Hargreaves Shocked After United Drop Points Again
Torquay United manager Chris Hargreaves said after his side’s 1-1 draw with Alfreton: “It’s a massive blow and I’m lost for words; we should have seen the game out but we haven’t and it’s two points dropped.”
The Gulls took the lead after 72 minutes when Jordan Chapell scored from just inside the box after a long clearance from United keeper Jordan Seabright. The long ball from the ‘keeper caused issues at the back, with Chapell taking advantage and sliding the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.
Hargreaves’ hammer blow then came in the 94th minute, when Andi Thanoj curled a fantastic effort into the United net from the visitors’ left wing: “We should have got tighter to the player and seen the game out but we didn’t,” Hargreaves added.
The main talking point however came a few minutes before Thanoj’s equaliser when Toby Ajala did fantastically well, driving into the Alfreton box with Ryan Bowman waiting unmarked six yards out. It should have been a simple pass across the six-yard box for Bowman to tap into the empty net but, not for the first time, Ajala decided to go alone and the all important game winning goal was not to come.
“If Toby squares the ball with two minutes to go and is unselfish you win it 2-0 and it’s Happy New Year, but he doesn’t; its a big error,” Hargreaves said.
The match overall was an ugly affair with neither side really creating any clear-cut opportunities, playing on a pitch that was cutting up badly during the 90 minutes.
United were clearly using the right-hand side more during the game. Man of the match Chapell created some half-chances for Bowman in the first half before going close himself, on 16 minutes, curling his attempt just wide of the Alfreton goal.
But Torquay’s best effort in the first half again fell to Ajala who saw a rasping 25-yard strike fly just over the visitors’ bar with the ‘keeper beaten; but it was not to be.
The second half followed the same pattern as the first until United got themselves in front and the game opened up for the final 15 minutes. However it was the away side who showed more fight.
“I’m disappointed for the fans who paid to watch today, there have been some good things in the last few games and we need to get back on the training ground and try and put things right,” the United manager added.
Torquay now have a break from the league and entertain Bromley in the FA Trophy at the Launa Windows Stadium next Saturday. Bromley are currently 2nd in the Conference South so this will not be an easy tie for the Gulls.
