Source: FOOTYMAD
Sturrock: 'First half very sweet, second half very sour', Buckle: 'We did have Southend on the rack'
Both bosses involved in Saturday's dramatic match at Roots Hall that saw the end of Torquay's 100% record had their say, with one obviously more happier than the other! Sturrock: 'The important thing was the victory'Blues boss Paul Sturrock was a happy manager after the game, believing the 2-1 win over league leaders Torquay United was his side's best to date, while relieved they could hang on to the points after seeing a two goal lead halved after the interval. Luggy told www.southendunited.co.uk: "The first half was very sweet, but the second half was very sour. Torquay are a good side and they came in with a game-plan and I thought our plan worked very well in the first half. They came back, changed their system and we didn't adapt, took 10 yards further back when their big lad (Martin Griffin) came on and we ended up defending in our box too much."Accepting there's plenty his new side can learn from the game, there could be no doubt the first half was as exciting the Blues faithful has seen from a Shrimpers team in a good while.However, he did want to have a word on loannee midfielder Josh Simpson, the player S24 felt could be the best of all the Southend managers 17 signings at the start of the season, whose goal followed up an absolute cracker from Anthony Grant, both giving the home side such a cracking start.Luggy continued: "Both players have that in their locker. I think Josh could get me 10 goals this season from midfield and it was an unbelivable finish from Anthony. Bilel (Moshni) decided to have one of his zany halves in the second 45 as he was all over the place but the important thing was the victory." Which at the end of the day is what it's all about!Buckle: 'It's an old cliche but it was a game of two halves' Meanwhile, Gulls boss Paul Buckle is not used to losing, in fact he's not used to losing a point, and there was some justification in his after match comments that his side were unlucky to not leave south-east Essex empty handed, and there can be no doubt that Torquay will be around and about when the prizes are handed out next May.Buckle told www.torquayunited.com: "Of course we are disappinted to have lost. I thought second half we did come back into the game strongly and probably should have come away with something at the end. We didn't start the match well and in fairness to Southend they were bright and on the front foot and we found ourselves a couple of goals behind. They were great strikes, along with Port Vale we have now conceded three very good goals which you can't do much about."It was also a good time to play the Gulls as this was their third away game in a row where they have travelled over 1,200 miles in a week, however the home crowd saw enough after the break to see this was a very good Torquay side that the Shrimpers did very well to beat.Buckle continued: "Credit must go to Southend for the way they started the game but come the end of the second half they were hanging on for dear life and we are disappointed we didn't get anything from the game. The players gave me everything and we never gave up today, this isn't an easy place to come to at the end of a tough week and if we play the way we did in the second half people can see why we are where we are in the league because we did have Southend on the rack."I suppose you can't argue with that, the Gulls did hit the crossbar twice, but you've got to get the ball in the net and Southend did that twice to the Devon side's once, and as the lamenting Buckle concluded with;"It's an old cliche but it was a game of two halves and come the end I really believed we deserved something for our efforts. It wasn't our day today but if we keep that sencond half standard up we shouldn't have many problems this season."For the full Buckle interview with the Gulls official site, go here:www.torquayunited.com/page/Bench/0,,10445~2144747,00.html
