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Richard
1156 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Apr 2007 : 14:04:51
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It`s a beautiful Bank Holiday Monday, and you live in a town by the sea. Your football team is marooned at the bottom of the league, and is almost certain to get relegated. They have a match, away at Swindon, 140 miles away. Do you go and watch, or stay at home to enjoy the day? Torquay fans, I salute you.
The long journey was made worse just two minutes into the game on Monday - when an awful back header let in the recalled Blair Sturrock, who lofted the ball over the keeper, and into the net from the edge of the area.
You`d have thought that a team with promotion aspirations such as Swindon would have then looked to cement the result - instead, the game petered out into nothing, with neither side looking at all like adding to the scoring. That was, until the late in the second half, when two penalties gave both sides opportunity to score.
The first went to Swindon, after Barry Corr was brought down in the box - Corr, Jack Smith and Christian Roberts all looked to take the resulting kick. Smith won the argument, and promptly placed his kick well within the keeper`s grasp - and he palmed it away to safety.
Torquay took their opportunity. A long free-kick into the box led to a Torquay forward falling to the floor - the referee pointed to the spot, indicating there was a push in the back. On the replay, it looks as though Ashley Westwood was the culprit, but Lee Peacock was literally hopping mad. With just eight minutes remaining, Lee Thorpe, who had been absolutely awful all afternoon out of position in the centre back slot, sent Phil Smith the wrong way with his kick. Again, we had failed to kill the game off - and without ever looking like scoring, the Gulls found themselves on level terms.
Luckily though, just a minute later, the Town regained the lead. A long ball forward found Jutkiewicz, who neatly controlled on his chest before placing a low half-volley into the bottom corner of the net. With the news that Shrewsbury were beating MK Dons, the County Ground erupted.
Quite how we have managed to get ourselves into the position we are - six points clear with four games to go - is anyone`s guess. We hardly seem to have played well all season. To have pulled away over the last few games is amazing - since the beginning of February, we have scored just eleven goals in twelve games (two of which were penalties), not scoring in half of them. On paper, we should wrap it up in the next two matches - with the Franchise`s run in, it`s possible that just one win could be enough.
For the first time this season, I actually believe that we`re going up! |
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John_
ENG
1185 Posts |
Posted - 12 Apr 2007 : 14:04:38
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I enjoyed the photo`s you took just after Jutkiewicz blasted home our second goal.
Normally when you take pictures just after we`ve scored everything is out of focus but on this occasion you did well to remain steady & calm.
The only real highlight of the Torquay match was me guessing the attendance to within 11 of the actual figure.
God, I`m good.
Going back to the winning goal and two things I noticed at the time.
1. Christian Roberts was off the bench and celebrating on the pitch, jumping up and down.
2. That little lad sat in the front row who you referred to a few times for some naughty gesticulations. Well, he went ballistic and had some sort of mental fit whilst waving his arms crazily about whilst running around looking for his Dad!!
I think you got him on Camera in one of your earlier photo`s.
I guess I`m going to have to do Mansfield now.
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Swindon Town 2-1 Torquay United
