Jimmy Ball believes Torquay United’s opening-day performance contained plenty of encouragement, despite the frustration of Saturday’s draw with Horsham.
The Gulls dominated long periods at Plainmoor and created a series of promising situations, but were unable to turn their pressure into sufficient goals.
Ball admitted he remained disappointed by the result but felt the performance looked even more positive when reviewed afterwards.
“We dominated so much of that game,” he said.
“We created dozens of chances. We didn’t create dozens of shots, but we created enough chances, in my opinion.
“As coaches and staff, we set the team up and work with the team to get them into positions to deliver. We can’t kick the ball for them, and I’m not blaming the players.
“It was the first game of the season and we did lots of things right.”
Ball pointed to the fact that Horsham did not force United goalkeeper Toby Savin into meaningful action until the 58th minute as evidence of Torquay’s territorial control.
“Our goalkeeper first touched the ball with his gloves after 58 minutes,” he said.
“Horsham are a really good side. I said that in the lead-up. I don’t know whether people expected them to roll over, but there was no chance of that.
“Their starting eleven, apart from the goalkeeper, had virtually all played more than 100 games for the club. They are in tune and know exactly what they are doing, while we had eight or nine new players.”
United were also left frustrated by two important officiating decisions.
Ball felt Harry Shield should have been awarded a first-half penalty and remains adamant that a late United goal was incorrectly disallowed after the ball was judged to have gone out of play.
“I know for a fact it was still in play because I have seen the stills and we have cameras everywhere,” he said.
“It was a great goal, with great movement and a great run. Everything about the goal was really good, and it would have been a fantastically well-worked goal.”
Despite those decisions, Ball stressed that United must also take responsibility for the goal they conceded.
“It was a really soft goal from our point of view,” he said.
“We had to stop the cross, defend the back post better and track runners. The move started in their box, so we could have stopped it in three or four different places.”
Ball explained that mistakes are inevitable when players are encouraged to express themselves, but United must become better at preventing one error from leading to another.
“One mistake cannot become two,” he said.
“The next player has to take responsibility and snuff out that first mistake. On Saturday, one mistake became two, then three and then four, and we conceded.
“That is what we are working on.”
Ball was also pleased with the backing his side received from more than 4,000 supporters at Plainmoor.
“It threatened to turn, but the fans went the other way with it,” he said.
“They stuck with us and stayed until the end. I think they saw their team having a right go and becoming frustrated on the day.
“It wasn’t doom and gloom. It was disappointment and frustration, but there was plenty of good stuff.”
