FL2: Torquay United v Bury 16th October 2010

Well, another very poor result at home. Three defeats in a row in front of the Plainmoor faithfull.

We don't need a new striker, better sort the defence out...

Looking forward to the match reports!

What a very strange phenomenon this game of Association Football is! It can pick you up when you are down but equally can kick you in the guts just when you think things are going well! As Saint and Greavsie observed with remarkable accuracy "It's a Funny Old Game!".

Eight days ago we all felt that we were quite tight at the back but were toothless up front and it was difficult to think where the next goal would come from. Now we are scoring goals for fun but leaking them at our end like a sieve!

I am not sure if I find it exciting, frustrating, bewildering, upsetting, or just expected, and I am not sure if the team are over confident, under confident, frustrated, bewildered, or just ready to give somebody a good hammering very soon!

Well at least Argyle lost so I can slip off to my local to mix with equally dejected fans of a team now only one point above the relegation places. I would really like to swop places with them this year so that we have our first ever season in a league above them, but I suppose a consolation prize if we remain where we are and Argyle continue on their downward spiral is that at least we get a couple of decent local derbies next year (and with every chance of winning them!).

It would be nice to wake up tomorrow morning to find it is Saturday and it was all a bad dream. One would think there would be no chance, but as a Torquay United supporter I have always known I must expect the unexpected!

Here's to a win at Gillingham next week!!

A cracking game, plenty of chances for both teams and some beautifully taken goals. So full value for money today but sadly another home defeat for the Gulls against a very slick Bury team. I would go as far to say that Torquay were a little unfortunate not to get at least draw and it looked like we were unlucky not to get a penalty to make it 4-4. Even in the 4 minutes of added time Torquay gave their all and made some decent chances. Crowd 2,553, sponsord MOTM Zebroski for his 2 corking goals.

It was clear from the opening exchanges that Bury were a dangerous side. They did not possess much in the way of height but they could sure play slick football on the ground, often using qiuck exchanges. Torquay were playing well and it was good to see a leaner looking Kee putting himself around well. On 18 minutes an inviting Nicholson free-kick floated over and Robertson glanced the ball beautifully into the net. Then 2 minutes later Zebroski turned about 20 yards out and hit a low shot into the corner of the net.

The turning point of the match was Bury's penalty. Another giveaway from Branston who unneccessarily brought down Bury's runner from their corner. It was pointed out at half-time by Crispygull that it's 3 penalties Branston has conceded in 1.5 games ! Bury's penalty went in off the post and clearly lifted them. On 27 minutes Bury made it 2-2 involving a lovely slick move which ended up rounding Bevan to score at close range.

At half-time Charnock replaced Branston so at least we were less likely to concede another penalty ! Bury's 3rd. goal was a brillant swerving shot from 25 yards that went into the corner of the net. However Torquay again responded with Zebroski scoring another long range shot on 56 minutes. Bury's winner on 71 minutes was a counter attack that again involved slick passing. The final shot took a slight deflection that wrong footed Bevan.

Torquay again rallied and Benyon was through on goal and tried to round the keeper. It looked like he was impeded but Benyon stayed on his feet. The chance went begging but more importantly no penalty was given. A little later Benyon did find the net but handled it so it was disallowed. Zebroski hit the post and sadly the game ended 3-4.

So that's 3 home defeats in a row and it's a long time since Torquay won. However today's performance was encouraging and deserved a point against a Bury team I expect to get promoted. My only criticism was the way Branston again gave away a vital penaly. There were some really strong performance, notably from Ellis in defence, Nicholson from his deliveries which caused Bury so many problems, and Zebroski who showed how well he can finish. So we are not playing like a team in freefall even though our results would suggest that. I am not panicking just yet.

Thrills and spills a minute today alright, from two teams that played the game as it should be.......ultimately we lost again but shouldn't be too hard on ourselves, they had that bit more luck on the day - a draw would have been the right result.

Bury are set up to be an away side, they will win plenty on their travels this season.......some of their football was superb - so quick and incisive. I guess their promotion chances hinge on their dodgy home form and keeping that Man utd kid, his movement and pace was too much for our stuttering defense today - you can see why they concede so many though, defensively they were poor and Sodje, commanding as ever in the air, looks a bit past his best now and has lost the pace he once had.

My ratings today (6 being average ).

