FC Boro

Stevenage’s record against teams from Devon was woeful last season and doesn’t look like improving this, we are just lucky that Exeter are now in League 2. In wet and windy conditions, hardly weather you would expect on the “English Riviera”, Boro fell to their fifth defeat of the season after an impressive run of form. Luke Oliver returned to the starting eleven which meant Bostwick moved into midfield and Mitchell Cole partnered Steve Morison up front. Anthony Thomas, who started against York last weekend, wasn’t even in the 16.

Torquay dominated the first 45 and put Boro on the back foot for most of the half. The wind was certainly effecting play and required the ball to be played on the deck, but this didn’t happen. Too many times the ball was hoofed in the air, only for it to come back in the swirling wind. Torquay had plenty of chances to take the lead in the first half and Matt Green and Tim Sills both had clear opportnities of which they should of done better with. Chris Day again made some good stops, but some of the hosts finishing was poor. Boro went into the break fortunate to be level.

If the first half was all Torquay then the first 20 minutes of the second half was all Stevenage. Boro came out looking to counter attack, this time with the wind on their side. Steve Morison had a great chance to give the visitors the lead when he was put through by Mitchell Cole, but this time Morison’s shot went just wide, much to the amazement of the travelling support. Boro though continued to press and Morison again found himself on the end of a John Martin cross only for his effort to be cleared off the line. I thought it did cross the line, but it was difficult for the linesman to see as he was not up with play and had quite a few players to look past. Cole and Vincenti also had shots on goal which were well saved by ex Kidderminster keeper Scott Bevan.

That spell of dominance had failed to provide a goal and that cost Stevenage as Torquay went up the other end and defender Chris Robertson scored from a well worked corner. The initial corner was headed back well by Hargreaves and Robertson placed his header into the net. Much like the game against Wrexham, Boro’s heads went down as if they knew they couldn’t get back into the game. Torquay soon scored another, this time from Tim Sills. Just when Boro needed an injection going forward to try and get two goals back, Graham Westley sent on Gary Mills for John Martin and moved Vincenti up front. I would of expected this change if the score was the other way round, but Boro needed goals and both Willock and Anderson were ready to come on.

Torquay rubbed salt into the wounds late on when Nicky Wroe fired in a third. If Boro had scored in that spell of play early in the second half then I’m sure we could of won the game. Torquay weren’t that great at the back and that first goal would of given the team a lift. We didn’t though and that made the difference as Torquay took their chances in the second half and we didn’t. Westley’s substitutions in the second half were a joke. Next up for us is Mansfield at home on Tuesday night, live on Setanta. Boro will need to be better than they were yesterday or they could find themselves back near the bottom of the table by Wednesday morning.