It is often said that you never get the second chance to make a good first impression, and that certainly proved to be the case for Derek Adams when he was first appointed as Plymouth Argyle manager.
When appearing the BBC Spotlight studio, in one of his first media interviews on taking charge, he appeared donning a suit and green and black club tie and frequently referred to the Pilgrims as 'Argyle' rather than 'Plymouth' in his interview in which he came across as enthusiastic and raring to go in his first managerial role south of the border.
In becoming manager of Argyle, he became the latest in a long line of Scotsman to take charge at Home Park - joining a list that includes Dave Smith, Paul Sturrock and Bobby Williamson.
The former two had also guided the Pilgrims to three promotions between them (Smith once in 1985-86 and Sturrock twice in 2001-02 and 2003-04). It was hoped, after he had inherited a team that had reached the Play-offs under the predecessor John Sheridan, that he could add his name to that list.
Adams also arrived at Home Park with an impressive pedigree, having enjoyed two successive spells in charge of Ross County (2007-2010 and 2011-2014) - who he led to the Scottish Cup final in 2010 where they were beaten by Dundee United after beating Celtic in the semi-finals.
The game was also very much in his blood, as his father George was Sir Alex Ferguson's first ever signing as manager for East Stirlingshire in 1974 and also worked under Ferguson as a youth coach at Aberdeen.
Their father's connections meant that Adams junior became a childhood friend of Sir Alex's son Darren and their managerial paths crossed on several occasions - most notably in the 2016-17 season when Ferguson the younger was in charge of Doncaster Rovers. The Pilgrims completed the double over Rovers during that campaign - winning 2-0 at Home Park and 1-0 at the Keepmoat Stadium as they finished in second place in the League Two table, one place above Donny in third.
In his first season in charge, Adams led Argyle to their first Wembley appearance since 1996, as they reached the 2015-16 League Two Play-off final where they were beaten 2-0 by AFC Wimbledon after finishing fifth in the league.
The following season saw the Pilgrims build on a promising first season by finishing the 2016-17 season in second place - narrowly missing out on the title to Portsmouth on the final day of the campaign. In addition to this, Argyle also reached the third round of the FA Cup where they held Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool to a 0-0 draw at Anfield before losing the replay 1-0 at Home Park.
This was followed by the 2017-18 campaign, which could be described as a 'season of two halves'. The opening half of the campaign saw Argyle seemingly heading for an immediate return to League Two, but a remarkable revival in the second half of the season saw them finish 7th - and only a squad that was decimated by injuries stopped them reaching the play-offs.
Unfortunately for Adams, this momentum wasn't carried into the current season and a 5-1 defeat away to Accrington Stanley - a result which saw the Pilgrims drop into the relegation zone - proved to be the final straw as both Adams and his assistant Paul Wotton were dismissed from their posts.
Pressure had been building for Adams for some time as before Christmas he had described a section of the Argyle fanbase as 'yobs' and a period had refused to speak to the local newspaper the Plymouth Herald/Plymouth Live.
It was a sad way to end a managerial reign in which the Scotsman had brought a period of sustained succession to the club - following a number of seasons that had seen the Pilgrim's status as a football club come under serious threat at times.
The Pilgrims now have just one game to save their season against fellow relegation battlers Scunthorpe United at Home Park on Saturday - under caretaker manager Kevin Nancekivell - to save their season and to ensure all the good work that Adams has done in the previous few years isn't undone.
Tuesday 30 April 2019
Sunday 28 April 2019
A TALE OF TWO GARYS
Torquay United brought their Vanarama National League South title winning campaign to a close with a 4-0 win over St Albans City, bringing the curtain down on a season which proved to a tale of Garys.
Firstly there was Gary Owers, the manager who was unable to prevent the Gulls' slide into regional non-league football for the first time since the 1926-27 season in the disappointing 2017-18 campaign, and then there was Gary Johnson, the serial promotion winner whose CV included three promotions with Yeovil Town, one with Bristol City and a National League title won as recently as 2016 with Cheltenham Town - who dismissed him four games into the 2018-19 campaign.
Whilst United may have been 14th in the table at time of Owers' dismissal, they were only three points off seventh place - the league's final play-off spot - but ten points behind the then leaders Woking.
So impressive has been the Gulls' turnaround since that they finished the campaign ten points clear of the Cards, with a club record points haul of 88 to boot to secure a first ever league title.
