Tuesday 15th April 2008

Torquay 1 (Zebroski 39) v Vics 0

Vics fought with typical tenacity and might have grabbed a point at the death when skipper Welch shot straight at the home keeper when free on goal. As it is they return from their English Riviera Tour with the respect of both Exeter and Torquay supporters but sadly, and more importantly, point-less.

A frenetic opening included a couple of half chances for the home side and a misplaced header by Torquay defender Chris Robertson that left Simon Rayner to scramble back and claw the ball away from beneath his bar. Mullan was making an impression with his pace and he cut inside to set up Byrom but he needed one touch too many and eventually scuffed his shot harmlessly wide. Mullan then skipped around three defenders before forcing a save from Rayner.

David Brown intelligently engineered an opening for Steele and after he drew the keeper he set up Byrom who again ought to have atleast been on target with a shot at an unguarded goal. As it was the Vics midfielder quickly reverted from villain to hero when he cleared a Zebroski shot from off his goal line with Tynan beaten. ZEBROSKI quickly made amends when he cut in from the left to strike an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net. And only a superb save by Tynan denied the same player from adding a second before the break.

Robertson was again fortunate not to provide Vics with the perfect opening to the second half but his miscued clearance landed inches wide of the Torquay post. Moments after his introduction in exchange for Carr, Byrne drove a shot narrowly wide. With the home side looking increasingly uncomfortable Vics endeavoured to get an equaliser and Byrne again looked a promising candidate to achieve that goal when his 20 yard shot was saved by Rayner. Manager Maamria continued to introduce new faces, this time Burns and then Danny Williams joined the frey. But it was the home side who next came closest through D'Sane who cut inside to bring another good save from Tynan.

To their credit Northwich never gave up and at the end they ought to have been rewarded with a late goal. And how fitting it would have been had Welch, who yet again led his side with admirable grit and determination, been able to have scored when he found himself free on goal and one on one with the keeper. But, despite having time to tee up a shot for himself, he drove directly at the keeper leaving the Vics skipper, team mates and enthusiastic following despondent.

Team: 3-5-2
Tynan /
Meadowcroft, Welch, Roberts /
Mullan, Crowell (Williams 70), Carr (Byrne 49), Byrom, R. Brown /
D. Brown (Burns 65), Steele /
Subs not used: Connett & Kerr
Referee: S.D. Tomlinson
Attend: 2,270 (66 Vics fans)
Man of the Match: Michael Welch