Due to traffic issues it took me eight and a half hours to get down there today and I only saw the last fifteen minutes. As a result, my report will be brief.
When I arrived we were playing some decent stuff with ten, then nine, men and actually looked the more dangerous side. However, judging from some of the comments around me, I saw the better part of the display and we were a bit lacklustre for the first hour.
From the little of the game I did see, Buxton, Cook and Harris were impressive. We had one good opportunity late on, when Cook planted a header over from fifteen yards and also forced a number of corners, even when two men short. Torquay looked very ordinary: we cleared a cross off the line in stoppage time but they never really got behind us, and I have the feeling that had we been firing on all cylinders this is a game we would have won, regardless of refereeing decisions.
I did not see either McNulty booking, but Norwood got a straight red for what seemed to be in arm in the face of an opponent. He was provoked by the Torquay player and there was some niggling before hand, but it was a stupid thing to do in the circumstances.
With ten men we used Cook as a lone striker, with Norwood and Jennings on either side. Looking at the starting line up, I presume it was 4312 with Jennings behind the strikers ?
I always thought this fixture looked tricky, so a draw with a depleted side is probably a reasonable result. However, both Daggers and Aldershot got off to winning starts and we must win the next three matches to keep pace.
I don't want to rake over the coals of the Cook debate, but there was no lack of effort or enthusiasm from him today, which suggests he is still trying to impress the manager. As Ian says, he has three matches now to stake a claim, and if he performs (which I am sure he will) Mellon will find it difficult to drop him. Reading comments elsewhere, Alabi was not impressive today and Cook's omission from the side is baffling to say the least.
Just hope my season ticket turns up so I can get in on Tuesday night........