Ahead of each side’s respective cup clashes, we will now look in greater depth at what lies ahead for each of the South West’s professional teams.
TORQUAY UNITED VS HARROGATE TOWN
The Gulls were forced to wait to discover the identity of their first round opponents after Harrogate and their fourth qualifying round foes Hyde United needed a replay to decide the outcome of their tie.
Then, their re-match at Harrogate’s Wetherby Road ground was postponed twice before it eventually took place at the home of their neighbours, Harrogate Railway, which they won 1-0.
Town, of Conference North, faced the Gulls twice in the competition in the 2005-06 campaign, before losing the replay on penalties, and are managed by former Lincoln City man Simon Morgan who is assisted by former Grimsby Town stalwart John McDermott.
Their squad contains a number of players with Football League pedigree including former Macclesfield goalkeeper and Cape Verde international Jose Veiga, ex Derby and Burton Albion midfielder Adam Bolder and playmaker Lee Elam, a player who is no stranger to the South West having appeared for Yeovil, Weymouth and Exeter City during his career.
In recent years, Torquay have enjoyed a number of good runs in the competition, having made it as least as far as the second round in every year since the 2005-06 season.
Ironically their run in the competition during that campaign started with a win over Harrogate in the first round. A win over Notts County then followed in round two before they took Birmingham City to replay after playing out a memorable goalless draw at Plainmoor.
Other highlights have included beating Yeovil Town 4-1 in a game screened live by the BBC and reaching the fourth round twice in the 2008-09 & 2010-11 seasons respectively.
