Torquay United v Southport

[Dave]

Torquay United go into this game off the back of a seven game unbeaten run, however there is both a positive and negative spin that can be put on this, The Gulls may have not lost in the last three games, but haven't won either, a positive is no goals conceded in the last three games, but none scored also, a negative, at this stage of the season we can't afford to enter into another prolonged run of games with out a win, draws will not help us avoid the drop, the team have to return to winning ways.

This Saturday we welcome Southport FC to Plainmoor (LWS) back in October a 0.1 away win for The Gulls saw Kevin Nicholson pick up his first win as TUFC manager, just over a week later saw Southport appoint Dino Maamria believed to have been a candidate for the Torquay job as their manager, this seemed have an instant impact as soon afterwards Southport would beat Kidderminster and go on a run that saw them beaten only twice in 14 games, including a run of 6 straight wins across December into January, life looked good for Southport and an upper mid table finish on the cards.

However 6 defeats in the latest run of fixtures, has seen Southport slip back into trouble, and Southport would let a 3 goal lead slip against Welling in their last match, Dino Maamria has since left the club for family and travel reasons.

Southport top goalscorers

Louis Almond 11
Gary Jones 4
Michael Phenix 4
Jamie Allen 3
Andy Bishop 2
Josh Thompson 2
Andrew Wright 2
Adam Blakeman 1
Liam Nolan 1
Mark O'Brien 1

Current form


Southport; L-L-W-L-L-D

20 Feb Lincoln City 3 - 1 Southport
27 Feb Southport 0 - 3 Boreham Wood
1 Mar Dover Athlet. 1 - 2 Southport
5 Mar Southport 0 - 1 Halifax Town
8 Mar Grimsby 1 - 0 Southport
12 Mar Southport 3 - 3 Welling Utd

Last time out

Southport 3 - 3 Welling Utd

25 Crocombe
2 Challoner
5 Thompson
22 Phenix (Hewitt 75'minutes)
12 Blakeman Booked at 78mins
20 O'Brien
16 Rutherford (Nolan 56'minutes)
11 Jones
8 Wright Booked at 30mins
17 Almond (Allen 67'minutes)
9 Westcarr

Substitutes
4 Nolan
7 Allen
10 Bishop
19 Viscosi
23 Hewitt

Reaction from the Welling match

“When you go 3-0 ahead, you think the game is over,” said Maamria.

“We had a chance to make it four but for some reason, we’re very hesitant as a team at home.

“That has been happening even before I arrived and we’ve got to get to the bottom of that.

“We had a chance to have made it 4-0, but the goals we conceded were individual errors, two from man-marking situations at corners. We got some of the basic things wrong.

“We did well to get ourselves in front but we’ve been very jittery at home and we’ve seen that again in the last 15 minutes. It’s easy to get carried away with results but we’ve got to look at the details of the game.

“I’ve got be critical of myself and the team but at the same time we’ve got to be constructive in trying to address these issues.”


From a Torquay United point of view

On team news it's hoped that Blisset will return, and not a moment to soon, The Gulls attack has looked goal shy with out his presence. Tuesday a lot seemed to be wrong with the team performance, I felt with Racchi, Verma, Rees and Richards all playing, there seemed to be lack of natural width and pace, and maybe down to the number of games played of late a real lack of energy in the middle of the park.

For me this is where player mentality comes to the fore, there seemed to be a lot players out there Tuesday not wanting to fight for it and real lack urgency. In the non league, there is little or no security, quite often short term, or non-contract offers are the best players can get, for me there's a lot of players in our squad who are playing for contracts, Torquay avoid relegation new contracts are likely to be offered to many, relegation could mean the club unable to afford to keep many of the current squad, so the risk is they end up on the ever growing list of out of work footballers, this is where the players have to dig in a fight for it, no matter how mentally or physically tired they may be.

We saw the team so static on Tuesday. Lose possession of the ball work hard and go and win it back, the opposition are trying to play out from the back shut them down, no over hit pass should become a lost cause, don't make a pass think your jobs done and stand there admiring it, match of the day won't be talking about you, make the pass and follow your pass into space, and so on, and on, these are the things that will win us games.