The squad that Johnson inherited from Owers featured several players who played a key role in the Gulls' success in 2018-19.
These included leading scorer Jamie Reid, skipper Asa Hall, goalkeeper Shaun MacDonald and centre back Kyle Cameron - the latter two both hail from the North East, like Owers, and were brought to Plainmoor by virtue of his contacts in a region which is well known for being a footballing 'hotbed'.
Owers was also responsible for the initial loan signings of Jake Andrews and Opi Edwards from Bristol City - a link that continued under Johnson - and was also strengthened through his son, Lee being the occupant of the managerial hot seat at Ashton Gate - with the signings of Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Saikou Janneh.
In fact Johnson has only added five new faces to the Gulls' ranks since taking over. In addition to the loan acquisitions of Lemonheigh-Evans and Janneh, Jamie Sendles-White and Kalvin Kalala both signed permanently - the latter followed Johnson to Plainmoor from Cheltenham, and midfielder Frank Vincent also arrived on loan from AFC Bournemouth.
Kalala, a Parisian wide player who looks comfortable on either flank, has the potential to have a very good career and has found the back of the net ten times in all competitions, including a brace against St Albans; the first of which proved to be the fastest in the club's history at 10 seconds- beating the record set by Jordan Chapell against Portsmouth in October 2013.
Frenchman Kalala is the fourth United to hit double figures as they scored a club record 109 goals in all competitions. His name stand alongside Reid (32), Janneh (18) and Andrews (12).
What is most remarkable about Reid's haul of 32 goals is that he had only found the back of the net once at the time Johnson was appointed as Gulls' manager.
Parallels can be drawn between Reid's prolificacy in front of goal and that of former Yeovil Town striker Paddy Madden. Irish striker Madden had only scored twice in 32 appearances for Carlisle United, but after signing for Johnson at Yeovil - firstly on loan, and then permanently - found the back of the net 24 times as the Glovers won promotion to the Championship.
Next season will see Johnson reacquainted with the Glovers, after they were relegated from the Football League - 16 years after he had ended their 108-year wait for league football by guided them to the Nationwide Conference title.
While it will be a long time before the 2019-20 National League fixtures come out, but it would be a big surprise if the Gulls didn't meet the Glovers at Huish Park and Plainmoor, or vice versa, on either Boxing Day or New Year's Day.
Firstly there was Gary Owers, the manager who was unable to prevent the Gulls' slide into regional non-league football for the first time since the 1926-27 season in the disappointing 2017-18 campaign, and then there was Gary Johnson, the serial promotion winner whose CV included three promotions with Yeovil Town, one with Bristol City and a National League title won as recently as 2016 with Cheltenham Town - who dismissed him four games into the 2018-19 campaign.
Whilst United may have been 14th in the table at time of Owers' dismissal, they were only three points off seventh place - the league's final play-off spot - but ten points behind the then leaders Woking.
So impressive has been the Gulls' turnaround since that they finished the campaign ten points clear of the Cards, with a club record points haul of 88 to boot to secure a first ever league title.
The squad that Johnson inherited from Owers featured several players who played a key role in the Gulls' success in 2018-19.
These included leading scorer Jamie Reid, skipper Asa Hall, goalkeeper Shaun MacDonald and centre back Kyle Cameron - the latter two both hail from the North East, like Owers, and were brought to Plainmoor by virtue of his contacts in a region which is well known for being a footballing 'hotbed'.
Owers was also responsible for the initial loan signings of Jake Andrews and Opi Edwards from Bristol City - a link that continued under Johnson - and was also strengthened through his son, Lee being the occupant of the managerial hot seat at Ashton Gate - with the signings of Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Saikou Janneh.
In fact Johnson has only added five new faces to the Gulls' ranks since taking over. In addition to the loan acquisitions of Lemonheigh-Evans and Janneh, Jamie Sendles-White and Kalvin Kalala both signed permanently - the latter followed Johnson to Plainmoor from Cheltenham, and midfielder Frank Vincent also arrived on loan from AFC Bournemouth.
Kalala, a Parisian wide player who looks comfortable on either flank, has the potential to have a very good career and has found the back of the net ten times in all competitions, including a brace against St Albans; the first of which proved to be the fastest in the club's history at 10 seconds- beating the record set by Jordan Chapell against Portsmouth in October 2013.
