Gulls take flight

Torquay’s tyros finally come good for Buckle

Not sure what all the fuss was about really. Don’t know about anybody else, but I wasn’t concerned for a second.

I only pretended to be worried sick by our plight in a fit of superstition. My thought process was along the lines of, if I say we’re doomed, it might all turn out ok. And it worked. So it’s probably me that the Plainmoor faithful have to thank for League football next season. Who’d have thought little old me could achieve so much?

I actually have no idea what has occurred in our dressing room since I last waxed lyrical about our chances.

To refresh your memory, it must have been all of a fortnight ago, that I told everyone who’d listen that we were doomed. The people in charge of our club had gambled with our League status and failed. We were destined not to pick up any more points, and in the ultimate act of kindness, save Grimsby from the clutches of the BSP.

Well, rather happily, I was wrong. I couldn’t have been more wrong if I had tried particularly hard to be more wrong than I’ve ever been before. From somewhere, everything has clicked. And it’s been quite a wonder to behold.

Talent

Paul Buckle has expressed his confidence in these young players countless times in the last few months, and eventually, wonderfully they proved him right.

In fairness, their talent was obvious to see. But, as you might have gathered from previous musings, I feared the lack of experience would be our downfall. Well they grew up. And not a moment too soon.

It started against Shrewsbury, a decent side but one woefully out of form. We beat them 2-1, and the Popside basked in the glory of a rare three points.

We then went to Northampton, a trickier game against a side in better form, and took a point. There was definite progress being made. And then the strangest thing of all, Rochdale came to town…

Dale were top of the table, and had brought 1,000 fans to the seaside with them for a promotion party. We fully expected to be on the end of hiding; the Dale fans certainly expected to be dishing out a hiding. And then the game started.

Marvellous

For some bizarre reason we wore a purple number, with Rochdale resplendent in glorious yellow. Sure enough, they brushed us aside with the ease you’d expect in a top v (near) bottom clash.

But luckily for us, everytime that marvellous, table topping team in yellow scored, the ref awarded us a goal! The fool! So in the most bizarre of circumstances, it appears we beat the League’s best team 5-0! That’s the kind of fortune we’ve been lacking this season.

Having disposed of them in some style, much to the bewilderment of everyone in the ground (and beyond I imagine) confidence has grown somewhat.

Since then we’ve beaten play-off seeking Aldershot on their own patch and then travelled to Cleethorpes to hammer the penultimate nail in that particular coffin. I get no pleasure in saying that, we’ve been there so know exactly how they’re feeling. But when it gets to this point in the season, I’m just glad it’s not us again.

So, since my last blog, we’ve played five games, won four of them and drawn the other. We’ve scored 12 and conceded one. This the team that were in serious danger of relegation only a couple of weeks ago.

Our next objective is to persuade some of these young lads to stick around. They could form the nucleus of a decent team next season. With the addition of some experience of course…