FAC1R: Torquay United v Derby 3pm 6th November 2022

Hope we get a result today - win or lose. In our position we dont need extra games that could hinder our battle for survival. Dorking on Wednesday is a far more important fixture and desperately hope we dont pick up more injuries, suspensions and dont burn ourselves out trying to match a better side. Yes we need the money and if we were mid table i would be thinking differently. Hope everyone enjoys the occasion for what it is on a soggy pitch and we come out the other side undamaged and proud of our effort whatever the score or result.

Any sport today? 🧐

I hope you all heard the cheer from Scotland when the equaliser went in.

I told the cats "It's Gary time" but I don't think they believed me. They will next time! 

Very enjoyable game today as we turned around a 0-2 deficit with a late late Gary time equaliser to force the tie to a replay . We seem to have got into the habit of equalising late in front of the TV cameras.

Derby were certainly the better team in the first half with their number 11 causing Moxy havoc down their right wing and it was from this side that Derby got behind our defence with a low hard cross that was tucked away from close range. Could have been different if a high boot to the head of Lapslie had seen their number 17 get a red and not yellow card earlier. At the point of contact, both feet were off the ground and while not deliberate, certainly reckless and have seen players sent off for much less. Both sides had a good penalty shout, Hall seemed to be tackled from behind and Donollan certainly hassled their player to the ground but nothing doing from the ref on either occasion.

Perhaps noticeable we didn’t have any shots in the first half on target and actually only had two in the whole match both of which of course ended up in the back of the net! After a very early well taken Derby goal in the second half, it perhaps looked all over but a lovely slide rule pass from Lapslie to Goodwin saw the latter have his shirt tugged back for a clear and obvious penalty and while some argued there was a covering player, he only got there as Goodwin had been held back and would have been free goal-side to enable him to get his shot away. Hall blasted the resulting penalty down the middle which wasn’t too far away from being saved by the keeper‘s legs but it did the job to allow us back into the match.

This completely turned the match on its head as we were now dominant with wave upon wave of attacks where we were unable in many cases to just get to the ball by inches with the goal at our mercy. Just before full-time there appeared to be a blatant handball from one of their players with a outstretched hand with the referee just giving a corner to the bafflement of the home support. . With the game entering the last few seconds, after getting a corner we tried to take it short and mucked it up yet again but Crowe was able to retrieve and his on the turn cross was high and deep into the area where it ricocheted around with Jarvis then getting two consecutive shots off, the second getting through the mass of defenders only for Goodwin to flick it onwards on the edge of the 6 yard box giving their keeper no chance to a rapturous Plainmoor.

This triggered a mini pitch invasion, mainly due to the sheer emotion of the moment but you do wonder how much the club will be fined and the number of bans that will be handed out as a consequence?

So a couple of difficult league games coming up next week but a trip to Pride Park is on the cards for the following Tuesday 15th November…

Well a cracking game from start to finish we Derby the quicker by a yard or two. I did think that when we went two nil down, the flood gates would open. Thanks to a penalty and a sending off we clawed our way back into the game and it seemed one way Torquay traffic until a deserved equaliser.

Could believe Derby were wasting time against the likes of little old Torquay.

Thought that Jarvis and Ellis put in a good shift but Wearne couldn’t make use of free kicks or corners, often going way over everybody’s head.

I guess we should thank the streaker as time added on (should have been more than 4 minutes) for this enabled us to equalise. But where were the stewards?

I hope that CCTV can be used to ban all the tw#ts who ran onto the pitch, I thought we’d got promoted.