Frenchman Kalala is the fourth United to hit double figures as they scored a club record 109 goals in all competitions. His name stand alongside Reid (32), Janneh (18) and Andrews (12).
What is most remarkable about Reid's haul of 32 goals is that he had only found the back of the net once at the time Johnson was appointed as Gulls' manager.
Parallels can be drawn between Reid's prolificacy in front of goal and that of former Yeovil Town striker Paddy Madden. Irish striker Madden had only scored twice in 32 appearances for Carlisle United, but after signing for Johnson at Yeovil - firstly on loan, and then permanently - found the back of the net 24 times as the Glovers won promotion to the Championship.
Next season will see Johnson reacquainted with the Glovers, after they were relegated from the Football League - 16 years after he had ended their 108-year wait for league football by guided them to the Nationwide Conference title.
While it will be a long time before the 2019-20 National League fixtures come out, but it would be a big surprise if the Gulls didn't meet the Glovers at Huish Park and Plainmoor, or vice versa, on either Boxing Day or New Year's Day.
Thursday 18 April 2019
GULLS GO FULL CIRCLE AS THEY PLAN FOR NATIONAL LEAGUE LIFE
There is a slight irony that Torquay United's first two fixtures since clinching the 2018-19 Vanarama National League South title will be against Chippenham Town and Hungerford Town.
United's reverse meetings between these two sides earlier in the season proved to be two of their most significant fixtures - the Gulls' home defeat against Chippenham proved to be Gary Owers' final game in charge and their visit to Hungerford was the first game of Gary Johnson's reign as manager.
So when United receive the divisional title at home to Hungerford on Easter Monday, it will signify how everything has come full circle for Johnson and his squad in what has been a relatively short space of time.
After Monday, a visit to St Albans City on the final day of the campaign will bring the curtain down on a memorable before Johnson and his backroom team, which includes assistant manager Aaron Downes and Pete Johnson, his brother, who works as United's head of recruitment, begin to assess their options for the 2019-20 campaign.
With around a dozen players under contract for next season, Johnson goes into life in the National League with a core of players who are more than capable of making step up to a higher level.
The question then will be whether United's title triumph could prove to be a stepping stone to a return to the Football League?
History has shown us that when the Gulls have enjoyed a strong momentum when in the National League they can win promotion from the National League to League Two in a fairly quick space of time.
In 2007, with the backing of the Alex Rowe-led consortium, which included the late Paul Bristow amongst others, Paul Buckle was able to build a side that beat Cambridge United in the 2009 Blue Square Premier Play-off final two years after being relegated from the Football League.
Also, since National Leagues North and South were introduced to the footballing pyramid in 2005, AFC Wimbledon and Newport County have both won promotion from National League South to League Two within a relatively short time period. The Dons followed up the National League South title triumph in 2009 with a National League Play-off final victory over Luton Town in 201; the Exiles won National League South in 2010 and three years later defeated fellow Welsh side Wrexham to secure a return to the Football League in the 2013 Play-off final.
Fleetwood Town have also done the same by winning National League North in 2011 before winning the National League title in 2013, with a team containing a certain Jamie Vardy.
The Gulls certainly have the fanbase and the management team to hopefully scale the heights of National League in the 2019-20 season and beyond, and providing that chairman Clarke Osborne continues to back the club to the financial tune that he has done in the previous two years then who knows.
United's reverse meetings between these two sides earlier in the season proved to be two of their most significant fixtures - the Gulls' home defeat against Chippenham proved to be Gary Owers' final game in charge and their visit to Hungerford was the first game of Gary Johnson's reign as manager.
So when United receive the divisional title at home to Hungerford on Easter Monday, it will signify how everything has come full circle for Johnson and his squad in what has been a relatively short space of time.
After Monday, a visit to St Albans City on the final day of the campaign will bring the curtain down on a memorable before Johnson and his backroom team, which includes assistant manager Aaron Downes and Pete Johnson, his brother, who works as United's head of recruitment, begin to assess their options for the 2019-20 campaign.
With around a dozen players under contract for next season, Johnson goes into life in the National League with a core of players who are more than capable of making step up to a higher level.
The question then will be whether United's title triumph could prove to be a stepping stone to a return to the Football League?
History has shown us that when the Gulls have enjoyed a strong momentum when in the National League they can win promotion from the National League to League Two in a fairly quick space of time.
