Jimmy Ball: “The players should be angry because we are better than that”

Torquay United manager Jimmy Ball pulled no punches in expressing his disappointment after a lacklustre 2-1 defeat to Hemel Hempstead in the final home league game of the regular season.

The Gulls fell behind early to a counter-attacking goal from Remaye Campbell but were level at the break with a composed finish from Deon Moore, following up his double in the big win at Slough last weekend.

United’s momentum was curtailed early in the second period with a fabulous strike from Mauro Vilhete but, with 40 minutes still on the clock to recover their position, the Gulls were strangely out of sorts in front of a big Plainmoor crowd.

“There was really poor decision-making for the first goal from five or six players, which leaves you scratching your head,”. Said Ball. “We looked nervy, we looked edgy, and there was no reason to be. It was a case of ‘go and play’ in front of almost 5,000 people but the opposite happened.

“We didn’t cope very well and it was never a plan [to go long] but pressure and nerves can change people. I didn’t recognise us today, it’s not the way I asked them to play, but it’s not a me and them, it’s us.

“We will have to address it and figure out why but maybe we give credit to the other team, they stopped us playing, took their counter-attack goal very well, which is their style, and they outran us and outfought us.

“It’s about first and second balls, regardless of the league you’re playing in because it gets more physical the higher you go. We were beaten in too many individual battles.”

If there was a bright spot for United, it was the endeavour from Moore in attack, but Ball reflected on an overall tepid display from his players and expects the reaction to come from within.

“It was a good finish [from Deon],” added Ball. “I don’t know whether we deserved it but we were in the game, and the message at half-time was to play more, be braver, pass the ball quickly but we were so slow with everything we did.

“I don’t know where that came from because it’s not part of any work we’ve done but Hemel were full of beans and gave it to us. I doff my cap to the opponents.

“I hear it a lot that it’s my job to build the players up again but they’re grown men, and if they’re not angry and wanting to point a prove, we’ve got a big problem. The motivation to perform has to be internal.

“Players should be angry with that performance because they are better than that.”