A TORQUAY UNITED - AFC BOURNEMOUTH XI

After Frank Vincent's deadline day loan move from AFC Bournemouth to Torquay United, we will now take closer look at some of the other players to have moved between the Dorset coast and the English Riviera over the years.

Over the years, there have been a number of players who have plied their trade with both Torquay United and today’s visitors AFC Bournemouth, so I have compiled a team featuring eleven players who have served the Gulls and the Cherries during their careers.

In goal, Kenny Allen won promotion from the ‘old’ Division Four with Bournemouth in the 1981-82 season. He would go on to enjoy three spells with Torquay later in the decade and appeared in the ‘Great Escape Side’ of the 1986-87 season and the Gulls first ever Wembley appearance in the 1989 Sherpa Van Trophy Final, after being called out of retirement by the late Cyril Knowles following an injury to Kenny Veysey.

At right back, Derek ‘the Dude’ Dawkins gets the nod. Like Allen, the Dude also won promotion with Bournemouth in the 1981-82 campaign before becoming a pivotal figure for the Gulls. The highlight of his time at Plainmoor came when he scored the winning goal in the first leg of Torquay’s League Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur in 1987. He also had a spell in charge of the Gulls youth side and amongst his young charges was a certain Lee Sharpe.

In the centre of defence, Alex Watson and John Impey both served the Gulls and Cherries with great distinction. Watson arrived at Plainmoor in October 1995 after Eddie May paid the Cherries £50,000 for his services. He would later captain the Gulls in the 1998 Division Three Play-Off Final before serving as assistant manager to Wes Saunders from 1998 to 2001.

Impey was first brought to Plainmoor in 1984 when Dave Webb signed him from Bournemouth. He stayed until1985 when he left to join Exeter City before he was brought back to Plainmoor by Stuart Morgan on the eve of the 1986-87 campaign. Impey stayed with the Gulls for two seasons as a player and would later succeed Dave Smith as Torquay manager in 1991. He guided the Gulls to Fourth Division Play-Off glory later that year, but was dismissed in the opening months of the 1991-92 campaign.

Left back Bill Kitchener was one of many players with West Ham United connections who were attracted to Plainmoor by Frank O’Farrell during his first spell as Torquay manager during the 1960’s. Kitchener made 187 appearances for the Gulls and scored nine goals before following his former Gulls team-mate John Bond to Dean Court in 1970.

The midfield of this side is dominated by players who served the Gulls in the late 60’s and early 70’s period before John Bond signed them for the Cherries. Right winger Tony Scott, who like Kitchener had started his career with West Ham, was another player who was signed by O’Farrell and later joined Bond at Bournemouth.

In his raid on his former club during his reign as Cherries manager Bond also snapped up Tommy Mitchinson and John Benson who are selected as the central midfield pairing for this team. Dubbed ‘the Prime Minister of Plainmoor’ by the fans, Mitchinson proved to be a big hit with the Torquay faithful during his three year stay with the club after arriving from Aston Villa for £6,000 in 1968.

Benson was one of a number of players inherited by Frank O’Farrell when he was appointed as Torquay manager in 1965. After linking up with John Bond at Bournemouth, Benson would also serve under him at Norwich City as a player and coached under him at Manchester City and Burnley.

On the left hand side of midfield is Jo Kuffour, a player of more recent times. A former Arsenal trainee, he arrived at Plainmoor in 2002 when he was signed by Leroy Rosenior. Primarily a striker, although he was sometimes used on the left wing, Kuffour was Torquay’s second highest scorer during the 2003-04 promotion winning season. Kuffour remained at Plainmoor until 2006 when he signed for Brentford where he stayed for one season before joining Bournemouth in 2007. He is currently playing for Bristol Rovers.

Up front, Eddie Rowles started his career with the Cherries in 1969 before joining York City in 1971. He was brought to Plainmoor by Malcolm Musgrove in 1973 and stayed for two seasons, making 59 appearances and finding the back of the net 13 times.

Partnering him is John Rudge who arrived at Plainmoor in 1969 from Carlisle United. Rudge, who later made his name as manager of Port Vale, was the Gulls top scorer with 17 goals in the 1970-71 campaign and joined Bristol Rovers in 1973 before signing for the Cherries in 1975. He is still working in the game as Director of Football of Port Vale.

Other notable figures who have also played for both clubs in more recent years include Republic of Ireland international midfielder Eunan O’Kane and Adam Smith.

O’Kane joined the Gulls in January 2010 from Irish League side Coleraine and remained at Plainmoor for two and a half years before joining the Cherries in the summer of 2012 for a fee of £175,000. Highlights of his time at Plainmoor included a memorable brace in a 3-1 win over Plymouth Argyle in November 2011, helping United to reach the League Two play-offs in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons and being named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2011-12 campaign.

Smith arrived at Plainmoor on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in the 2009-10 season and produced a number of impressive displays before returning to White Hart Lane. He would enjoy further loan spells at Bournemouth, MK Dons, Millwall, Leeds United and Derby County before joining the Cherries permanently in the 2013-14 season and is currently a regular under Eddie Howe. Smith has also represented England Under-21 level.

