NL: Torquay United v Notts County 3pm 4/02/23

Am thinking we might nick a win today. Fadahunsi making Kyle Cameron look an arse all afternoon. Stranger things have happened.

No Hall, so Hanson starts in an unchanged eleven.

Collins replaces McGavin on the bench.

Strange that we decide to have two centre backs and a full back on the bench rather than McGavin giving us a second forward-looking bench option. Or is McGavin not really fit?

I thought the score line was harsh on Torquay today, I thought we did enough to earn at least a point against the league leaders. Our performance was full of energy and passion and no lack of effort. We have clearly improved in recent matches and are looking much more solid. Today confirmed we no longer get taken to pieces by top teams, we finally look like a competitive side. We still lack that bit of quality mind you for me to have confidence we will survive the drop but at least we seem to be ready for the fight.

Today's match was a feisty encounter with loads of drama and controversy - fouls galore, bookings, a sending off and a winner won by ex-Gull Nemane who went down very easily from minimal contact by Wyatt to win the penalty. Notts knew they were in a battle today and celebrated at the final whistle like they had won the league. Notts opener was from a piece of quality from Langstaff who received the ball just outside the penalty box, turned his marker Lawrence I believe, and shot into the bottom corner. Until then Torquay were holding Notts quite comfortably. Fadahunsi was strangely substituted shortly after their goal for new boy Collins. I thought Fadahunsi was putting himself about well although he was probably not match fit enough to maintain the entire game. He was clearly unhappy when substituted which I can understand. Soon after Collins made an outstanding run with the ball showing lightning pace. A little later Donnelan's clever ball found Lapsie in the box who controlled and hit the ball under their keeper. 1-1 was a fair score line at half time.

Shortly after half time Nemane won a penalty like we see in the Premier league when a tricky player goes down in the box from minimal contact. Perhaps Wyatt was a little naive as well as Nemane was near the by line and we were not in much danger. Torquay did their best to respond but in truth our set pieces are typically poor all game, often being overhit. Rodrigues got a silly second yellow for a silly hand ball when he could not reach a cross and the ball was going out for a Torquay goal kick. Halstead complained that the hand ball occured when the ball was still in play, the referee conferred with his assistant and off he went with 20 odd minutes to go. Notts ran down the clock with loads of playacting and Torquay could not capitalize with the extra man.

My thoughts today : Lawrence looks excellent in defence and himself, Donnelan and Moxey look a solid back 3. Donnelan pushed into midfield in the second half and Marshall did well in defence in his place. Hanson was lucky to not get sent off and was on a yellow so it was no surprise Marshall replaced him. I like Fadahunsi in attack with his physical presence and I was disappointed he was substituted so early. Collins clearly has skill and pace when he came on but I did not notice him in the second half. Lapsie looks fit and hungry which is a bonus. De Silva had a quiet game and there is a lack of goals in the team. Defensively we look a lot more solid. Halstead looks very solid.

As for the Yellow army, it was a little strange. The drummer and his small band of singers, who normally lead the chanting, were at the end of the Popside at the away end. They could barely be heard by the rest of the Popside so there was little chanting in the first half. Put it another way, the atmosphere was quite dead in the first half. The chanting and noise did however improve in the second with all the incidents that were happening on the pitch. Cameron got his normal abuse from the Yellow army even when he was applauding the Yellow army at the final whistle. Never mind, I'm afraid the intelligence of a lot of football fans is pretty worrying so I should not be surprised. It is only a game at the end of the day and sportsmanship has got largely lost, sadly.

Thought we played with plenty of endeavour; no one could say the team weren’t trying but ultimately just lacked the quality needed, although by the way Notts County celebrated, it was likely one of their tougher encounters.

Lapslie was immense but I was equally impressed with Nico Lawrence (as I was against Woking as well). To think he is only 18 - he certainly has a bright future in the game.

The sending off will be a frustrating one for them. I’m not sure Rodrigues did it deliberately, perhaps more instinctively, although a degree of petulance as the ball hadn’t gone out of play when he touched it. However, it was going out of play - no one else was going to get it but as well as Halstead appealing, the linesman was flagging furiously so the ref had little choice but in a different game with a different atmosphere and probably a different ref than this one who was card happy, most would have used common sense and had a stern word.

I thought Dr. Jeckyl & Hyde County were miles ahead of us moving the ball forward. Keeper to Cameron (Not sure why he got the various chants aimed at him, I’d love him back playing for us. All he did was moving closer to home for more money, who wouldn’t) and within three passes were near our penalty area. That lad up front the petulant Longstaff reminded me of David Graham, just needed sight of the goal and bang.

Shame they had to resort to ‘professional tactics’, falling over, moaning, surrounding the ref on every decision, time wasting. Thought the ref had a fairly decent game but once he booked the ‘keeper for time wasting was never going to give him a second yellow for the same offence. But if that’s what it takes to win games then...

Lawrence was immense at the back, shame we didn’t have him on a season long loan. Hanson was a liability and rightly pulled off before a red card loomed. We huffed and puffed but were not in the same league as Notts, which will be the same come the end of the season.

Cracking game though.