rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Feb 21, 2020 8:15:51 GMT
At last, with the weather mainly dry for both today and tomorrow we might actually see some football on Saturday! ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) The good news is that our injury situation continues to ease with Wynter back in full training but whether that translates into a start remains to be seen. If he does start, I would like to see Cameron and Lewis in central defence. Johnson’s target signing to replace Warren has fallen through. At the other end will Azeez start with Reid? How will Little, Hall and Lemonheigh-Evans fit in central midfield? Whitfield on one wing, Andrews, Kalala or Nemane on the other? Lots of options and decisions to make! We have only played 3 games since the Halifax match and think we owe them one. Did not take our chances in the first half that day and ultimately went out to a deflected shot. A league double would make up for that.....
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Feb 21, 2020 16:09:11 GMT
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Post by plainmoorpete on Feb 21, 2020 19:13:08 GMT
22nd February surely.
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Feb 21, 2020 20:19:45 GMT
Thanks and corrected. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Feb 22, 2020 13:48:20 GMT
Really looking forward to this. So long since I saw a football match - Tavistock, I believe.
Rob has been through the variance selection issues. Would love to see Wynter back but hope we don't rush him back too soon.
Easy way to accommodate the central midfield three (all crocked by Woking!!) would be to go 4-3-3 with Evans and Little either side of Hall and Whitfield and Azeez either side of Reid.
Prefer a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1 myself though.
If the former, play Hall at centre-back, play Evans or Little wide, play a diamond or leave one of them out.
If the latter play Azeez wide and play Evans or Little in the hole.
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Feb 22, 2020 15:05:35 GMT
Looking like 3-5-2 with Whitfield wing-back.
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Feb 22, 2020 16:03:15 GMT
Had the wind with us first half and shaded the run of play although this doesn’t impact our game too much. Little replaced by Andrews, hopefully just a niggle and understandable wouldn’t want to push it.
0-0 against them last month as well so hope not same outcome
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Post by stig123 on Feb 22, 2020 17:08:40 GMT
1-0 Azeez. Great result and important 3 points. See Azeez subbed off...hopefully because of match fitness and not injury.
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Feb 22, 2020 18:13:50 GMT
1-0 Azeez. Great result and important 3 points. See Azeez subbed off...hopefully because of match fitness and not injury. Yep although was still going strong.
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petef
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Post by petef on Feb 22, 2020 18:27:32 GMT
Has it been confirmed Little pulled a hamstring as the rumor mill is suggesting? Didn't appear to struggle walking off or look particularly distraught. Looked good and sharp the time he was on though Andrews was a good replacement. Thought we looked fit and trim today Asa Hall had an edge about him as well that I haven't seen for a while. Passing was good at times some slick movement that would have broken down some defenses.Halifax looked strong at the back. Considering the layoff we've had I thought it was a pretty good performance and the Cameron Cundy partnership played and copped well with both full backs having excellent games and in general our play looked pretty solid. Some good signs today and a deserved win - just. Great reaction from Ade Azeez to win it and considering he hasn't had a game all season - did a pretty good job against strong opposition.
Just the sort of result and performance that was required 1-0 or 5-0 its still three points!
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Post by Swanny on Feb 22, 2020 19:13:57 GMT
A gritty win for the Gulls today as they ground out a 1-0 win. It was not pleasant viewing for much of the match in a game of few clear cut chances and neither keeper was tested much. Torquay's first shot on target from Whitfield in the second half was a comfortable save so it was a game that hardly got the pulses racing. Yes it was dull to watch in front of 2,035 with 135 from Halifax but one piece of quality was enough to win the game. A free-kick was whipped into the box by Andrews on our left, Hall won the header and brought out a fine diving save by their keeper but Azeez stole in to head the rebound in at close range. Sponsors MOTM went to midfielder Lemonheigh-Evans, I personally I would have chosen Hall who made our goal and is so important doing the ugly stuff in getting stuck in and winning tackles. Special praise should also go to our back four today. With no Warren around anymore there were fears we would slip back to those horrible defensive errors. But there was none of that today as Cundy and Cameron stood up well in the middle and both our full backs were very impressive.