 

 

KOUE NIATE MAKES IT A PERFECT TEN FOR JOHNSON

The commitment to a new contract by French central defender Jean Yves Koue Niate made it a perfect ten for Torquay United manager Gary Johnson, as he takes the number of United players he has persuaded to commit to new deals into double figures.

Paris-born Koue Niate, 25, now joins a list that includes skipper Asa Hall, Kalvin Kalala, goalkeeper Shaun MacDonald, Kyle Cameron, Jamie-Sendles-White, Liam Davis, Ruairi Keating, Ben Wynter and leading scorer Jamie Reid.

To have offered new deals to so many players underlines the faith that Johnson has in his squad that they can make the step up to the National League should they win promotion at the end of the current campaign.

When United have faced National League opposition this season in the form of Boreham Wood, one of their 'bogey sides' from the seasons prior to their relegation to National League South, they held their own for 90 minutes. Despite playing much of the tie with ten men, following the 31st minute dismissal of Ruairi Keating, the Gulls were level at 1-1 on the full time whistle - before eventually losing 3-1 after extra time.

Next up for the Torquay United promotion bandwagon is a trip to Essex to face East Thurrock United, who they beat 2-0 at Plainmoor earlier in the season with Keating netting twice, as they look to build on their 7-2 destruction of Oxford City - their biggest league win for 55 years.

FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS OXFORD CITY

1. The biggest win for a generation.

United's victory over Oxford City is their biggest league win since they defeated Newport County 8-3 on October 19th, 1963. Tommy Northcott scored Torquay's first on that day before Robin Stubbs found the back of the net five times and Reg Jenkins. It is not known whether United were 5-0 up at half time on that day.

2. Jake and his trusty left peg.

It is often said that a week is a long time in football and that proved to be the case for Jake Andrews. Seven days ago his penalty miss against Bath City, at a time when the Gulls led 2-1 in a game they would later lose 3-2, ultimately proved to be costly.
Whilst there were no effigies of Andrews hanging up in Union Street, or pizza adverts for him as a consolation, he did manage to put his miss behind him to score his first career hat-trick against Oxford City - with all three goals coming in the space of 24 minutes.
His first came on 34 minutes when he found the back of the net directly from a corner, his second came three minutes before the break as he cushion volleyed home a cross from Jamie Reid and for his third he backheeled the ball into the back of the net following a Connor Lemonheigh-Evans cross.
His treble now takes Andrews' tally for the season to nine goals, which puts him third in the Gulls' leading scorers list behind Saikou Janneh on 13 and Jamie Reid on 21.

3. A hat-trick of hat-tricks.

In scoring a treble, Jake Andrews joins fellow Bristol City loanee Saikou Janneh and Jamie Reid (Concord Rangers at home and Eastbourne Borough away respectively) in scoring hat-tricks for the Gulls in the same season. In recent times Nicky Wroe and Elliot Benyon both netted trebles in the 2009-10 season and in the 1990-91 campaign Tommy Tynan and Dean Edwards both scored hat-tricks - in the Leyland Daf cup against Shrewsbury Town and against Northampton Town in the league respectively - but your correspondent cannot recall any time when three United players have scored hat-tricks in the same season. Answers on a post card please, or send me a tweet?

4. 21 up for Jamie Reid.

Jamie Reid's opening goal for United saw him become the first Torquay United player to hit 20 goals in the same season since Tim Sills managed the feat in the 2007-08 season. Reid also joins a select band who have netted 20 or times in a season for the Gulls in the last 40 years which includes Steve Cooper 21 (1982-83), Paul Dobson 25 (1987-88), David Graham 23 (2003-04), Tim Sills 21 (2007-08). What is more remarkable about Reid's achievement is that he only had one goal to his name when Gary Johnson was appointed as manager.

5. Come on Aussie, come on.

The Gulls' emphatic victory proved to be a double celebration for United's Australian assistant manager Aaron Downes as it was also Australia Day.

ROMAN CONQUEST OF GULLS THROWS NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH TITLE RACE WIDE OPEN

The Vanarama National League South title race is now wide open after Bath City ended Torquay United's club record unbeaten league run.

Bristol City loanee Freddie Hinds gave the Romans the lead before skipper Asa Hall equalised for the Gulls when he headed home a Jake Andrews corner - to score his sixth goal of the campaign - shortly before half-time.

In the 65th minute, leading scorer Jamie Reid gave the Gulls the lead with his 19th goal of the season when he turned a corner from former Bath loanee Connor Lemonheigh-Evans over the line.

A 17th unbeaten game - as well as an 11th successive win - appeared to be on the marks for United on 72 minutes when Andrews was felled by Romans' debutant Leon Davies. However, Andrews failed to find the target as he blasted his spot-kick over the bar.

Ten minutes later, Andrews and the Gulls were left to rue their miss as Bath were awarded a penalty of their own when Hall was adjudged to have fouled Romans' substitute Ryan Brunt. Bath skipper Anthony Straker stepped up to take the spot-kick and sent Torquay keeper Shaun MacDonald the wrong way to level matters.

