazing run of ours!!

COYY

[ferrarilover]

Sorry if this has already been covered, but once again I come away from Whaddon Road simply flabbergasted at the appalling refereeing in this division. 26 fouls in one 90 minute match but only three bookings, absolute joke.

Still, a class win, well played the boys.

Matt.

[bengull]

Torquay continued their miraculous winning run and on-going promotion dream with a tenacious victory over top of the table rivals Cheltenham and in doing so proved they are a team for all occasions, and one the rest of the league should be fearful of in the run in. A single goal by Ian Morris was enough to separate the teams who were supported loudly until the final whistle and beyond by another impressive away following from the 'Yellow Army'

The decisive moment of the match was scored in the middle of Torquay's only decent spell of attacking threat. It arrived through what is increasingly becoming a TUFC trademark; a dangerous set-piece. Once again Kevin Nicholson delivered a beautiful in swinging corner from the right hand side, it was met powerfully at the back post by the head of Brian Saah who sent it back across goal where Ian Morris stabbed it home from inside the six yard box. It was a goal of such simplicity, yet may prove to be one of the most vital scored all season.

That was pretty much all of note for goalmouth action in what was an even first half. Both teams restricted to long shots in order to break up long passages of Head Tennis or midfield battle. It was a tense affair, the antithesis of the open, passing football on rich display against Shrewsbury. However, Torquay maintained excellent concentration and the only negative at half-time was the forced withdrawal of Damon Lathrope through injury. The Gulls will be hoping this was just as a precaution because Lathrope has been a lynchpin, central to our up-turn in performances since he forced his way into the team in October.

Into the second half and it was one which Cheltenham completely dominated, Torquay could not muster a single shot on target. Mark Yates sent his troops out five minutes early for the second half and they played with a completely different intensity to that of the first and played with real menace and attacking purpose throughout. What unravelled however was a heroic rearguard defensive performance from all 11 men in yellow driven on by their twelfth man; the noisy fans behind the goal they were defending.

Bobby Olejnik, like so often this season, was called into action and came to the rescue of some uncharacteristically sloppy midfield play from Eunan O'Kane. The Austrian raced off his line to close the angle on the onrushing striker, but before he could get his shot away the big man had taken the ball from off his feet. Minutes later Olejnik bettered this with a smart diving stop at his near post making sure his resulting parry did not invite a rebound shot at goal. Olejnik is a continual reassuring presence in the team, he has no weaknesses and whereas our Goalkeeper in this fixture last season contributed dismally to dropping two points, you got the feeling that wasn't going to be the case tonight.

The rest of a half followed a pattern: cross came into Torquay box, excellent first header by a Yellow Shirt, clearance completed by second Yellow Shirt,and then the next cross came in as Torquay struggled to put an attack together. Saah and Ellis hardly missed a header all night, and whilst on the terraces there was a lot of nerves etched on a lot of faces, there was no panicking on the pitch. Each time an opportunity was presented to pass our way out of trouble, we would take it on and alleviate the pressure.

Whereas last season we threw two points away by defending too deep, tonight we tried to press high up the pitch as much as possible, despite many tired legs. When we weren't closing players down, each and every player was throwing themselves in front of the ball as if their lives depended on it. The team spirit is tremendous amongst this group of players, I can not praise their attitude and willingness highly enough, each player is playing for the shirt, and each successful clearance was cheered on louder and louder by the Yellow Army who could sense 3 points was agonisingly close.

One last scare to endure however, a cross from the right flicked off a Cheltenham head and left Bobby stranded, it looked for all the world like it was going in, until a sublime intervention from Brian Saah kept our clean sheet record intact. Running backwards towards his own goal line, Saah timed his backwards header perfectly to divert the ball over the bar and out for a corner, it was a breathtaking bit of improvisation and one which illustrates the character and never say die attitude of this team.

After five painful minutes of added on time, mostly spent time wasting wherever possible amid flashes of Cheltenham Pressure, the Referee blew for full-time signalling a massive outpouring of Joy from players and fans alike. The look on the faces of all the players at the Final whistle was of complete jubilance and the full belief that we can go all the way this season, We can beat the bottom teams, and we can mix it at the top. there is simply no-one we should fear. We can match the better footballing teams pass for pass, and we can grind out determined, hard-fought victories too.

A special cheer was reserved for Martin Ling who has overseen this remarkable rise to third place with calmness, dignity and refreshing honesty. He turned with a beaming smile and punched the air, In these special moments after the match it is heartwarming to see it means as much to the players and the management as it does to the fans. This is a club on the up, it is together and there is a special affinity which I would not even be able to begin to describe to an outsider. As the yellow masses filed out for short, but ecstatic, journey home, we broke out into one last rendition of 'The Gulls are Going Up' and on tonight's evidence its getting increasingly difficult to disagree.

[ferrarilover]

Why can't McFree play like that all the time? And who the hell was that Brian Saah imposter we all saw at the start of the season?

As for Creepy 'only' taking 260 to Swindon, in fairness to them, that is their entire fanbase.

Referee abysmal as I've already said, but everyone in yellow (and one in orange) was simply outstanding. To restrict Cheltenham to 3 shots is nothing short of a miracle, they're a decent side, retain the ball well and look to get it moving. Shame they went all 'thug life' in the second half, with their 14 assaulting Mark with a hand to the face which ought to have seen him dismissed and kicking out at someone (possibly Saah) as well as kicking Mansell to the ground.

We should be fearful of no one. Said it all along, if we play well, we will beat everyone and anyone in this division and here we are proving it. No, we won't win the rest of our games, I have a slightly horrible feeling about Bradford, but we certainly deserve to be promoted this year because we are the best footballing side in the division, the best defensive unit this side of Reading in the Championship and all done without spending a penny.

Hang your head in shame, Swindon and Crawley, THIS right here is how you run a football club.

Matt.

[BernardB]

Many thanks for great reports by Gloster, Royal and Ben.