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Saturday our season finally draws to a close, despite a recent upturn in form this season will remain forgettable for many Gulls fans. Our visitors for the season finale are Macclesfield Town. The Silkmen are a club in a similar position to ourselves, cash strapped and falling attendances, led to reduced budgets and fear this season would see the Silkmen struggle against relegation, however their season has totally surpassed all expectation, The Silkmen for so long this season have occupied a top three position and until early March were still in with a chance of the conference title.

However a poor run of form through out March and April with only one win in their last seven games has seen all chances of finishing top disappear, Saturday's win has kept them in play-off contention, Macclesfield Town and their fans know they must win on Saturday, and hope that either Eastleigh are beaten or FGR fail to win to secure a play-off spot, no other combination results will do for The Silkmen, so from our point of view, have we turned the corner, maybe, Saturday once again we face a side at home last day of the season with something to play for, and on almost every occasion we've seen the away fans celebrate on the final whistle, wonder when will be our turn.

Featured Macclesfield Player

Chris Holroyd; position striker, born 24th October 1986, Chris started his career with Chester City but came to the fore after a move to then conference premier side Cambridge United, Chris Holroyd should be a similar name to Gulls fans, he was a 80th minute substitute in that seasons play-off final eventually won by The Gulls, Chris Holroyd's scored an impressive twenty-eight goals in sixty-one games for Cambridge which would earn him a move to Brighton, however no goals in sixteen games saw Chris sent out on loan, scoring six times for Stevenage and once for Bury, Holroyd would make a permanent move to then League 2 Rotherham, but his stay there was short lived, as was his next move to Preston, before arriving on loan at Macclesfield, Holroyd would join The Silkmen permanently in 2013 from Morecambe, to date Chris Holroyd has scored fifty-four goals from two hundred and thirty career games.

Current form

Macclesfield Town L-D-D-D-L-W

H, Dartford 2.0
A, FGR 1.3
H, Wrexham 2.2
A, FC Halifax 2.2
H, Bristol Rovers 0.0
H, Nuneaton 0.1

Last time out

Macclesfield 2 v 0 Dartford

01 Taylor
28 Grant
04 Audel
05 Pilkington Dismissed
03 Barrow
18 Bell
09 Holroyd (Cowan - 84' )
23 Whitaker
29 Barnes-Homer
06 Turnbull
34 Rowe (Moke - 60' )

Substitutes
11 Moke
12 Cowan
15 Haining
20 Branagan
27 Phenix

Macclesfield Town manager

John Askey as the prepare for the final effort. http://www.cheshire-today.co.uk/32943/m ... al-effort/

“For a town the size of Macclesfield to get a club into league football would be a massive achievement, especially given the budget that we’ve got, so we need people to get behind us now.”

View point from Sammy Mcllroy;

“At the beginning of the season people were thinking that we were going to get relegate. I think John has done such a fantastic job with the situation.”

“We have missed out on a couple of well publicized targets, but John still managed to add 4 or 5 players since the turn of the year, which has definitely given the squad more depth,”

Highlighted some of what I believe to be the more interesting points.

From a Torquay point of view

Last weeks away win at FC Halifax, our third in a row is starting to make the seasons end feel some what frustrating to me, have we really benefitted from end of season syndrome, or is it showing what could have been, only time will answer that question, we go into Saturday's game knowing the highest place we can finish is 11th the lowest possible finish now is 13th, for some that we be ok and they'll say expectation achieved, for me being sat eighteen points from the play-offs and likely to finish marginally closer to relegation should tell us this season has been well below par.

With takeover talks running as we speak and players already starting to leave the building, our we looking at brighter times ahead, do not know the answer to that as yet, that's another watch this space, I fear with out off field stability next season could be a longer drag than this one. As far as Saturday's game goes, I'm not sure who's actually, already left the club, and I know off no injuries or suspensions, so what sort of squad Chris Hargreaves has to pick from could be anyone's guess.

Current form

Torquay L-D-L-W-W-W

A, FC Halifax 2.0
H, Lincoln 1.0
H, Altrincham 2.0
A, Aldershot 0.2
H, Dartford 1.1
A, Southport 1.2

Last time out

FC Halifax 0 v 2 Torquay

31 Lavercombe
29 Dawson
04 Downes
06 Harding
25 Ives
05 Pearce
20 Daniel
22 McQuilkin (Richards - 68' )
10 Ajala
14 Yeoman
07 Briscoe (Campbell - 61' )

Substitutes
01 Rice
08 Young
16 Richards
26 Gueguen
32 Campbell

Torquay manager

Chris Hargreaves on last weeks win. http://www.torquay.vitalfootball.co.uk/ ... p?a=397355

'We adapted to the pitch and showed really good defensive resilience. We scored two really good goals to win the game. Dan has made a couple of good reaction saves and that`s the reason he`s in the team. You`ve got to show the bravery to play him and he`s been brilliant for us. The substitutes were excellent for us. Courtney Richards came on and made a real difference with the quality of the balls he was putting into the right areas.'


Season previous meeting


Macclesfield Town 1 v 0 Torquay

Head to Head
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Torquay 10 wins, Macclesfield 7 wins, Draws 6

Will no doubt be the last game for many of our squad, it's almost the end of an unpleasant era. This will be a goal fest for sure.

I'm going for 3-0 Torquay.

Scott Brehaut wrote:I'm going for 3-0 Torquay.

A really exciting end to a really cack season, we currently occupy 12th position if results go our way we could just finish as high as 11th or should the very worst happen we could even finish as low as 13th!

The suspense is killing me!

Will it be top half or bottom half?

Who knows?

Is it salad for tea on Sat or sandwiches !

We have nothing to play for, Macclesfield are going for the playoffs..........1-3 and the end of a dreadful season.

Dave_Pougher wrote:A really exciting end to a really cack season, we currently occupy 12th position if results go our way we could just finish as high as 11th or should the very worst happen we could even finish as low as 13th!

The suspense is killing me!

Will it be top half or bottom half?

Who knows?

Is it salad for tea on Sat or sandwiches !

The current 12th position is "bottom of the top half". The 13th position is "top of the bottom half".

This is the top and bottom of it ?

It will be neither if we finish in 11th position.

I shouldn't worry about it. CH will lead us to a promotion challenge next season. Exciting times ahead..

Trojan 67 wrote:

The current 12th position is "bottom of the top half". The 13th position is "top of the bottom half".

This is the top and bottom of it ?

It will be neither if we finish in 11th position.

I thought we didn't do mid-table?

Assuming McQuilkin and Harding play in mid field it really is make or break for them. Harding has all the attributes you need in a mid field player, except one. A desire to dominate! almost as if he's on beta blockers at times. McQuilkin is neat, skillfull but in a physically demanding environment like the Conference doesn't cut it. I can't see either being here next season and guess we will see an older head alongside Luke to build his confidence and also take away some of the dirty work he's had to do at times. They both may have the game of their lives but with Town desperate for points I can't see it based on past performances and predict a 0:1 loss.

Are we likely to see Gueguen again? He's not figured since an apparent blunder several games ago.
Or has he also already left the building?

Bloggy wrote:Are we likely to see Gueguen again? He's not figured since an apparent blunder several games ago.
Or has he also already left the building?

Really felt he was a decent prospect for retaining after seeing his first few games for us. Still do, but Hargreaves doesn't appear to agree.

Hello Tranmere, Cheltenham, welcome to hell.

:devil:

Positive start

G'day all....
Think we will win today after that impressive victory last week