With four minutes to go, Straker turned provider as picked out Brunt with a left wing cross and Brunt then turned the ball home past MacDonald to give the hosts the lead.

Still the Gulls nearly snatched a late equaliser as MacDonald went up for a late corner and produced a cross which found Saikou Janneh, but the Bristol City loanee blasted over from close range as Bath clinched a memorable win.

However, despite the result, the Gulls remain top of the league as second placed Woking only managed to draw with St Albans City. Bath's win over United leaves them four points behind them  in third place.

It could be argued that the National League South title race is now a three-horse race, with the Romans now very much in contention. Woking still have to travel to Twerton Park on 30th March and a week later the Cards host the Gulls at the Kingsfield Stadium - and there's even the possibility that two of the three sides could meet again in the end of season play-offs, for a one-off game that could decide promotion.

FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS SLOUGH TOWN

1. Club unbeaten record beaten.

In beating Slough Town, Torquay United set a club record for 16 consecutive unbeaten league matches - surpassing a record that was originally set in the 1990-91 season under Dave Smith. During the course of the sequence, United have won 13 times and drawn three; they have also scored 46 times and conceded 15. All of these results have come under the managerial reign of Gary Johnson. Coincidentally it was also the Gulls' tenth win in a row, and their fifth over the festive period.
Johnson said afterwards: "It's great for this group of players and when I'm old and grey we can look back on it. This group of players has done something that no other group has done at this football club, so we can only be proud of them."

2. Seeing double.

With Gary Johnson serving a two-match touchline ban for an incident at home to Billericay Town earlier in the season, he was watching the game from the director's box. This meant that his brother Pete, United's head of recruitment, and Aaron Downes, the Gulls' assistant manager, took care of things on the touchline. Before the match, Gary handed his yellow scarf to his brother Pete, so it couldn't have been too big a surprise if the match officials and the United players thought they were seeing double! Gary even quipped to BBC Radio Devon afterwards: "I wanted Pete to look like me so we kept the familiarity in the dugout, so that's another result that he's got him and he's got a 100% record!"

3. Lightning strikes twice.

Readers of this blog who saw the Gulls' pre-season friendly with Bristol City's Under-23 side will no doubt remember that Jake Andrews was on target for the young Robins with a free-kick from the edge of the penalty area. Andrews scored another free-kick yesterday when he scored the Gulls' third from a similar distance and into the same goal, but on this occasion he found the bottom corner, instead of hitting the top corner as he did for Bristol City in pre-season. It was also his sixth goal for the Gulls in all competitions - making him United's third top scorer.

4. Celebrating new contracts.

Before the match it was announced that skipper Asa Hall and Kalvin Kalala had agreed contract extension to remain at Plainmoor for next season and both players played a key role in the Gulls' victory. Kalala's cross picked out substitute Ruairi Keating for United's third on 87 minutes and Hall added United's fourth with a cool, close range finish deep in injury time. Johnson particularly expressed his delight in securing Kalala's contract, as his previous six-month deal was set to expire.

5. A fortnight's break coming up.

As they are currently out of the FA Trophy and have no outstanding league fixtures that need to be re-arranged, Torquay United will now have a fortnight break before they return to league action against Bath City on 19th January. For the players, it represents a chance to re-charge their batteries following a spell that has seen them play five games in the space of 14 days.

Footnote: After Ben Wynter opened his goal scoring account for the Gulls with United's first of the afternoon, Kyle Cameron is now the only players out of the Gulls' regular starting outfield players who is yet to score this season.

FOR THE RECORD

After beating the club record for successive wins against Truro City on New Year's Day, Torquay United now have the record for the number of unbeaten matches in the club's history.

The Gulls recorded their ninth win in succession against the White Tigers and they also extended their unbeaten run in the Vanarama National League South to 15 matches. Should they avoid defeat against Slough Town on Saturday - then they would have extended their run to a club record 16th game, beating a record which has stood since the 1990-91 season.

Certain parallels can be found with the Gulls' side that set the original record and the current side. The 1990-91 United vintage were managed by Dave Smith who, like current United manager Gary Johnson, was a serial promotion winner - having won four promotions as a manager before his arrival at Plainmoor (Johnson has won five and is seeking a sixth with the Gulls).

It was also a Gulls' side that had promotion in their sights; in 1990-91 United topped the 'old fourth Division at the end of October 1990 with a side spearheaded by a prolific strike duo of Tommy Tynan and Dean Edwards, scorers of 38 goals in all competitions over the course of that campaign, who were as every bit as important to Smith's side as Jamie Reid and Saikou Janneh, who found the back of the net 30 between them the season - are to Johnson's class of 2019.

Whilst records are all very well and good, promotion from the Vanarama National League South at the first attempt remains the ultimate prize. With fellow title chasers not in league action as they are due to face Premier League side Watford in the FA Cup third round, United know another win will help to pile the pressure on the Cards once they return to league action.

Another three points will put the Gulls five points and will leave Woking with three games in hand, as a title race that looks set to be every bit as intriguing as the Premier League battle between Liverpool and Manchester City, although many Tottenham Hotspur fans will probably tell you the North London giants could yet have a say.