The only pleasing aspect of Tuesday is we did see a much greater willingness to get shots away, just a bit more composure and my 1 on target for every 3 shots might just come true this time

Torquay United top goalscorers

Nathan Blissett 5
Dan Butler 2
Nathan Smith 2
Andre Wright 2
Toby Ajala 1
Iffy Allen 1
Durrell Berry 1
Exodus Geohaghon 1
Shaun Harrad 1
Angus MacDonald 1
Courtney Richards 1
Aman Verma 1

Current form

Torquay United; W-W-W-D-D-D

23 Feb Torquay Utd 2 - 0 Welling Utd
1 Mar Macclesfield 1 - 2 Torquay Utd
5 Mar Torquay Utd 3 - 2 Kidderminster
8 Mar Torquay Utd 0 - 0 Braintree
12 Mar Aldershot To. 0 - 0 Torquay Utd
15 Mar Torquay Utd 0 - 0 Halifax Town

Last time out


Torquay United 0 - 0 Halifax Town

26 Moore
29 Berry
5 MacDonald
10 Racchi
3 Butler
18 Smith
25 Verma
16 Richards Booked at 53mins
4 Rees (Chaney 81'minutes)
12 Harrad (Ajala 61'minutes)
28 Wright (Allen 61'minutes)

Substitutes
1 Fisher
7 Allen
14 Ajala
19 Chaney
22 Gerring

POSITIVE THINKING



“We started really well and with a great tempo,” he said. “We created lots of half-chances without anything clear-cut.

“They are a hard team to break down; Jim Harvey has them well-organised, but we kept going, did the basics right and never stopped knocking on the door.

“It’s another point to our tally and there were plenty of positives to come out of the game. That’s three clean sheets in a row, which is particularly pleasing.

“We’re in a good place right now and there’s the chance of us going out of the bottom four with a win on Saturday.

“The important thing is that we’re in there with a fighting chance and there is a lot for us to look forward to.

“We’re not an easy team to beat now.”

Head to Head meetings



English Division Four (old)

13.09.1958 Torquay United 1-0 Southport
31.01.1959 Southport 2-2 Torquay United
09.09.1959 Torquay United 4-0 Southport
15.09.1959 Southport 1-2 Torquay United
28.09.1962 Southport 4-4 Torquay United
16.02.1963 Torquay United 5-1 Southport
07.10.1963 Southport 1-0 Torquay United
14.10.1963 Torquay United 3-1 Southport
17.10.1964 Southport 0-1 Torquay United
27.02.1965 Torquay United 2-0 Southport
22.09.1965 Torquay United 1-1 Southport
25.04.1966 Southport 3-3 Torquay United


English Division Three (old)

02.12.1967 Southport 0-2 Torquay United
27.04.1968 Torquay United 2-2 Southport
10.08.1968 Torquay United 3-0 Southport
06.05.1969 Southport 2-2 Torquay United
01.11.1969 Torquay United 0-0 Southport
28.02.1970 Southport 4-2 Torquay United


English Division Four (old)

27.10.1972 Southport 2-1 Torquay United
24.03.1973 Torquay United 2-0 Southport
06.09.1974 Southport 1-1 Torquay United
22.03.1975 Torquay United 3-2 Southport
19.12.1975 Southport 1-3 Torquay United
31.03.1976 Torquay United 2-1 Southport
11.09.1976 Southport 1-1 Torquay United
23.03.1977 Torquay United 0-0 Southport
12.10.1977 Torquay United 2-2 Southport
07.01.1978 Southport 0-0 Torquay United


English Conference

16.08.2014 Torquay United 0-0 Southport
28.03.2015 Southport 2-1 Torquay United


English National League

10.10.2015 Southport 0-1 Torquay United

[Glostergull]

wow . thats a set of interesting statistics regarding games played against Southport.. they have only ever won 3 games aganst us. 12 have been draws of which 4 were no score draws. and 16 wins.. so that would indicate at least a draw possibly high scoring.
we have scored 56 goals but let in 34. seems if the run is to continue the ratio will continue. I certainly hope so. we first played them when i was born. well within a few weeks. so in my lifetime we seem to be their bogie team. here's hoping.
They have never beaten us at our gaff but we have lumped em up there 5 times. in 16 away games. not a bad record. so here's hoping for a win. Glad Blisset it back. seems this really is his level as he didn't really make much impact at Rovers. but maybe he didn't have a chance to really establish himself like he has here. I wish i could be there, will have to look at weather and see.

