PIRATES TRIUMPH ON MANSELL'S RETURN

Lee Mansell’s return to the Launa Windows Stadium proved to be the mere side-show it probably deserved to be as Bristol Rovers defeated Torquay United on Boxing Day. 

The former Gulls’ skipper, who now wears the captain’s armband for the Pirates, was part of the Rovers’ supporting cast as the football on offer took centre stage. 

A Matty Taylor strike from 18-yards after eight minutes and a header from Neale Trotman on the half hour mark set them on their way and ultimately proved to be decisive.

Duane Ofori-Acheampong pulled a goal back for the Gulls three minutes later, with an effort that deflected off his heel after the Rovers keeper Fabian Speiss flapped at a Courtney Cameron cross; 

United were denied a late equaliser through substitute Elliot Benyon that was ruled out for a dubious offside.However, if the goal had stood then it would have been a point gained from a Gulls perspective, as the Pirates had dominated the proceedings in terms of chances created. 

The stand-out performers for the Gulls included skipper Luke Young, who outshone his predecessor Mansell and nearly found an equaliser on 26 minutes with a long-range effort that cleared the cross bar; right-back Durrell Berry, who produced a solid display on his recall to the side, and teenage left-back Levi Ives.

BOXING DAY RETURNS FOR MANSE AND BUCKS

Boxing Day 2014 will see Bristol Rovers midfielder Lee Mansell return to Plainmoor (the Launa Windows Stadium) and Paul Buckle face one of his former clubs Exeter City as manager of Cheltenham Town.

Mansell, 32, joined the Pirates in the summer after spending eight years with the Gulls, in which he made 389 appearances, many of them were as captain of the side.

Boxing Day's fixture will also see him face United manager - and his former team-mate - Chris Hargreaves for the first time; the pair were also colleagues at Oxford United before Mansell's move to the Gulls in 2006.

In addition to this, Mansell will also be lining up against his successor as Gulls' captain Luke Young.

Meanwhile, at St James Park, Paul Buckle will be leading his Cheltenham Town side to face Exeter City, a club which he served twice as a player and also as assistant manager to Paul Tisdale.

Buckle, who managed Torquay, Bristol Rovers and Luton Town before heading to America where he worked as Technical Director of the New Yorks Mets Academy, is seeking his first win as manager of the Robins since he was appointed as successor to the long serving Mark Yates.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO: TORQUAY UNITED'S 2013-14 LOANEES

With the end of 2014 nearly upon us, we will now take a look at the fortunes of the players that appeared for Torquay United on loan during the 2013-14 season.


Callum Ball:


The striker who joined the Gulls on the eve of the campaign on loan from Derby County, Ball played nine times for Torquay and scored twice and is currently playing in the Scottish Premier League for St Mirren after he was released by the Rams at the end of last season.

Ade Azeez:

Young forward Azeez, who arrived at Plainmoor on loan from Charlton Athletic, became the Gulls’ 1,000^th player when he appeared in the Gulls away fixture against Newport County in September 2013. He was released by the Addicks at the end of last season and signed for AFC Wimbledon.

Paul McCallum:

After scoring three goals in six appearances for the Gulls in all competitions, McCallum returned to his parent club West Ham United. Shortly after returning to Upton Park, he was loaned again by the Hammers – this time to Scottish Premier League side Heart of Midlothian, where he played six times before returning to East London through injury. He is still with the Hammers.

Anthony O’Connor:

The Republic of Ireland Under-21 central defender joined the Gulls from Blackburn Rovers and remained at Plainmoor on loan for the remainder of the campaign; even after Chris Hargreaves had replaced Alan Knill as manager. He is currently plying his trade in Devon once again this season with Plymouth Argyle.

Jak McCourt:

Liverpool-born central midfielder McCourt, who was signed by Alan Knill from Leicester City, agreed an extension to his contract with the Foxes during the close season but is yet to make an appearance for Nigel Pearson’s side.

John Marquis:

The Millwall striker Marquis proved to be one of Knill’s most astute loan signings, scoring three goals in a five-match loan stint. During this spell, the Gulls won twice, drew twice and lost once; this was one of their best runs of form in a largely disappointing campaign. He is once again out on loan in League Two, this time with Cheltenham Town.

Shamir Goodwin:

Following a change of name to Fenelon, Shamir has been loaned out again by his parent club Brighton and Hove Albion, firstly to Rochdale – a spell which he was recalled from after failing to break into their first team- and then to Tranmere Rovers.

Conor Wilkinson:

Wilkinson’s loan spell at Plainmoor proved to be a brief one, but he has since been loaned out to Oldham Athletic. On his return to the Trotters, he made his debut for Neil Lennon’s side in a goalless draw with Reading earlier this month.

Aiden O’Brien:

The Republic of Ireland Under-21 striker, who is good friends with Gulls’ striker Duane Ofori-Acheampong, only appeared three times for Torquay last season but made his league debut for the Lions this season against Birmingham City. 


