Res Fix: Plymouth v Torquay 29 March 2011

i may be able to get to this one, is it at home park & pay on the gate. if so any idea's how much?

There’s something rather illicit about midweek afternoon reserve games which are made for feckless, heavily-unionised, public sector loony lefty types such as myself. Haven’t we got anything better to do with our lives? And, of the several dozen souls who were at Home Park this afternoon, I’d guess getting on for half were Torquay fans. Full report on the official site detailing how we won 5-1 to “clinch” (if that isn’t too excitable a word) the reserve league title. Well done to all for making watching the reserve side such an entertaining experience this season.

Argyle fielded a slightly stronger side than they’d done against Exeter and Buckland. Rather more quality on the pitch this time, but still pretty youthful and no real first-teamers other than the curious Mr Walton. Argyle scored first through South Devon boy Liam Head with Lloyd Macklin equalising after being judged onside. A good even first-half in a typically open, but not exactly pugnacious, reserve league game. Given the strength of our line-up I’d expected slightly more in the first-half but no real complaints about what was on offer for my £4.

A straight swap at half-time at right-back – Scott Taylor for Joe Parrish (who both looked pretty decent) – and we upped the gear from then on. Tactically I’d say it was pretty close to 4-4-2 (in old money) with Stevens, Yeoman, Macklin and Spear taking turns to pair Kee upfront. Oastler took the centre of midfield until dropping to centre-back when TJ Lang went off injured. In midfield – and on the flanks – there was a fair amount of shuffling between Yeoman, Macklin, Stevens and Spear which proved too much for Argyle. Ray Spear impressed me more-and-more as the game progressed.

It must be the first time I’ve sat in the Mayflower stand for over twenty years. No catering – unless I missed a trick – but teamsheets freely given out to all. And, in advance of a third generation Budleighesque figure producing one in fifty years, here’s the teamsheet from the day Torquay United won a league title:

One piece of news gleaned from today's visit to Plymouth - in case you missed it - was that Chris Hargreaves made his debut for Argyle Legends against Elburton Veterans on Sunday. Other TUFC "names" in the side included Tommy Tynan - bloody hell, he's my age - Darren Garner (who probably looks almost as old as Tynan) and Mark Rowe (who played a few games during the dark ages of the mid 1980s).