Sunday 27 January 2013

TWICE IN A FORTNIGHT

For the second time in the space of a fortnight, Exeter City take on Torquay United in the latest installment of Npower League Two's Devon mini-league.

The first meeting at Plainmoor proved to be a tale of two penalties with Rene Howe and Alan Gow converting as the Gulls and Grecians shared the spoils.

Due to the adverse weather conditions which have hit the South West in recent weeks, neither side has kicked a ball in anger as their respective league fixtures last week were both postponed.

The Grecians will be without Liam Sercombe and John O'Flynn as the pair are both ruled out due to injury, but leading scorer Jamie Cureton is available for selection after completing a three-match suspension following the encounter at Plainmoor.

However, Paul Tisdale's side will be seeing the game, which is being broadcast live on Sky Sports, as an ideal opportunity to display their promotion credentials (Exeter are currently 4th in Npower League Two) in front of a wider audience.

In contrast, Martin Ling will see the game as the perfect opportunity for the Gulls to pick up their first win of 2013.

Torquay have virtually a full strength squad to choose from as only long term absentee Ian Morris unavailable due to injury.

Tomorrow's match, the 119th encounter between the two sides, will be their first league meeting at St James Park since August 26th 2002.

The Gulls won 2-1 on that occasion as David Graham and Tony Bedeau both found the target as James Coppinger replied for the Grecians.

It also proved to be Lee Sharpe's final appearance in English football as it turned out to be the last game of his four match stint with Exeter, after he had agreed a short-term deal with the club, as he left St James Park for a brief spell playing in Iceland before announcing his retirement.

This proved to be ironic as his first league start as a 16-year-old for Torquay in the 1987-88 season came against the Grecians.