In 2007, with the backing of the Alex Rowe-led consortium, which included the late Paul Bristow amongst others, Paul Buckle was able to build a side that beat Cambridge United in the 2009 Blue Square Premier Play-off final two years after being relegated from the Football League.
Also, since National Leagues North and South were introduced to the footballing pyramid in 2005, AFC Wimbledon and Newport County have both won promotion from National League South to League Two within a relatively short time period. The Dons followed up the National League South title triumph in 2009 with a National League Play-off final victory over Luton Town in 201; the Exiles won National League South in 2010 and three years later defeated fellow Welsh side Wrexham to secure a return to the Football League in the 2013 Play-off final.
Fleetwood Town have also done the same by winning National League North in 2011 before winning the National League title in 2013, with a team containing a certain Jamie Vardy.
The Gulls certainly have the fanbase and the management team to hopefully scale the heights of National League in the 2019-20 season and beyond, and providing that chairman Clarke Osborne continues to back the club to the financial tune that he has done in the previous two years then who knows.
Wednesday 17 April 2019
WHEN THE GULLS WON IN THE WOLVES' DEN
It may not have the prestige and history of the FA Cup, nor the carrot of a Europa League place like the Carabao Cup.
In addition to this, it has also been much maligned in some quarters in recent years following the admission of a number of Premier League Under-23 sides - but the Checkatrade Trophy remains a regular staple for clubs in Leagues One and Two.
The 85,000 crowd that watched Portsmouth defeat Sunderland on penalties at Wembley in this years' final helped to restore some of the competition's gloss - but it wasn't always this way.
Back in the late 1980s - in the days before Football League play-offs were decided beneath the twin towers of Wembley Stadium - the Freight Rover Trophy, the Sherpa Van Trophy and the Leyland Daf Cup, as it was known in its various guises, represented the best chance many lower league pros plying their trade in Division Three and Division Four had of playing at the home of football.
And this was the case for the respective players of Torquay United and Wolverhampton Wanderers when they met in the second leg of their Sherpa Van Trophy Southern Area final.
Wolves had won the first leg at Plainmoor 2-1, thanks to a brace from Steve Bull and many believed that the return fixture between the two sides would be a mere formality.
The Gulls would lose 4-1 against Bolton Wanderers, but that shouldn't diminish the fact that beating Wolves on their home ground, with the odds stacked massively against them, must rank as one of the competition's greatest ever shocks.
A full account of this fixture and many others in United's history can be found at https://torquayunitedahistoryin50.bigcartel.com/product/torquay-united-a-history-in-50-matches
In addition to this, it has also been much maligned in some quarters in recent years following the admission of a number of Premier League Under-23 sides - but the Checkatrade Trophy remains a regular staple for clubs in Leagues One and Two.
The 85,000 crowd that watched Portsmouth defeat Sunderland on penalties at Wembley in this years' final helped to restore some of the competition's gloss - but it wasn't always this way.
Back in the late 1980s - in the days before Football League play-offs were decided beneath the twin towers of Wembley Stadium - the Freight Rover Trophy, the Sherpa Van Trophy and the Leyland Daf Cup, as it was known in its various guises, represented the best chance many lower league pros plying their trade in Division Three and Division Four had of playing at the home of football.
And this was the case for the respective players of Torquay United and Wolverhampton Wanderers when they met in the second leg of their Sherpa Van Trophy Southern Area final.
Wolves had won the first leg at Plainmoor 2-1, thanks to a brace from Steve Bull and many believed that the return fixture between the two sides would be a mere formality.
Such was
the hosts’ confidence that they would reach the final of the competition for
the second year in succession - they had beaten Burnley in the previous year's final in front of a record crowd of 88,000 - that local coach companies were already taking
bookings for the final and Wembley 1989 rosettes were also on sale at the
ground.
In what
was the first senior competitive match to be played in England following the
Hillsborough disaster, many observers expected the second leg to be a formality
for Wolves - after they had won the first leg at Plainmoor.
At this
time Wolves were undergoing a revival under Graham Turner, which would see them
return to Division Two after winning the Fourth and Third Division titles in
consecutive seasons between the 1987-88 and 1988-89 campaigns.
Their
upturn in fortunes was spearheaded by their formidable strike partnership of
Steve Bull and Andy Mutch.
