Droylsden F.C.-The bloods on the net!

TORQUAY UNITED 2 – 1 DROYLSDEN

BLUE SQUARE PREMIER – Saturday 29 September 2007

Report by Gary Owen

The Bloods will consder themselves unlucky not to have come away from Plainmoor with any points, after a bold 3-4-3 formation saw them make a mockery of the respective league positions of these two sides. The Gulls looked anything like league leaders, and Droylsden had enough chances to have won the game comfortably.

Sure enough, Torquay enjoyed long spells of possession, but Phil Senior was hardly called into action, with the ten players in front of him restricting the home side to just half chances, particularly in the first half.

Lee Mansell shot wide on 8 minutes when well placed for the hosts, and Tim Sills was inches wide with a far post header following a rather harsh free kick awarded against Steve Halford.

At the other end, a Steve Daly header had Simon Rayner at full stretch, but moments before the break Droylsden found themselves in dreamland in cream tea land. Jamie Tandy collected the ball in the inside left channel, and beat Paul Hinshelwood before firing a dangerous low cross into the Torquay box, where Mark Ellis inadvertantly turned the ball past his own ‘keeper.

The Bloods almost extended their lead, but Rayner beat Daly to Jody Banim's pass. However, the Gulls' number one almost allowed Chris Denham in with a heavy touch, but he recovered to save his side.

Paul Buckle must have given his team an ear-bashing at half time, and sent them back out onto the pitch early for the second half.

However, it was Droylsden who could have added to their lead, first through Denham who volleyed over from 20 yards after Daly had won an aerial tussle with Chris Todd, then Tandy forced Rayner to turn his low shot around the post following a short corner routine with Banim.

Daly was also a yard off target with a specualtive effort from Banim's flick on, but Buckle then began to ring the changes. After already having exchanged full back Hinshelwood for winger Danny Stevens at half-time, he then withdrew the unfortunate Ellis for Welsh to match the Bloods' 3-4-3 formation.

Both Sills and Kevin Nicholson saw efforts easily saved by Senior, but Droylsden continued to threaten a second goal as Denham teased Tony Bedeau before forcing another save from Rayner.

Torquay began to press their visitors, and Danny Stevens shot over from the edge of the box. However, as the corner count began to rack up, Tim Sills rose highest on 79 minutes to head home from close range.

A point would have been a satisfactory return from a visit to the league leaders by anyone's reckoning, but in the first minute of added time, a long punt forward by Nicholson found the head of Lee Phillips, who looped a header over Senior to snatch all three points.

There was still time left for Banim to try his luck, but Danny Wring blocked his shot.

This was a cruel blow for the Bloods and their significant vocal travelling contingent, but boss Dave Pace will be pleased with his team's response to the Altrincham debacle, by giving both Burton Albion and Torquay United a run for their money.

If the Bloods can add ultimate concentration to their undoubted efforts, then surely that first win won't be far away – perhaps in front of Setanta's cameras on Saturday?

TEAMS

TORQUAY UNITED: Rayner, Hinshelwood (Stevens, 46), Nicholson, Ellis (Welsh, 56), Todd, Mansell (Wring, 68), Hockley, Phillips L., Sills, Zebroski, Bedeau.

Subs. not used: Hill, Rice (G/K).

DROYLSDEN (3-4-3): Senior, Cryan, Halford, Murray, Lynch, McGuire, Stephens, Tandy (Warner, 75), Banim, Daly, Denham (Murphy, 85).

Subs. not used: Fearns, Burke, Phillips P. (G/K).

REFREE: Mr. Wayne Barratt (Bromsgrove, Worcs.)

ATTENDANCE: 3,321