I thought the tactics deployed last night were excellent.Even if we had lost I wouldn't have been too downhearted because we had a clear game plan & the team really competed.As I saw it we did not at any time play a 4-3-3 formation but 4-1-4-1 throughout.The plan appeared to be to ensure that we stayed in the game in the early part of the second half, whilst pushing on from the midfield to support Tom Cahill.This worked to a degree as the early part of the second half was much more even than the first, but it was the introduction of Joe O'Neill that was the catalyst for us to really start giving Torquay something to think about.Joe won the vast majority of balls played up to him,both on the floor & in the air & as the game wore on he received increased support from Richard Battersby,Liam King,Robbie Lawton & Warren Peyton.....each of whom at different times started to press forward from the midfield....the 67th minute headed chance for Richard Battersby was a great example of this with Warren,Liam & Joe all involved in the build up.In the last ten minutes Ryan Shotton also got forward impressively & Chris Lane produced one great ball for Joe to race clear.Torquay are clearly a good side & do not concede much at home, but we made them look suspect defensively by supporting the lone striker quickly & purposefully from a number of sources.I think that maybe the reason that they did look shaky is that they found it difficult marking just one man up front with the cavalry coming from different & varied directions.
The back four with Chris Lane playing in the hole were superb throughout as of course was England's Number 1.
A tactical triumph for Graham Heathcote & Graham Barrow which I am sure has given Paul Tisdale plenty to ponder over the next three days.