[wivelgull]

I was at three games against Southport in the 60s (in 1963 and 1965). Unfortunately I expect our run to come to an end. Thus:
TUFC (0) 0
Southport (2) 2

Att: 1404.

[torq2u]

I think I'm right in saying the team has changed a bit since the 60s. Those 3 games may not be an indicator for tomorrow. So, cheer up. You might be pleasantly surprised. Again.

[Dazza]

Southport 1958 was my first United game. We won it 1-0 . 58 years later will take the same again ....

[lucy6lucy]

wow . thats a set of interesting statistics regarding games played against Southport.. they have only ever won 3 games aganst us. 12 have been draws of which 4 were no score draws. and 16 wins.. so that would indicate at least a draw possibly high scoring.
we have scored 56 goals but let in 34. seems if the run is to continue the ratio will continue. I certainly hope so. we first played them when i was born. well within a few weeks. so in my lifetime we seem to be their bogie team. here's hoping.
They have never beaten us at our gaff but we have lumped em up there 5 times. in 16 away games. not a bad record. so here's hoping for a win. Glad Blisset it back. seems this really is his level as he didn't really make much impact at Rovers. but maybe he didn't have a chance to really establish himself like he has here. I wish i could be there, will have to look at weather and see.

Weather? Don't be a wimp get to the match

[Admiral]

I was at three games against Southport in the 60s (in 1963 and 1965). Unfortunately I expect our run to come to an end. Thus:
TUFC (0) 0
Southport (2) 2

Att: 1404.

Bad day? We've looked solid at the back and Blissett is back up front.

Torquay (1) 3
Southport (0) 1
Att 2042

[jimhart33]

I recall a match versus a struggling Southport in early seventies I think.
We were dreadful for 85 mins and losing 0 1.
We scored 2 in last five mins. Very fortunate.
Will take any sort of win tomorrow.

[tomogull]

I am hoping for four points from the two matches this week (Halifax & Southport) so a win tomorrow, please. Not brave enough to make a forecast because every game is difficult, and unpredictable, at this stage of the season.

[wivelgull]

I take my hat off to DAZZA. 1958! That's five years before my first TUFC match (although my first Whitby Town match was almost exactly 60 years ago - end of march 1956).

[Yorkieandy]

Best of luck today lads and lasses! Get a win today and there's no looking back. Got my arse cheeks crossed. COYY!!

[Gullscorer]

The weather is fine, if a bit breezy, and a little light cloud. Excellent day for a game of football. If we win today (defeat is not an option) we could go as high as 19th in the table. Dizzy heights..!! Get up to Plainmoor and support the team.

[Glostergull]

I was at three games against Southport in the 60s (in 1963 and 1965). Unfortunately I expect our run to come to an end. Thus:
TUFC (0) 0
Southport (2) 2

Att: 1404.

Wivell. You would still say the same if Southport were in wheelchairs. playing blind and had only one arm each.Had lost every game this season 10-0 and had 10 players suspended and had to put out only 6 players who were aged 8. just admit for a change you can't see any further than your own garden gate
Besides if you have followed Whitby Town for so Long. What the heck did we do to have you follow us.. declared war on Yorkshire or Something.

Added in 2 minutes 28 seconds:

Weather? Don't be a wimp get to the match

I would if I wasn't disabled and didn't have to rely on sticks and live on what the Government think is something to subsist on while learning.. I would be better off on the dole.

[wivelgull]

Mr Gloster - I moved to Torquay in March 1963 as I had a job - washing up dishes in The Osborne!

[Orange Gull]

Starting XI: Moore, Berry, MacD, Smith, Butler, Racchi, Verma, Richards, Ajala, Blissett, Harrad.
Excellent news that Blissett is back in for Wright, a couple of goals would be nice please.