Venue:
Aggborough
att:  2725  away fans:  361
Extra info
Harriers
1
  D Williams 12
After a good first half from the Reds we expected more in the 2nd but a poor tactical decision by Jan backfired.
Torquay
2
  Wills 7, 58
 harriers-online match report
Saturday 22nd November 2003 
HOME
Yet another home defeat


The Harriers came into this game with a 100% home record against Torquay knowing they needed three more points to climb just that little bit higher up the table.  At the end they had been beaten by the better team but with a bit of luck, and better refereeing, could have got the draw.

It started all so well for the Harriers who, after last weeks win at Rochdale, looked as if their season had taken a turn for the better.  Some smart passing from the lads made Torquay look second rate and John Williams almost opened the scoring after five minutes when he saw his shot go just wide.

Again Big John was taking the game to the opposition and with every run he looked a threat.  Sadly the same could be said of the Torquay forward, Kevin Hill.  It was his exposure of Adie Smith's weak defending that gave them their first goal on a plate.

With Adie back-pedalling Hill flicked on a long cross from the Gulls midfield to the feet of the similarly named Kevin Wills.  Still not being closed down Wills had all the time he needed to slot the ball across the goal and out of reach of Stuart Brock.

That goal came against the run of play but at least it didn't see any dropping of heads in the Harriers camp.  We continued to take the game to Torquay and our reward was not too long coming.

The first warning of a come back came from Dean Bennett when he forced the dodgy Arjan van Heusden into a fingertip save over the bar and then Wayne Hatswell almost got himself a goal when his header from a corner went only just wide.

The second warning was a goal and what a cracker it was.  The impressive Andy White, this man needs a goal soon, chased a long ball down out wide and advanced into the penalty area with it.  When it looked as if he had taken it too far he slipped it to an unmarked Danny Williams who side footed it powerfully into the net for his fifth goal of the season.

We were back on level terms and now we had the upperhand but again the old failings came to the fore.  The good balls were going into the danger area but there was no one on hand to tuck them away and at times we were playing too many close passes.

Soon after our goal Adie Smith was subbed by Matt Gadsby.  It might have been because he was injured but I think it was more likely because he had been given the runaround by Hill.  When he left the field he went straight down the tunnel and no one followed him.

The rest of the half continued with the Harriers having the upperhand but without anything to show for their efforts.


HT. 1 - 1

With both sets of fans expecting more of the same they were left a bit disappointed when the game deteriorated into a midfield mess.  The main thing was that we looked the more likely to score.

The ref, who had been having a decent game so far, decided that he needed to get a bit controversial.  His first sign of this was to turn down one of the most blatant penalties ever seen at Aggborough.

A ball was put into the area and as Andy White tried to jump for it a Torquay defender grabbed him around the neck and pulled him to the ground.  The ref didn't see it, or did he?

It happened again a few minutes later when Bo found himself pushed in the back as he went for a ball and again the ref ignored the calls for a penalty.

Jan decided that changes were needed if we wanted to get into the lead but I, personally, think he was wrong to take off Postie and replace him with Robert Betts.  Big John was at least creating something for us out wide so the change should have been up front where Bo wasn't having one of his better days.  I would have bought on Matt Lewis and taken off a midfielder, probably Sean Parrish.

I don't think that move was to blame for the Gulls second goal though.  That was again down to poor defending.

A mistake from Matt Gadsby, who was too far upfield, allowed Graham possession of the ball in a dangerous position.  He took the ball into the area and again the defence backed off until it was too late.  He spotted Wills unmarked and after he had slipped the ball to him Wills had no trouble slotting the ball past the grounded Brockie.

After that there was no coming back for the Harriers.  Our ideas had all gone and with it the flair needed to get back out of it.  Jan bought on Matt Lewis for Andy White near the end but it was all too late.  We had what was probably our best chance of the half when Heusden saved brilliantly from a Hatswell header a few minutes from time but that was as close as we got to saving our home record against a Torquay side who now come to Aggie to play football.


FT. 1 - 2

The Harriers-Online
Man of the Match is : 
Andy White

His runs into the box worried Torquay all the game and his knockdowns were reminiscent of Broughton at times.  It's sad that Henriksen is so far off the pace that he was always in the wrong place to receive them.

Best for them:  Kevin Hill.  Gave Adie a torrid time and that still didn't end once Gadsby took his place.

vote for your
man of the match now

Harriers  subs   cards      Torquay  subs   cards 
Brock     Van Heusden  
Smith     Woods  
Burton     Taylor  
D Williams     Hazell  
Hinton     McGlinchey  
Hatswell     Canoville  
Bennett     Russell  
Parrish     Wills
White   Graham  
Henriksen     Hockley  
J Williams     Hill  
SUBS:       SUBS:    
Danby     Dearden  
Ayres     Bedeau  
Lewis     Benefield  
Gadsby     Bernard  
Betts     Broad  

REFEREE:
Mr M Thorpe
Suffolk

links to some
torquay websites:

official site
torquay united.net
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