Bull had
managed to find the back of the net 52 times in all competitions in the previous
season for Wolves, and had scored 46 up until their second meeting with the
Gulls in the 1988-89 campaign.
Mutch scored
23 in the 1987-88 season and would surpass the 20-goal mark again for Turner’s
men in the following campaign.
Nevertheless,
Gulls boss Cyril Knowles devised a plan to stop them - as he ordered his back
five to sit deep and not allow Bull or Mutch any space to run in behind them.
Knowles had
discovered that the pair preferred defenders to push up and mark them tightly,
enabling them to beat the offside trap – so Knowles’ plan was designed to stop
the pair from doing this.
His
scheme also meant that he was very reliant on his attacking players catching
Wolves on the break.
Another
major decision that Knowles had to make was who to play in goal in place of the
injured Kenny Veysey. Rookie keeper Mark Coombe was cup-tied - after having
already appeared for Colchester United during a loan spell earlier in the
season. This meant that Knowles was forced into bringing veteran keeper Kenny
Allen out of professional retirement.
Since
his release by the Gulls at the end of the 1987-88 campaign, Allen had signed
for Newport County. However, his time with the Welsh side had come to a
premature end after they withdrew from the Conference due to financial
difficulties.
All of
Knowles’ plans appeared to be paying dividends when the Gulls took the lead on
eight minutes when Mark Loram picked out Edwards, who beat Wolves keeper Roger
Hansbury with a shot from the edge of the area to score his eleventh goal of
the season.
Wolverhampton
born-and-bred Edwards had stood on the Molineux terraces as a youngster before
later representing the club during his professional career; and now here he was
playing a key role in potentially denying the West Midlands giants a second
successive trip to Wembley.
To add
another significant twist to the tale - Edwards had twice been let go by Wolves
manager Turner in his career; firstly when he was a youngster at Shrewsbury
Town and secondly at Molineux in 1986.
Two
minutes before half-time, the pair linked up again when Edwards was felled by
Wolves left-back Mark Venus. It was then left to Loram to take a quick
free-kick, which took the Wolves’ defence by surprise - as Loram was one of few
people in the ground who realised that referee Brian Hill had not ordered the
delay of the taking of the free-kick.
His
effort saw United double their lead on the night and, more importantly, move
ahead of their opponents 3-2 on aggregate.
In the
second half, Bull missed a sitter three minutes after the re-start, which Wolves
soon lived to regret as Torquay produced a defensive display that must rank
amongst one of the best that the club has ever pulled off.
The
recalled Allen made a string of outstanding saves in the United goal, and the
defence in front of him - which featured a centre back trio of Jim McNichol, Matt Elliott and Phil Lloyd - stuck resolutely to their pre-match instructions from
Knowles to keep Bull and Mutch at bay.
Allen
summed up the feelings generated by the occasion when he commented after the
match saying: “I now believe everything I ever read in Roy of the Rovers.”
And it
was the contingent of 400 Gulls’ fans, who were vastly outnumbered by the home
supporters, who returned home happy in the knowledge that their side that
become the first of the three Devon professional sides to reach Wembley.
United
were also one of only two teams to beat Wolves at Molineux that season; the
other being Bristol Rovers in a league fixture.
Sunday 14 April 2019
FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED FROM TORQUAY UNITED'S TITLE CLINCHER AGAINST EASTBOURNE BOROUGH
1. The Gulls' title was a reward for the fans.
Any Torquay United fan waking up this morning could be forgiven if they half expected yesterday's promotion success to be a dream on par of Bobby Ewing's death in Dallas. Instead of awaking to the joy of a title triumph, they would then discover that chairman Clarke Osborne had given Gary Johnson's predecessor Gary Owers a vote of confidence in their Twitter and Facebook feeds.
However, Osborne's decision to appoint Johnson was ultimately an inspired one and the National League South title serves as a reward for the fans who stuck by the Gulls during one of the darkest periods in the club's history.
2. Only the loanees.
With Opi Edwards returning from injury, Gary Johnson was able to field five loan players in a squad for the first time since January. Edwards took his place on the bench whilst fellow Bristol City loanees Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Jake Andrews were both on target and Frankie Vincent, on loan from Bournemouth, made his first start and won the sponsor's man of the match award.
