FL2: Torquay Utd v Rotherham 17 Sept 11

Is everyone on holiday or left the fans forum? The night before a match and no posts. Anyway I see this as a match that will give us a good idea of whether we have promotion hopes come May. I do however see us losing this one and thats not being negative to the team etc I just see Rotherham as a stronger team(given the budget they have)

Guess we can see just how much of their performance over the last couple of seasons was owed to ALF now that he's gone. Not as much as people think I suspect.

Been on 20 mins and haven't heard any comment about McPhee. Player has it that Rotherham have had two chances on target. How is that? 2-3

Very much like Tuesday night, it was entertaining if you were a neutral. Looked like a 4-3-3 (ish) with Bodin and McPhee up front with Rene, or 4-5-1 at other times.
To be fair, McPhee was no worse than another 3 or 4 players in the team in the 1st half so perhaps Chris should stick to sorting coaches out his day job.

To be fair to Rotherham they looked very much like Cheltenham, big strong and pacy where they needed to be. They certainly seemed seemed to have the winning of midfield in the first half and we probably have the better of the 2nd. Not enough room to make notes (squashed in like a sardine) but I think all 3 goals came from the right back area.
Cant fault the fightback though, nice goals all of them. Bodin also hit the post with about 5 minutes to go and Atieno skyed the rebound.
I am concerned that one win in five at home is not exactly going to have the crowds flocking to Plainmoor now the weather's getting colder...

I think you are mixing up the regular home co-commentator, professional hypnotist and ex-TUST Chairman Chris Fleet with the regular away co-commentator and Gulls Travel Club guru Steve Breed.

Late getting to the match and just managed to purchase my burger and chips before taking my place on the terraces. Just about into my third mouthful of burger and Rotherham exploit another lazy day start and take a the lead after just two minutes. And so into the rather tasty chip course with tomato sauce residue and yet another awful defensive balls up results in goal number two. Totally unmarked opponent at the far post heads the simplest of goals down and against Mans on the line and in. 0-2 after just mine minutes and it was looking as if we were going to be routed with defenders arguing over who should have been doing what etc and Nico looking completely pissed off with his comrades in the center of defense. As the final tommy sauce laden fry entered my mouth we produced a sublime quick passing forward move which resulted in Bodin firing an unstoppable shot past their keeper. Fortunately we were back in it quickly and the chips were down - literally!
Nico was becoming more and more of a threat with some good passing and forward runs and we had a period where we played some excellent on the ground football with Howe also offering himself across the front line and passing with accuracy. Then as were just getting to grips with things we let in another poor goal.
No pace Joe Oastler (cant fault his effort) completely skinned down the left and the ball crossed in sweetly and with a sublime touch was bundled, skinned, touched in by Grabban for his second of the match. At this point I was going back to the feeling that we were going to be on the receiving end of a stuffing but hey when the going gets tough as they say Nico gets going. Kev was visibly annoyed and wound up and began to get forward at every opportunity and on 42 minutes he burst through there defense and collected his own through ball which bounced kindly for him to head over the keeper and into an empty net. Back in it for the second time and the whistle blows for half time.
Pondering the half I was unsure of whether to feel peed off at the appalling defending or chuffed at the brilliant come back. :-/Soon after Rene Howe tipped the scales and scored with a sublime chip,mmmmmmchips , after a strong and skillful run past a defender. The second half continued with some great football from both sides. Rarely was the ball just hoofed up the park and any neutral would have gone away thinking they had got there moneys worth. One sparkling break out of defence when Howe received the ball on the halfway line and sent a diagonal cross into the path of Bodin at pace only to see their defender blatantly and professionally hack him down when he would have bee clear on goal. A definate sending off in nine out of ten cases, What does he get? A yellow and we blast he kick wide . No justice. On chances we deserved it in the end though Rotherham were always a threat on the counter and had chances of their own which luckily never ended in clear opportunities. We also hit the woodwork through Bodin in the final minutes when he burst through and looked certain to win us the three points but it was not to be and in the end I guess after being two down after ten minutes together with being completely out of chips at 1-2, I guess it was a fair result for both parties.
Good entertainment non the less.

McPhee is a mystery to me. Great for Kiddy but just not for us. The standard between the leagues 1,2 and BSP aren't to far apart but he just looks out of sorts at time. I don't like him but whilst he's in a Utd shirt I want him to do well. Saah is not to standard and feel Ellis deserves a run out. Defence doesn't look secure and opponents are getting through easy. O Kane was below his usual standard although he had the ideas the execution wasn't there. Howe looked great again, strong and took his goal well. Bodin scored another good goal and looks dangerous when he gets round the box, unlucky not to get second. Nico/Mansell goal battle has began to heat up !!!! Need to change draws to wins at home, sadly poor attendance again. Ref awful and bottled a second half red card when Bodin was brought down by the last man.