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Report by Steve Hartshorn
What a difference a few days
can make. Or should I say what a difference a different formation can make!
Stags can count themselves
unlucky not to have returned from Devon with all three points but on
reflection, a share of the spoils was a fair assessment of what was a highly
entertaining game.
Dearden started with a 4-4-2
formation with Bacon coming in for Corden who found
himself on the bench. The real surprise of the night was Dearden's decision to
play Clarke on the left hand side of midfield. A decision that for the first
20 minutes indeed looked to be a master stroke.
Jervis and Clarke were
combining well and young Danny Bacon was causing the Gulls a constant threat
with his intelligent front running.
It was this combination that
provided the Stags with the opportunity of taking the lead. A good move saw
Bacon race clear into the box and fire the ball home inside the near post.
Torquay keeper, Northmore leaving too much of a gap. Asked after the game if
he saw the keeper positioning himself for a shot across him, Bacon said,
"Did he? I don't know I just hit it!"
Moments later, it was Bacon
again who almost gave the Stags what would have been a deserved 2-0 lead, but
found himself annoyingly only inches behind the centred ball.
Torquay began to gain a bit of
confidence as it became obvious that although the Stags front and midfield
positions were dangerous, the back line were again leaving a lot to be
desired. It made for an entertaining game as United edged forward and the
Stags effectively broke on the break.
 The
second half got off to a real dream start as Chris Greenacre capitalised on a
bad pass back to put the Stags 2-0 in front. The game at this point looked
won, but there was still that feeling that United could get back in the game.
More to do with the way the Stags had defended all season than the actual
threat from the home side.
Four minutes after the Stags
second goal, following a good move down the left, United, through their top
goalscorer Kevin Hill, scoring his 6th of the term, pulled a goal back.
This galvanised the home side
and rather like the coast line, they came forward in wave after wave and
growing more and more confident.
The Stags stuck to their game
plan and could have snatched a game killing third, but it wasn't to be.
Just after United's first goal
of the evening, Stuart Hicks left the field of play to be replaced by Andrews.
Despite being a capable replacement, the Stags back line looked a little
disorganised and were thankful to quite a few timely interceptions from loanie
Fortune. You couldn't help but wonder though if Hicks decision to play for 10
minutes of the 2nd half to see how his injured foot was, was the right thing
to do?
The inevitable equaliser came
about through the yet again inevitable non-existent marking by the Stags
defence. Following a corner Gulls sub Jules Mendy found the space to pull
United level.
The ensuing 15 minutes revolved
around chances at both ends in what can be described as a real entertaining
game. A far cry from the dross witnessed last Saturday in Wales.
Although throwing away a two
goal lead can be frowned upon, credit must be given to the way the Stags went
about the task of trying to gain all three points. A point I'd have probably
settled for before the game, but afterwards, I couldn't help but feel we'd
thrown 2 away!
Here's hoping the good work
isn't wasted this Saturday at home to Southend United.
Man Of The Match - Danny Bacon
- Tireless running and a constant threat.
Creditable mentions also to
Mark Blake who was constantly box to box and Fortune who played better than
what he has done for a while.
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