FL2: Torquay Utd v Rochdale - 25 August 2012

Ling's take on "filling the holes" www.torquayunited.com/news/article/filling-the-holes-331790.aspx

if thompsons football skills end up as good as his pace he could be a big star in the making,he already looks good enough

Noises coming out of the club is that Thompson will start!

Two Devon teams in the top 7!

Downes will be missed - I thought the player he bought down was moving away from goal anyway.

He also needs to get in another striker/winger to replace Thompson will obviously replace Macklin.

Nothing on the bench today to change a game.

What a quality game of football that was.
At the final whistle the score could quite easily 8to 5 or any number you can think of there were so many chances for both sides come the end and after Donwns had been harshly dismissed. We should have been way out of sight before our third which more or less sealed it as Bodin, Howe and a calm and impressive debutant, Niall Thompson carved the Rochdale defence to shreads.
Havent enjoyed ninety minutes of live fooball like that for quite a while but believe me it was only an exceptional hard working display particularly in the middle of the park that won us this one. After dominating the opening exchages Dale scored a cracker from a well worked corner and I wondered how we would react and feared the worst for all of 5 minutes when we looked dangerous with every forward move, Classy Billy Bodin scored again from close range which set on the way to dominating much of the first half though Rochdale who passed the ball around superbly at times always posed a threat and were prepared to shoot at every opportunity.
When Downes scored a deserved second to take us into a half time lead we all knew that we would probably have to score again in the second half to ensure victory as the game was so open. Sure enough some incredible chances were made and missed and yuo started to wonder if Dale woul dmake us pay the price but then a superb double ten minute strike from Rene Howe sealed a hard earned victory despite all that went on after with the disputed pen and sending of Downes.
Sure we were hanging on a bit at the end with the introduction of Nathan Craig, Tom Cruise and Ryan Jarvis but the hard work had been done for a well deserved and very entertaining viictory.
Happy days

This was an absolute cracking game of football, that had everything with 6 goals, a penalty save, a sending off, hitting the crossbar twice, an excellent debut from Thompson, both keepers making some cracking saves and of course that all important three points.

I must admit, I was quite fearful of the result today after the first ten minutes. Although Mansell had a shot well saved in the first few minutes, Rochdale were able to play the ball through the middle for a shooting chance that was fortunately screwed wide. However, from their first corner, the ball was hit on the ground to the edge of the area where the Rochdale player with too much space was able to hit the ball low into the corner of the net. Like the Cheltenham game, it was too easy and almost felt like a training ground move!

However, as with the Cheltenham game, we were able to crank the play up over the next hour to the stage where Rochdale were all at sea and it was only the sending off which made this game closer than it had to be. Bodin was the catalyst, scoring the first goal from close range and a fairly tight angle. Rochdale almost re-established their lead directly from the restart with a great strike from the right hand side of the area hit across Poke and cannoning off the cross bar.

However, at the other end we were starting to take control of the match and after a number of corners we finally scored from one with a well worked header from Downes at the far post going in off the defender on the line. What a signing he is proving to be! We had a great chance to further extend our lead with a great ball in to Howe from Thompson to create an one on one but like Bodin at Cheltenham, their keeper was able to dive on the ball as he tried to round him! I thought we scored again just before half time when after an initial save, the ball came out to Manse whose shot was just tipped over the bar with an acrobatic save.

So 2-1 at half time but this match had similar shades to Cheltenham and was so open you just knew that we had to score again. However, the omens were good with our front three playing well with Thompson looking at home on the wing, asking those questions and enjoying every minute of it! The midfield were in combative mood, always looking to close the opposition down with Mansell leading the line constantly scampering after the ball in his terrier like fashion! ;D A proper box to box player!

As on Tuesday, the team came out flying in what was their best spell of the match and the action was so constant and frenetic that it was hard to remember and describe all the action. There was a great treble chance when Thompson was fouled but came out with the ball and with the ref wisely playing advantage was able to get into the area and shoot, although well saved it went straight to Billy who maybe should have scored but the shot was blocked (or did he hit the cross bar or was that another time?) and then came to Rene who back heeled it just the wrong side of the post.

The ball came out to Thompson on the left who cut inside and his curling shot was just tipped wide of the post. I think it was from this corner that again Downes got on the end of but it was blocked on the line with the home crowd unsuccessfully appealing for handball. However from another corner, the pressure eventually told and when the ball came to Howe in the area he made no mistake to slot the ball home inside the right post, it was no less than what we deserved!

With Rochdale having to commit men forward more, Big Rene was able to score in that classic style of his. A clearance just bounced over their midfielder and Rene was able to run onto it, hold off their last defender and with the keeper forced to come out, apply that deft touch to lob him with the ball just going inside the left hand post. With just over twenty minutes to go, you would have thought game over!

However, there were two instances that gave Rochdale a glimmer of hope. The first was from a Rochdale through ball which put their striker clear and Downes covering, made contact and although they were running slightly away from goal, it was a clear penalty (well as clear as I could be sitting in the family stand! and being the last man, an automatic red card. From the resulting penalty kick, Poke guessed the right way and diving to his left was able to touch the ball wide of his post. Thompson was sacrificed for Cruise to shore up the defence.

The second instance was when Rene after having a bit of late desserts from the Rochdale defender, confronted him, eyeball to eyeball which was broken up by the ref who had no choice to dish out a couple of yellows. more professionalism please Rene, just smile remind him of the score and walk off. When the Rochdale defender went down like a sack of spuds after clearing the ball and receiving the lightest of touches if at all from Rene, Ling had no choice but to take him off and unfortunately, Jarvis had a poor game and our goal threat went.

So the game turned abruptly on its head and after coasting to victory, it got a bit like Tuesday night or the siege of the Alamo. Once again Poke made some great saves (another good game under his belt) and there were one or two goal line clearance. Just when I thought we had weathered the storm, one of their attacks got through and they scored from a shot inside the area. The problem we had was from a lack of ball retention and although Nathan Craig came on for Bodin, the attacks were relentless. Morris had a good chance to shoot on the edge of the area but tried to fashion a better position and the opportunity was lost! Somehow, five minutes of injury were found, despite a lack of injuries but the team stood firm for that all important, confidence boosting victory.

Once again, what a cracking game, we won't get too many as good and a great advertisement for our level of football. Just need to improve the defence slightly, mainly from set pieces but without taking anything away from the Saah-Downes lynch-pin partnership at the back!