After being saved from relegation to the Football League by virtue of re-election after finishing bottom of Division Four in the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons, Torquay United would not be getting a third reprieve if they found themselves at the foot of the table at the end of the 1986-87 campaign.
The Football League had decided to replace the re-election system with automatic promotion between Division Four and the Conference. This meant that the winners of the Conference would replace the team at the foot of the Division Four table at the end of the season.
The Gulls were one of three teams – including Burnley and Lincoln City – who were looking to avoid this fate. On the final day of the campaign the Gulls would host Crewe Alexandra, whilst Burnley faced Leyton Orient and Lincoln entertained Swansea City.
A 3-2 defeat in their penultimate fixture against Leyton Orient meant that Torquay’s future in the football league hinged on the outcome of their final league fixture against Crewe. They needed to better either the Claret’s result or that of Lincoln’s encounter with Swansea to stay up.
Such was the excitement generated by the occasion that there were still United fans pouring into the ground ten minutes after kick-off, but luckily those who were late didn’t miss any action of note.
Crewe who contained two future England internationals in their side, in the form of Geoff Thomas and David Platt, settled more quickly than United and forced a corner inside the opening minute.
From the resulting flag-kick, Cutler was penalised for a challenge on Gulls’ keeper Kenny Allen.
United’s first real chance of the match came in the eighth minute when Mark Loram, who had returned to Plainmoor on loan from Queens Park Rangers after failing to settle in West London, set up Paul Dobson with a cross from the left-hand side, which forced a save from Crewe keeper Brian Parkin.
Jim McNichol volleyed narrowly wide for United on 14 minutes, but he was to have a far bigger influence on the proceedings in the second half.
Four minutes later Loram fired wide from 16-yards as United once again stretched the Crewe backline.
Meanwhile, Burnley’s clash with Leyton Orient at Turf had been delayed by 15 minutes to allow a large crowd of 15,000 to enter the ground.
In the meantime for the Gulls, Dobson had a shot deflected wide on 25 minutes, which forced United’s first corner of the game.
A minute later, Mario Walsh received a warning from referee Howard King for a late challenge on Alex defender Goodison.
On 29 minutes United central defender Dave Cole connected with a Mark Gardiner corner but headed wide.
A minute later Dobson flicked a corner from McNichol into the path of on-loan midfielder Alan McLoughlin, whose headed effort was tipped behind by Parkin.
From Gardiner’s resulting corner, Cole hit the bar for the Gulls with a left footed volley.
In the 35th minute, McNichol fired over from 25-yards as United increased their pressure.
On 39 minutes the Gulls conceded a foul on the edge of the penalty area when McNichol felled Thomas, which ultimately proved to be costly.
From the resulting free-kick Terry Milligan touched the ball to Peter Bodak who then curled it past Gulls’ keeper Allen from 20-yards to open the scoring.
Four minutes later Crewe ensured that they would be going into the half-time break with a two-goal cushion, as Platt connected with a long pass from full-back John Pemberton and beat Allen to score his 24th goal of the season – despite the appeals from United players and fans alike for an offside.
United needed to get a goal in the second half, and they did so three minutes after the restart through a 20-yard free-kick from McNichol after Milligan was adjudged to have fouled McLoughlin.
It was a timely boost for United – especially as Burnley had just taken the lead against Leyton Orient through Neil Grewcock in the 44th minute.
In the 55th minute, McNichol went close again with another free-kick – this time from 25-yards – which forced a diving save from Parkin.
Despite producing attack after attack, the ball wouldn’t go in for United, with McLoughlin forcing a save from Parkin and substitute Adie Mann also hitting the bar.
Elsewhere in Division Four Lincoln were losing to Swansea thanks in no small part to a strike from veteran midfielder Tommy Hutchinson, so an equaliser would have done United’s cause the world of good.
Then, in a bizarre twist of fate, they were handed a life-line when Bryn the Police Dog – in the excitement of the occasion - broke free from his handler, PC John Harris, and sank his teeth into McNichol’s leg.
Whilst Gulls’ Physio Alan Morris and club doctor Ray Foster were attending to McNichol’s injury, Morgan addressed his players, telling them: “Lads, the news is not good, Burnley are winning. We need the draw, we need the goal.”
In the injury time added on for McNichol’s treatment, Crewe’s Milligan was caught dallying on the ball by Dobson, who needed no second invitation, as he pounced to score his 17th goal of the season.
It proved to be the goal that would preserve Torquay United’s league status on goal difference at the expense of Lincoln – who had lost 2-0 to Swansea. Burnley managed to win their match with Leyton Orient to secure their own safety. United’s ‘Great Escape’ was complete.
After the match, McNichol admitted that there were ‘no hard feelings’ towards Bryn, who was rewarded with a steak by Gulls’ Chairman Lew Pope.
It may not have been a case of divine intervention, but it was definitely ‘canine intervention’ that helped to preserve the Gulls’ league status!
Torquay United (4-4-2): Allen; McNichol, Cole, Dawkins, Kelly; Dobson, Myers (Mann 58), McLoughlin, Gardiner; Walsh, Loram
Crewe Alexandra (4-3-3): Parkin; Goodison, Davis, Wright, Pemberton; Bodak, Thomas, Milligan; Platt, Jarvis (Power 77), Cutler
Attendance: 3,493
A full account of this fixture, plus many more memorable games in United's history can be found in the book: Torquay United: A History in 50 Matches which is available from http://torquayunitedahistoryin50.bigcartel.com/