Bevan - 5 - Below his best, maybe its time for Potter to have a game?
Robertson - 5 - lack of pace exposed, distribution poor.
Ellis - 6.5 - Strong in the air, made some saving tackles but dragged out of position too often, had 2 or 3 good heading opportunities and missed the lot.
Branston - 5 - Took an elbow to the face early on that seemed to affect him and subbed at half time, woefully caught on the wrong side by Sodje while defending a corner and gave away a needless penalty that changed the entire game.
Charnock - 6 - Did alright as Branstons replacement, though hardly tightened us up in the 2nd half.
Nicholson - 7 - Solid at left back and great delivery today.

Stevens - 5 - One great run in the 1st half before being taken out cynically by Sodje was about it from Danny - looks fine on the ball, when he gets the ball but lucky to be still starting.........Macklin needs a go.
Mansell - 6.5 - Great energy as usual, lots of tackles but distribution poor, missed a great chance at the death to make it 4-4.
O'Kane - 6.5 - Tough for him in the engine room, a sacrifice of his talent playing him there, not as effective but the lad has to be able to compete physically if he's gonna go up the leagues. When he had space he used the ball well.
Zebroski - 8 - back to form with a bang, 2 cracking goals and a constant threat only the woodwork denied him a hat-trick to go with the MOM performance.

Kee - 6 - Battled willingly and won some flick ons well, not big enough to play the target man role but did his best......needs a goal - and should have had a tap in, in the 1st half had Benyon pulled it back rather than selfishly shooting from a narrow angle.
Benyon 5.5 - A game that Elliott will hopefully learn from - made the wrong decision twice that ultimately cost us at least a point. The 1st time explained above.......he did well in the 1st place to nick the ball out wide and run into the box but shot straight at the keeper from an acute angle instead of slipping the ball to Kee to tap into an empty net.
Later at 3-4, he was clearly fouled but tried to stay on his feet and score despite being off balance - had he gone down it was a nailed on pen.
To be fair to him, its harsh to criticize a young striker for being selfish, they need to have a selfish streak to succeed - but he just made the wrong split second decisions today......otherwise he looks fit again and his movement caused Bury problems all afternoon.

Macklin and Carlisle were both on for a short time only and both did their bit ensuring a grandstand finish to a great but ultimately frustrating game.

Sad to note that Bucks was getting a bit of stick from the crowd again........we need to get behind this team and its manager - we're a decent side that will probably finish about half way up this league (we're 3 players short of a promotion side and haven't got the budget to get them) but still a side that battles away and plays some good stuff...........it's obvious to anybody with half a bloody brain that we'll continue to give good value and the loud, short sighted whiners need to take a good look at themselves.

"Not dependable, not at it, and not working hard enough to solve the problems the opposition front two were setting him"

That's Paul Buckle's public offering on Guy Branston today................so I wonder what his confidential one was in the dressing room at half time?

Certainly giving away 3 (THREE!) penalties in less than one and a half games is catastrophic to the team and a huge dent in the confidence they must have had in the "People's Captain". Two succesive Saturdays and two succesive losing of two goal leads ~ not acceptable!

This side is full of young emerging players, it cannot have a senior professional's reliability unravelling like that, or a rapid deterioration in confidence will result.

So the manager pulls him out of the action at half time, and cannot be accused of trying to pretend that a player's seniority will allow him to let his standards slip so markedly.

It's frustrating watching someone you know is capable of so much better allowing their standards to slip................I should know, I've just watched my son undersell himself in exactly the same way today and then show little appetite for acknowledging that fact afterwards ~ so it's best to walk away for now and re-approach it in the week.

Let's hope Guy Branston walks into the training ground with the right attitude when training re-convenes next week....................it will be vital for the immediate future of OUR club that he does!

Strong stuff alright from Bucks, if Branston's the man we all think he is, then he'll take that on the chin and try and up his game. Buckle's no fool, i'm sure he knows him well enough to know how he'll react.

Scoring 6 in 2 games, losing two 2 goal leads and just picking up 1 point in the process has clearly got to the manager and who can blame him!

I think that this public dressing down is due to the fact that todays and the 2nd one last week.......when he just dived in and wiped everybody out were both given away needlessly - and that is just unacceptable.

Aussie, as I couldn't read what you wrote I can't understand. Please feel free to post it again or sent it as a PM to me.

Back to the game. First of all thanks for the match reports!
It's very strange that the man who has been carrying the team since his arrival at our club is now the person who let's things slip trough his fingers. Let's hope that Guy Branston can get back to his playing level from last and the start of this season.

Midtable and playing not that bad at all. Hopefully this winless run doesn't do too much damage to the players confidence.

Next up is a tough trip to Gillingham, who have scored just 6 goals in their 6 home games. But also conceded just 3 goals in these 6 games.