Downes takes the blame on a dismal night for Torquay
TORQUAY United interim manager Aaron Downes said they were ‘beaten by the better team’ at Plainmoor on Tuesday night, as the Gulls suffered a setback to their National League South play-off ambitions.
Torquay lost 3-0 against a team most of their fans presumed they would beat in this new era, with both club’s under pressure because of financial problems. But with Taunton fighting a relegation scrap, as opposed to Torquay, who were looking up, despite the threat of administration and a 10-point deduction, the table was turned on its head on a heavy pitch that was cutting up from the word go.
Taunton were 2-0 ahead in the space of five first half minutes when Nat Evans (23rd minute) and Cameron Evans (27) struck following bad errors by Torquay’s defence. The first goal was set up by Ollie Tomlinson who played a bad ball forward to give away possession - and the second was a long throw-in that was allowed to get through to Evans, who headed the ball home far too easily.
Torquay never really looked much of a threat in the second half and a third goal came in the 60th minute when Taunton substitute Ross Stearn found the top corner of Mark Halstead’s net with a stunning strike from distance.
Dan Ball should have been sent off when he was only talked to instead of being shown a second yellow card following a nasty challenge on Tom Lapslie, while Duane Ofori-Acheampong got close - and probably should have made contact - with a late Jack Stobbs cross. It was all very disappointing after Saturday’s 4-1 win against Dartford - and with nine games now left to climb up to seventh, where they would have the chance to extend the season, Torquay are now 12th and 10 points adrift of the play-off zone.
Downes said: “We were beaten by the better team, if I am honest. They were superior to us today and that’s disappointing because we were nowhere near the levels we know we can be at. They executed their game plan a lot better than what we executed ours, that’s for sure.
“What I have got to make sure is that we look at this, definitely, and we address this, but not let some of the good things that we have done in the last couple of weeks go to waste.
“I have just had to reaffirm that with the players because some of our decision making wasn’t right, to execute what we wanted to do. We reverted back to sort of default with a few of them.
“Something needs to happen to turn that around for Saturday.” Downes said he would take responsibility after the mistakes made in the first half - after Tomlinson’s error, while playing the ball out of the back, led to the first goal.
He said: “There are certain elements of play that we are trying to get so I will take responsibility on that, that exposed one or two tonight, that I have got to look at. I have got to take the brunt of that, to be honest.
“There are a few areas that we need to address because there looked to be a little bit more organisation with them than with us. We are absolutely chasing the game at 2-0 down and it was a hell of a strike from the lad for the third goal - but take nothing away from them, they fought, they ran hard, and they played the ball well in certain areas, and made it difficult for us to try and get back in the game.
“We really need a reaction now moving into the Tonbridge game.” That game, away at Tonbridge Angels on Saturday, is the first of nine big games for the Gulls now. And after Saturday, Torquay are likely to find out whether they will be keeping 10 points or losing them. Lose them and, as things stand, they would be just one point above Taunton now - who rose to 18th with their win. Downes confirmed after the game that loan defender Ronny Nelson has returned to Colchester United after the end of the one-month deal. Nelson only played one game, an impressive one, before Torquay’s financial difficulties came out of the blue when Clarke Osborne pulled the plug and said he was filing for administration on February 22. Downes had already explained Nelson wasn’t playing because of a ‘situation’ with his loan deal, but added: “Ronny was great but his loan had run out and for both parties it was better that he went back.
“We liked Ronny and in different circumstances we might have been able to keep him and use him - but in the circumstances we are in, it was right for both parties that he went back. He is a great lad, a good footballer, and someone we will look out for in the future.”