Just Back

Quoted from LH

Took a while to get the winner but it was deserved overall. Scannell and Crocombe’s best games for us that I’ve seen. Intelligent and experienced from Scannell and a couple of good, important saves from Crocombe. Agree that Clifton was all over the pitch today but those critical moments when he could have put the game to bed he was found lacking and on another day we really rue them. I think there’s a few who looked unfit - JMD and Jones especially but Efete hasn’t been at his best to me since returning either.

Overall though we have probably now secured the playoffs barring a huge balls up. The target now has to be securing a home
QF.

Interesting how people see games differently. I thought Crocombe looked off. His kicking was dodgy and there was one instance where he was caught in no mans land out of the goal chasing a player. He did make a good reflex save in the first half. Perfectly happy to admit McKeown is leaving and likely won’t play for us again, but certainly don’t buy that Crocombe is the answer or any better.

Quoted from davmariner

Interesting how people see games differently. I thought Crocombe looked off. His kicking was dodgy and there was one instance where he was caught in no mans land out of the goal chasing a player. He did make a good reflex save in the first half. Perfectly happy to admit McKeown is leaving and likely won’t play for us again, but certainly don’t buy that Crocombe is the answer or any better.

It’s not a high bar to beat really - he didn’t parry a shot into the path of another striker today!

Quoted from davmariner

Interesting how people see games differently. I thought Crocombe looked off. His kicking was dodgy and there was one instance where he was caught in no mans land out of the goal chasing a player. He did make a good reflex save in the first half. Perfectly happy to admit McKeown is leaving and likely won’t play for us again, but certainly don’t buy that Crocombe is the answer or any better.

Same here, not one of Crocombe's best games for me, been brilliant for us this season in the main.

Quoted from davmariner

Interesting how people see games differently. I thought Crocombe looked off. His kicking was dodgy and there was one instance where he was caught in no mans land out of the goal chasing a player. He did make a good reflex save in the first half. Perfectly happy to admit McKeown is leaving and likely won’t play for us again, but certainly don’t buy that Crocombe is the answer or any better.

Don’t see him dropping or flapping at crosses and, in the main, rarely mishitting clearances. He’ll never be one of our best keepers,but he’s an improvement on the Macca of the last two seasons.

Crocombe did make 2 very good saves in the first half.  Even if like Macca in other facets of his game.

I thought Crocombe played well today, his Cameo at left back was particularly entertaining, our best keeper is currently first choice.

Odd game that, I thought we looked quite nervous in the first half and gave the ball away really easily throughout the whole pitch and too many times allowed them space to create opportunities.

In the 2nd half we looked a bit better and created enough opportunities to be out of site. Credit to the players as they once again stuck to the task kept applying themselves without panicking in an attempt to win the game.

We definitely tried to win the game and that’s illustrated by the penalty which was given for a foul on our left back when we could have just “kept us shape” and settled for a draw. The penalty was well taken and based upon the 90 we arguably deserved the win.

So mentions in despatches for Crocombe, Amos, despite Hurts comments on RH the CB’s in difficult conditions and having to deal with a cheating **** like Danny Wright, as well as Clifton, Hoolihan, Scannel, Taylor & Abrahams. I’m not sure what Jones does to keep Foxy out of the side but there you go.

Like I say the players deserved what they got today as their attitude and application was of the highest quality even if the football wasn’t.

Regardless of what happens if we get to the play offs I do hope we retain & re-sign a fair proportion of this squad as it has the nucleus to be more than half decent.

UTM!!

Scannell MOTM for me.

I thought we made Torquay look good first half. Second half we woke up and deserved the win.

Don’t want to get carried away with negatives on another good day but I thought Jones was off the pace. Gets caught on the ball in front of the centre halves a few times. Did put together some good play though particularly switching the ball out wide. Has an annoying habit of trying to clip passes as well. One thing that struck me about Stockport last week was how they really wrap their foot around the ball when it goes in to the box. It goes in with pace and whip every time. I get we’re not all as blessed but surely someone else could put a bit more shape on deep set pieces rather than clip a ball in to nowhere to be countered straight away.

First half an hour, it was pretty abject from us. We were saying that Torquay's goal had been coming. Must say, I thought after that, "oh rats, we've been here before behind at home to Gary Johnson's teams", but fair play we dug deep and it seemed to wake us up. We then completely outplayed them.

Scanz was unplayable for the majority of the game, their full back didn't have a clue how to deal with him. I hadn't quite appreciated actually how fast he still is over shorter distances, if he could finish his dinner he'd have had the best individual performance of anyone all season. I thought Taylor wasn't far behind him in terms of MOM. A couple of lay offs and link ups were technically superb. His touch and the way he uses his body are a cut above this level. It's clear him and Scanz have the ability to play above non league, just a case of injuries that we have them.

Contrary to popular perception, I remain unconvinced by Holohan. I see he tries a lot of stuff to make things happen and drive us forward but his touch is usually pretty ordinary and he gives the ball away far too much for my liking. He does have a goal and moment of quality in him though, which is more than can be said for the rest of our midfield. Someone mentioned about Jones being D&R's Trojan horse last week and I'm beginning to see that logic! By 70 mins he was absolutely spent, he tried getting back when he gave the ball away for the 74th time this afternoon and could hardly move. Do we know how far away Raikhy is? He's a much better option, and can deliver a decent set piece. I'd definitely pick Fox next week over him.

That was, on paper, our toughest assignment by far before the end of the season and we got through it without McAtee. Sounds as though Hursty thinks it's worth some injections and some discomfort to get McAtee through to the end of the season. Hopefully, that doesn't further damage it and mean we lose him anyway and for longer. We now face Barnet, who are second bottom of the form table and have sweet fa to play for. Then Maidenhead who likewise have nothing to play for and I bet BW do too by the time we play them.

Looking at the table, Stockport's form has got a tad rocky now they're playing decent sides all of a sudden, plus Wrexham lost to Woking. I don't half wish our shocking mid season dip had only been half as bad, and we'd be right in there for automatic promotion still! Even so, we still stand a great chance of getting one play off game at home. At home, with a big crowd, I'd back us to beat Solihull, Chesterfield or Notts County. All those are beatable. Then I reckon we could win at Halifax or Wrexham. We inexplicably only took one point off Halifax in the two league games and could've, perhaps should've, at least pinched a point at Wrexham in January when were on our lowest ebb.

Just seen as of today we top the form table for the last 6 games

https://thefishy.co.uk/formtable.php?table=5

Enjoyed the game today, I would have settled for a point prior to the game so I am very happy. There were a few negatives but I won’t mention those because I want to remain positive now to see us through to the play offs, UTM.