Jayden Stockley: 


Stockley enjoyed two spells on loan at Plainmoor last season; one under Alan Knill and another under Chris Hargreaves. He was also on target against AFC Wimbledon in Hargreaves' first game in charge. This season, he is out on loan again in League Two with Cambridge United. 


Enoch Showumni:


The former Nigerian striker, who can count Luton Town, Bristol City, Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday amongst his former clubs, arrived on loan from Notts County before returning to Meadow Lane and then joined Plymouth Argyle on loan. In the summer, after he was released by the Magpies, he signed for Conference South side Wealdstone. He is currently on loan at Isthmian Premier Division side Canvey Island.

Baily Cargill:

Left-back Cargill made his debut for his parent club AFC Bournemouth against Exeter City in the Capital One Cup first round and also featured in their Quarter Final tie with Liverpool, alongside another two former Gulls: Eunan O’Kane and Adam Smith.  He has also appeared for the England Under-20 side.

Shaquile Coulthirst:

Spurs starlet Coulthirst scored twice in five games for Chris Hargreaves’ side - with goals against Bristol Rovers and Exeter City - as the Gulls fell short of avoiding the drop at the end of the campaign. He is once again out on loan in League Two, this time with Phil Brown’s Southend United.

GLOVERS DREAMING OF UNITED TIE

Yeovil Town will host Manchester United in the third round of the FA Cup after they finally defeated Accrington Stanley at Huish Park.

Late goals from Simon Gillett and Kieffer Moore secured the Glovers' passage through to the next stage of the competition, and ensures that Yeovil will be facing the Red Devils for the first time since their famous FA Cup fifth round meeting at Maine Road - Old Trafford was out of action due to Second World War bomb damage - in 1949.

It will also be the first ever FA Cup tie that United manager Louis Van Gaal has ever been involved in. The Dutchman has managed in its Dutch, Spanish and German equivalents over the years, but this will be his first as a manager in the world's oldest club knock out competition.

GLOVERS AIMING TO SET UP UNITED TIE

After drawing with Accrington Stanley in the second round of the FA Cup, Yeovil Town have the carrot of a third round tie at home to Manchester United dangling in front of them ahead of Tuesday night's replay.

The Glovers drew the original fixture between the two sides 1-1 at the Crown Ground, and have sold 3,000 tickets as a bumper crowd looks set to witness the replay at Huish Park.

Should Yeovil overcome Stanley at the second time of asking, it will be the first time that the Glovers have played the Red Devils since their famous FA Cup fifth round tie of 1949, a run which saw them beat Sunderland en route.

However, the minds of Gary Johnson's side were firmly on the 'bread and butter' of their League One campaign, as they defeated Oldham Athletic 4-0 at Boundary Park, in a match that pitied Johnson against his son, Lee, the former Glovers midfield maestro.

A similar result on Tuesday night would bring further smiles to the Johnson household.

THE GULLS ROCKIER ROAD TO WEMBLEY

It may not have the prestige of the FA Cup, but the FA Trophy could yet turn out to be an important competition for Torquay United as they produced a five-star display to defeat Bishops Stortford.

A first half brace from Ryan Bowman set the Gulls on their way before Luke Young, Duane Ofori Acheampong and substitute Jordan Chapell - with his first goal for the Gulls since he scored the fastest goal in the club's history last October against Portsmouth - completed the scoring.

For their exploits, United have boosted their coffers to the tune of £5,000 and they are now four games away from the final at Wembley - barring the requirement of any replays.

Winning the competition in the past has proved to be a springboard to further success for many clubs, including Wycombe Wanderers, Macclesfield Town, Cheltenham Town, Yeovil Town and Stevenage who all won the Trophy before subsequently winning promotion into the Football League.

In the case of Yeovil, it was the first trophy that they won under the guidance of Gary Johnson back in 2002.

This, in turn, provided a foundation for further success which included eventually winning promotion to the Championship.

A good run in the competition for Chris Hargreaves's Gulls in 2014-15 would send out a message that they mean business regarding the matter of eventually winning promotion back to the Football League.

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY HAS SIGHTS ON EUROS

For Torquay United fans, Jamie Ward will always be regarded as the one that got away.

Ward spent just six months on the English Riviera after joining the Gulls in the summer of 2006 following his release by Aston Villa, who he had played for in an FA Youth Cup final in 2004 alongside the likes of Gary Cahill, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Luke Moore.

He was persuaded to move to south Devon by the then Torquay manager, and fellow Brummie, Ian Atkins, amid interest from Stockport County and Wrexham. 

During his time at Plainmoor, Ward was converted from being a right-winger into a centre forward and scored 11 goals in 29 appearances in all competitions before he was sold to Chesterfield in January 2007 for a fee of £95,000.

At this time the Gulls were in the midst of Chris Roberts’s brief but calamitous reign as Chairman, which plunged the club into turmoil, during a campaign in which Torquay were relegated from the Football League.

