Torquay United player-manager Kevin Nicholson was pleased with his side’s performance even though United came out on the wrong side of a 3-2 thriller at the EBB Stadium.
Nicholson was choosing his words carefully after the match when he spoke to the local press.
“I’m very proud of my players,” said Kevin.
“We had our game plan in the first half but we didn’t quite get it right. We allowed them too much space, too much time and to get out too easy.
The Gaffer on Aldershot Town:
“They’re a good side, they are sharp. They pass the ball well, they move it well. They have got good players and they had obviously done their homework on us on such things as set-plays and so on.”
On United’s general performance:
“While we were in the game, I thought we had every chance of executing the game plan that we had. We actually started the second-half really well for the first three or four minutes but we probably got a little too carried away. Chaney plays the ball to ‘Reidy’ and runs past him and then cross – goal.
“We gathered ourselves and we got back in it.”
On United’s disallowed goal in the 68th minute & Aldershot’s third goal in the 85th minute:
“It is hard to do these interviews straight after when there is so much emotion. There has got to be respect in the game for the officials, I understand that…. Two big decisions that have gone against us have massively affected the game.
On moving forward to Gateshead on Saturday:
“I am proud of the character of my players to pick themselves back up and score another goal to put that kind of pressure on Aldershot that they did at the end. There is a lot of good stuff. The biggest message I am giving to the players in there is – look, although you probably didn’t play the kind of football I know you can play. You matched a very good team and you stuck with it. You found a way to stick with them. There is nothing you can do to affect decisions like that. So they have now got to clear their heads and clear their bodies and make sure they are ready for Gateshead because this one is gone. I am proud of what they did.
“I am proud of our fans that clapped all of the players off at the end and turned up in great numbers”.