NL: Torquay United v Chester 7:45pm 5 April 2016

With five of the bottom eight clubs in action tomorrow night we should have a clearer picture of the relegation situation after the games. 3 points tomorrow night and we could have one foot out of the "swamp."

Confirmation in the Herald today that Young is out after needing 15 stitches but will be back within a week. On the flip side, Smith is back in action and will strengthen the defence accordingly.

1-0. How's it looking?

Cracking match, cracking result with the whole ground erupting after Iffy sealed it in the final minute of normal time. Real team performance but Blissett, Iffy, Butler and Ajala stood out for me. I am really enjoying my football at present and looking at how we are playing at the moment, think something has to go drastically wrong to get relegated now, 2 wins still needed so not job done but light is looming at the end of the tunnel.

I got to the ground a few minutes before kick off and it was heartening to see a bit of a queue and once again the crowd got to over the 1800 mark, even for a midweek match and I don't think we are far short of that Mark in our seasonal average either. The ref was keen to get things going though as kick off had already been taken as I walked up to my seat at 7:44pm?

Did not have long to wait for goal mouth action. At our end Moore was off his line but unable to claim the ball as the ball ricocheted around our area before being cleared. From this, Allen was able to break and get away from his marker and his cross was deflected for a very early corner. A good Dan Butler delivery and Blissett got away from his marker for a free header which was nicely diverted into the net for a great start!

Blissett followed up his goal by being a menace to the Chester defence and was a real handful! He was ably supported by both wingers and not only did Allen have a good game but Ajala was at his best since his previous spell here although he did give the ball away in a poor back pass at one point.

Incidents of note in the first half.

1) Officials - Allen was shoved in the back to send him sprawling onto the ball which he handled but just out of play and somehow conceded a free-kick. Pop side lino missed the ball just going out past the by line but on the far side to allow a Chester cross but paradoxically flagged the ball going out when Butler seemed to have just kept it in?

2) Chester highlights - not many. Free-kick from range looked too high but dipped to bounce on top of the cross bar. They did have a decent penalty shout when Verna took out their attacker deep in the area - he may have touched the ball but I am not convinced.. .

3) Torquay highlights - we got the ball in their box quite often and the keeper kept dropping the ball and on one occasion - maybe a Rees shot, Blissett got a touch but it went agonisingly wide. The best was saved for the last during injury time when Allen broke clear but he shot high from an angle which their keeper saved well.

So onto the second half and far from being under siege the majority of chances came to us as we attacked towards the family stand and I can only recall one shot on target for Chester which was a regulation save low down by Moore. One notable instance saw their keeper come out of his area to clear the ball which he failed to claim and almost instinctively picked the ball up, the ball was funnelled out to Chaney in a central position with their keeper stranded but he did not have either the confidence or predatory instinct to make space to shoot and the chance went begging. He had a good first half but was rightly substituted for Harrad who came on and harried well, adding a bit of nous to support Blissett whom had a good chance with his shot looping off their keeper and spinning in just under the bar but headed off the line by the covering defender.

Although Chester put pressure on our defence at times we stood firm and as they pushed ever further forward, the ball came out to Harrad just in their half and he passed the ball in space behind their back line for Allen to run onto and he finished with aplomb low down to the right of the goal to send Plainmoor into rapture!