His sale effectively ended any realistic chance that the Gulls had of avoiding relegation to the Conference for the first time ever. Nevertheless, Torquay did benefit two years later from a 25% sell-on clause when Ward was sold by the Spireites to Sheffield United for a fee of £330,000.   

Ward’s career has gone from strength to strength since then, and he is currently plying his trade with Championship promotion chasers Derby County and has won 13 caps for Northern Ireland.

Now, as we head into 2015, he also has the potential to do something that the province’s favourite son George Best never managed to do: play in the finals of a major tournament as Northern Ireland are currently top of their Euro 2016 qualifying group.

Ward, who qualifies to play for Northern Ireland through his grandfather, has been ever present in all but one match during Michael O’Neill’s side’s qualifying campaign thus far, as they aim to become the first Northern Ireland side to reach the final stages of a major tournament since the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

Northern Ireland are currently second in qualifying Group F, which includes Romania, Hungary, Finland, Faroe Islands and Euro 2004 winners Greece, after winning three of their opening four qualifiers. This run includes a 2-0 win over the Greeks, in which Ward and his strike partner Kyle Lafferty found the target.

Their qualification prospects have been enhanced by UEFA’s decision to increase the number of teams participating in the finals from 16 to 24, which means smaller countries now have a greater chance of qualifying for the main stage.

All of the nine group winners and runners-up will qualify automatically, along with hosts France and the third placed team with the highest number of points. The remaining eight third-placed teams will then go into a two-legged Play-off. So O’Neill’s men could finish third in their group and still qualify for the 2016 finals that are due to be held in France. 

Should Ward go on to represent the province in France, he will become the first ex-Gull to appear in the latter stages of a European Championships since Keith Curle represented England at Euro 92 in Sweden.

He will also be the first former Torquay player to appear in the final stages of a major tournament since Paul Hall played for Jamaica at the 1998 World Cup, which was also held in France.

MOST CRUCIAL RESULT OF THE SEASON

On a Tuesday night at a wind swept Launa Windows Stadium, Torquay United pulled off what could be their most crucial win of their campaign so far against FC Halifax Town.

The Gulls’ superior finishing proved to be the difference as first half strikes from Ryan Bowman and Duane Ofori-Acheampong sent them on their way before Lois Maynard pulled a goal back for the Shaymen with his fifth of the season.

In securing victory over the Shaymen, United have leapfrogged their Play-off rivals in the Vanarama Conference table; and they are now just two points shy of the fifth and final Play-off spot.

Defeat, however, would have left Chris Hargreaves's side five points adrift and facing an uphill battle to stay in touch over a busy festive period.

It was a result achieved with a depleted squad, as Aussie defender Aaron Downes was suspended and full-backs Durrell Berry and Thomas Cruise both missed the game through injury. The absence of the latter two saw midfielder Jamie McQuilken and teenager Levi Ives play at right-back and left-back respectively.

Next up for the Gulls is a trip to Bishop Stortford in the FA Trophy, a competition which Hargreaves captained them to the final of in 2008 where they were beaten by Ebbsfleet United.

SHERIDAN LOOKING TO HELP PILGRIMS TO BLUNT BLADES

In recent years, certainly since the 'new' Wembley was re-opened in 2007, the staging of FA Cup semi-finals at the national stadium has become normal practise.

However, over 20 years ago, it was regarded as a novelty rather than the norm when a Sheffield Wednesday side, which contained current Plymouth Argyle manager John Sheridan, played their Steel City neighbours Sheffield United, whilst Arsenal faced Tottenham Hotspur in a North London derby in the other semi-final.

The Owls defeated the Blades 2-1 after extra time and went on to face Arsenal in the final, which they lost 2-1 after a replay, and Sheridan is once again out to defeat United as his Pilgrims' side head to Bramall Lane this Saturday for an FA Cup second round tie.

Argyle, of course, have their own pedigree in the competition having famously reached the semis themselves in 1984 where they were beaten by Graham Taylor's Watford at Villa Park.

They reached the third round last season where they were beaten 3-2 by Port Vale in a replay at Home Park, after drawing 2-2 at Vale Park.

Should the Pilgrims emerge victorious, it will be the first time that they have overcome a team in a higher division than themselves since the 1998-99 season when they overcame Reading - who were then in what is now League One -  after a replay.

Argyle drew 1-1 at the Madjeski Stadium, courtesy of a late strike from Chris Hargreaves, before winning the replay by a solitary Mick Heathcote effort.

In the next round, they were beaten 3-0 by a Preston North End side managed by David Moyes.

If Saturday's tie turns out to be a draw, it will cause a minor fixture headache as Nigel Clough's Blades are due to play Southampton in the Quarter Finals of the Capital One Cup on the scheduled date of the replay - December 16th.

Also any re-match taking place a week later on December 23rd wouldn't be ideal either, as both sides have packed Christmas schedule - starting on Boxing Day - ahead of them.

So, if the match is tied the two sides may have to wait until the date that the third round matches are played - the weekend of January 3rd - to decide who progresses through to the next stage.