Torquay started off impressively and played excellent pass and move football and were looking like Brazil on the ball. It became apparent however that for all the good build up play there was no end product. Torquay tried to pass their way through Halifax and hit a wall each time and when Torquay did put a cross in, we have no natural marksman in the middle. Striker Reid and Azeez had little service and Reid's first touch was not the best today. Hall is the only player we have who is strong in the air as proved by his assist today. Little had our only decent shot in the first half that just went over. Sadly after around 20 minutes Little went off with a recurrence of his hamstring again and it makes you wonder if he will ever recover from it. That is 3 times this season it has happened. Torquay finished the first half the stronger team.
Halifax started brightly at the start of the second half and only some last ditch defending and a save by Covolan kept the scores level. The game settled down to being a dull affair again. There did not seem any way through for either team until Torquay took the lead. Halifax had to attack more but Torquay did not really threaten. Kalala replaced Azeez for the last 10 minutes but Kalala was poor. He could not beat his man and showed a lack of commitment. On one occasion he clearly backed out of a 50/50 challenge. Covolan did his trick of faking an injury so Johnson could do a team talk at 1-0. In 6 minutes of added time Halifax should have equalized, they hit the cross bar and late substitute Wynter made a fine last ditch goal saver. Apart from that Halifax's finishing all game was poor and some credit must go to Torquay's defence for that. The final whistle finally went as Halifax were camped in Torquay's half. As I said one piece of quality won the match in a game of few thrills.
So a vital win and the positives was that it was a solid and gutsy display by the Gulls and defensively we stood firm. The defence kept its shape and midfielders like Hall protected them. Longbridge our left back is doing a sterling job and puts in a really good shift like Davis did before his injury. I like his attitude. On the otherhand I did not like Kalala's attitude - not being able to beat his man and pulling out of tackles. It was noted at the final whistle Kalala wanted to head to the tunnel but Johnson reminded him to go to the fans. There seems to be an attitude problem with Kalala. Apart from that all the players gave their all for the cause and enjoyed the after match celebrations with the supporters.
It was good to see Azeez get on the score sheet and you have to credit his anticipation in poaching the winner Benyon style. Hopefully Azeez and Reid will be more involved in future matches. I thought Andrews did very well replacing Little and playing in central midfield. Players like Whitfield gave their all but teams like Halifax are hard to break down and Torquay need to show more quality in the final third to unlock defences in this league.
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Feb 22, 2020 19:34:36 GMT
A hard fought win today against a well organised team on a good run of form who were very hard to break down and the points could have easily gone either way. After losing to them by a goal last month it seemed fair that we were a goal to the good this time and of course means we complete the league double over them as well.
Very little to report on in the first half, Little had a shot go over early on and Whitfield had a shot from distance a bit later but no clear-cut chances for either team. The main talking point was that from a corner Azeez, while on the ball was knocked over from behind but the referee was not interested.
The second-half began with Halifax well on top, now having the wind behind them of course and from one of their corners a near post glancing header was superbly save by Covolan who managed to palm it wide of the far post where it was turned behind by our defender.
We did manage to regain some measure of control putting pressure on them with a number of corners and free kicks. Our goal came from the latter with Lemonheigh-Evans and Andrews standing over the ball on the Bristow bench side and with the former looking like he was going to cross to the far post, Andrews suddenly stepped forward and dinked it to the centre of the area where Hall was waiting slightly apart and his header was well saved by their keeper but in full poaching mode Azeez was there to head home the rebound both to his delight and to the Home crowd. Halifax players were not impressed and I think must have thought it was off side but they are a team that tries every trick in the book.....
Halifax did give it a go and had a good few opportunities to equalise but were very wasteful, shooting over on more than one occasion. Everyone’s hearts were in their mouths during injury time as from a break Halifax had a great chance but were initially thwarted from a lovely sliding block by Ben Wynter who had just come on, saving a certain goal and then the ball was fired onto the crossbar bouncing down onto the line and somehow just kept out. That was their golden opportunity though and we saw the last few minutes out for a win which now sees us firmly looking up the table.
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Feb 22, 2020 19:53:44 GMT
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Feb 22, 2020 21:50:15 GMT
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Feb 23, 2020 23:36:46 GMT
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