P.S.F Torquay United V Derby 23rd July 2009

0-0 Final score as mentioned above.
It was a pleasant if a little overcast but the pitch was already looking a little more lush thanks to Scott Duff (I understand that Mark Burd the former Groundsman was working at Bovey Travey's ground the other day).
Former Sheffield United youngester (and loanee at Bradford, Brentford and Aldershot) Ben Starosta lined-up at right-back in place of Lee Mansell who is poorly and Hatch is no longer at the club and will not be joining us. He had a fairly tidy game, although in truth most of the play was either around the midfield or us taking-on the Derby defence as the game wore-on.

Line-up
Bevan
Starosta - Robertson, Todd, Nicholson
Carlisle, Wroe, Thompson, Stevens
Carayol
Benyon

This was a step-up on the performance against Bristol Rovers, we were very much more organised and tighter at the back although the Derby attack didn't offer as many problems as Lambert and Duffy. The passing was crisp, we got out wide and troubled them on many occaisions, they were only rescued from conceding a penalty when a clear foul on Benyon was bizarrely not given as the referee clearly would have had to have sent-off Mendy for a professional foul. He blew for a drop ball, citing that one of the Derby players had gone-down injured in the centre-circle!

The second half saw us attack again purposefully. Thompson and Wroe impressed together in the midfield (TT especially showed good distribution to match his usual combatitive efforts), Carayol looked better when out wide and surely not the answer to our centre-forward shortage and Stevens, Benyon and Carlisle caused plenty of problems.
Wroe had a couple of decent long shots and Benyon went close a couple of times, Bevan only had one save of note to make and looked comfortable.

Saul Halpin and Blair Sturrock came on with about 10 minutes left (I think there were others but can't recall). Sills, Hargreaves and a couple of the others watched from the grandstand.

There was nothing in the way of long-balls forward and the way that the players got the ball out-wide was very entertaining (for a PSF!). I think this bodes well for the coming season, although it's way to early to get carried away.

All in all it was a very good performance as we build towards the Chesterfield game.

Tim was not playing as the top of his leg was feeling bit tight and he said he did not want to risk playing. What a great night at Plainmoor and how good it was to hear fans clapping like mad as they watched such great passing moves being performed by our players.

Football the way its meant to be played and such football will have fans only wanting to come back for more of the same. There was no moaning, nobody shouting out rubbish, or anything at all toward our players.

Simply because they so often out played, out fought and out passed a Championship side.Benyon worked his socks off, was making runs everywhere and with the ball played up to his feet, held of his markers mostly and used the ball well.

Stevens back out on the wing had a great game,why he has been played in the middle is anyones guess, keep him out wide I say, thats is his best position.

What can you say about Wroe, well you can say he was real class out on that pitch tonight, in the second half his neat passing between him and Carlisle was as good as you Will see at the very top level of football.

Mussy was also had another fine game, he just needs to not be greedy sometimes, but on this form you fancy him to be causing a few defenders in league two may nightmares as they watch him run circles around them.

Great to see Bevan back in goal, you always feel that much safer knowing his giant frame is there to stop the goals going in.I also thought Thompson was top drawer tonight, getting stuck in where he needed to and also playing good passes around the pitch.

Not to many goal mouth incidents to talk about, I don't think either keeper had any saves to make of note during the first half. As has been said how the ref did not give the penalty is something I still can't understand.

Thompson jumped with a Derby player near the halfway line and won the ball in the air. Benyon raced onto the ball and was going in on a goal one on one with the keeper. He was just hacked down from behind.

As soon as he went down the ref blew the whistle and ran to the Derby player who had jumped with Thompson, then he picked up the ball, walked all the way into the Derby box and just dropped it for the keeper to kick out.

Derby nearly scored from a corner in the second half, a great header that I believe would have beaten Rice, but Bevan dived full length and pushed the ball onto the post and it came back out into play.

We were also treated to a 35 or 40 yard power driver from Wroe, it had the keeper diving to his right, he got his hands on it and pushed it out wide of the goal.

I will make a post soon on a thread Barton started today, about what this sort of football can do and I also want to make a post about Steve 004 on the Stewards thread.

For now I will just say, if we play this way in division two, fans are going to be in for a treat and I'm sure not only will we make new friends, but find we win back many lost supporters.

I really enjoyed our performance last night and it would have been an unjust defeat had Derby scored with the header that hit the post.

I was a bit disappointed with them at times as they gave the ball away very easily, sometimes when not under pressure, plenty of balls just going in to touch.

It was good too for us to give 90mins to some players and not have the usual second half team change. Nobody around us knew anything about the right back but he looked confident enough was always looking to pass the ball, which fitted in very well last night as we passed it about very well at times and at pace too.

As for the penalty? I was stood down that end and Benyon is blatantly pulled back but the ref did look back behind him to see if the derby player was down with an injury. However the linesman was level with it and he should have given it, then its a drop ball where it happened and the ball is in our half. Buckle, quite rightly, had a right go at the officials.

Bevan had a solid game and the back four kept a very straight line in the second half and got clse to the derby players when they attacked. Wroe/Thompson had excellent games in the middle. Thompson especially shows that if Hargreaves isnt playing we have a ready made replacement. Carayol continued his excellent preseason although being up front wasnt ideal for him.

Overall very enjoyable and the Torquay fans showed their appreciation at the final whistle, the Derby fans, 400-500 of them, didnt really wait to clap theirs off.