FAYC 3rd RD.Torquay V Millwall 17th December 2009

Really hope to beat the traffic to get to this one after the genuine excitement of the last match.
It would be great to see an even bigger crowd than last time - I expect that it was a huge boost to the lads to see 500+ last time and they certainly deserve a similar support.

I hope the same crowd turn up tonight because the self editing during the songs last time was purely classic, had most us pissing our selves with laughter, quality more of the same tonight please!

0-1 ht, millwall took an early lead. Much smaller crowd than Norwich macth - maybe 325? Not much in the way of good chances for either side. Millwall looking solid and not much pressure from our forwards. Halpin, Spear and Yeoman haven't seen much of the ball. 45 minutesto go though!!

Sorry for the use of players numbers only, only the names were in the programme and not who was wearing what number.

What a bitterly bitterly cold night it was at Plainmoor tonight, I can’t remember the last time I have ever felt so cold and how daft not to have open the canteen, the only way to get a hot drink was to go to No 10’s, I did go and try to get a hot drink for Phil and myself, but gave up in the end due to the queue.

On to the game and Millwall were the better team on the night and their no7 was clearly the best player on the pitch and caused up problems all night, he had real pace and trickery and it was he who scored the first goal not long after the game had started. A defence splitting ball played on the halfway line, saw the Millwall no 7 bust between our two defenders and he took the ball just inside our box and fired a low hard shot past the keeper who stood no chance of making the save.

The goal stunned Torquay and for most of the first half we were second best and could not get our good passing game together, so often just hitting it long. We did have the odd good move; our no 9 laid a great ball out wide to our no 11 but nothing came of it in the end, shortly after we won a free kick and the ball was floated into the box, but our no3 ‘s header was soft and saved with ease by the Millwall keeper.

It was the pace upfront that Millwall had that kept causing the Torquay defenders so much trouble and once again Millwalls no 7 was their main threat, he went on so many jinking runs and was always looking to get a shot away, one effert he had just skimmed the post. He followed that shot up with another just after from 30 yards and this time the ball sailed very close to the crossbar as it went over it.

Millwall were good value for their first half lead and we did well to keep it down to only the one goal, but we started the second half much better and for a while we were on top and looked like the team most likely to score a goal. Halpin was getting more of the ball and he fired in a good shot but the keeper made a good save.

Halpin was then guilty of a very poor pass on the halfway line, Millwall got the ball and sent it up to, yes their no 7, he danced around our defenders, slipped but got up and still had the ball at his feet, he beat another defender and made the space to fire in a good shot with his left foot, but our keeper made the save.

We still looked good for a goal but it was the Millwall no 7 again who made a great run and drilled the ball across our box, it only needed someone to stick a boot on it for a simple tap in, but we got lucky and the ball went out for a goal kick.

We won a corner but it was cleared and as fast as lightning the ball was played to no 7 again who burst into our box for a one on one with our keeper who was so quick off his line and got down and robbed the ball from the feet of no 7.

Still slightly on top we gave them a bit of a soft goal, two Torquay defenders going for the same ball in our box and just got in each others way, as a result the ball went out to the edge of our box and the Millwall no 11 smashed the ball high into the net.

Our lad’s heads did not drop and they worked hard to try and get back into the game. Our no 8 hit a fantastic shot from all of 35 yards that forced a great save from the millwall keeper who just managed to push the ball around the post to stop it going in.

We were then given a very soft penalty our no 9 went down just inside the box, but the ref gave it and no 10 put it to the keepers left and now you just hoped we could get one more goal to take the game to extra time.

But our defence were a bit guilty of some poor defending, our no 3 was the very slow to get to the ball and the Millwall no 7 got to the ball first and chipped our keeper but the ball went over the bar. The game was all over a few minutes later a cross form the right into our box and a simply unchallenged header by Millwalls no 2 gave our keeper no chance.

The lads gave everything they had and should feel very proud, but on the night they were beaten by a better team, but I’m sure they would have learned a lot playing in tonight’s game.

Thanks for the reports.

Kiernan Hughes-Mason is only 17 and I am pretty certain he can also play in the FA Youth Cup again next season also. He has already played in their First Team. In fact three others of that team the other night hold First Team squad numbers: Defenders Omar Beckles (another 17 year old) and Danny Fitzsimmons and striker John Marquis. With the exception of Hughes-Mason, they ALL stand over 6'1".

Hughes-Mason is one of the outstanding young players of his age group in London at the moment and an exciting prospect of whom much is anticipated in the future.

The shock of the night was the revelation made by a TFF member who was standing beside me watching the match.

With his teeth chattering with the cold he told me before he had left home he had put his pajamas over the radiator, yes folks this item of clothing us real men only keep in the drawer to take to wear in a hospital, or when we finally go to the old folks home, he wears in bed with his wife.

You couldn't make it up could you