Whether any of those five will be seen at Plainmoor next season remains to be seen, Lemonheigh-Evans and Andrews may well find themselves on the fringes of the Robins' first team, or loaned out to a side in either League One or Two. As they are the youngest of the five, the possibility of a return for either Edwards, Janneh or Vincent is a distinct possibility.
3. A unique title treble for Johnson.
By winning the National League South title with Torquay United, Gary Johnson also becomes the first manager to win the League Two title - which he won with Yeovil Town in 2005 - and the National League title (Yeovil 2003 and Cheltenham 2016) as well as the National League South prize. This is in addition to the other promotions that he won with Yeovil and Bristol City.
4. Kyle Cameron has grown into a leader.
In the absence of regular captain Asa Hall, vice-captain Kyle Cameron produced an assured display in the centre of defence and hardly put a foot wrong throughout the entire 90 minutes. Over the course of Gary Johnson's reign as manager, Cameron has matured into a real leader and has shown a level of maturity that belies the fact that he is only 22 years of age.
5. The best attended in the west.
The crowd of 4,538 that poured into Plainmoor to witness United become National League South champions was the highest crowd of the day of all the matches that were played in the South West of England. League Two play-off chasers Exeter City and Forest Green Rovers attracted respective gates of 4,013 and 2,386 for their fixtures against Port Vale and Macclesfield Town respectively. League Two relegation candidates Yeovil Town only saw a crowd of 3,232 witness their relegation 'six-pointer' with Crawley Town. As the saying goes 'build and they will come.'
Any Torquay United fan waking up this morning could be forgiven if they half expected yesterday's promotion success to be a dream on par of Bobby Ewing's death in Dallas. Instead of awaking to the joy of a title triumph, they would then discover that chairman Clarke Osborne had given Gary Johnson's predecessor Gary Owers a vote of confidence in their Twitter and Facebook feeds.
However, Osborne's decision to appoint Johnson was ultimately an inspired one and the National League South title serves as a reward for the fans who stuck by the Gulls during one of the darkest periods in the club's history.
2. Only the loanees.
With Opi Edwards returning from injury, Gary Johnson was able to field five loan players in a squad for the first time since January. Edwards took his place on the bench whilst fellow Bristol City loanees Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Jake Andrews were both on target and Frankie Vincent, on loan from Bournemouth, made his first start and won the sponsor's man of the match award.
Whether any of those five will be seen at Plainmoor next season remains to be seen, Lemonheigh-Evans and Andrews may well find themselves on the fringes of the Robins' first team, or loaned out to a side in either League One or Two. As they are the youngest of the five, the possibility of a return for either Edwards, Janneh or Vincent is a distinct possibility.
3. A unique title treble for Johnson.
By winning the National League South title with Torquay United, Gary Johnson also becomes the first manager to win the League Two title - which he won with Yeovil Town in 2005 - and the National League title (Yeovil 2003 and Cheltenham 2016) as well as the National League South prize. This is in addition to the other promotions that he won with Yeovil and Bristol City.
4. Kyle Cameron has grown into a leader.
In the absence of regular captain Asa Hall, vice-captain Kyle Cameron produced an assured display in the centre of defence and hardly put a foot wrong throughout the entire 90 minutes. Over the course of Gary Johnson's reign as manager, Cameron has matured into a real leader and has shown a level of maturity that belies the fact that he is only 22 years of age.
5. The best attended in the west.
The crowd of 4,538 that poured into Plainmoor to witness United become National League South champions was the highest crowd of the day of all the matches that were played in the South West of England. League Two play-off chasers Exeter City and Forest Green Rovers attracted respective gates of 4,013 and 2,386 for their fixtures against Port Vale and Macclesfield Town respectively. League Two relegation candidates Yeovil Town only saw a crowd of 3,232 witness their relegation 'six-pointer' with Crawley Town. As the saying goes 'build and they will come.'
Sunday 7 April 2019
WYNTER STRIKE BRINGS GULLS ONE STEP CLOSER TO TITLE
Two goals in the last ten minutes of their Vanarama National League South 'six-pointer' with Woking left Torquay United within touching distance of securing the division's title.
Greg Luer had given the Cards the lead on seven minutes before Jamie Reid equalised for United, following good work from Ruairi Keating, to score his 31st of the season and Torquay's 100th in all competitions. Luer then restored Woking's lead with his second of the game and Kieron Cadogan, cousin of Torquay left-back Liam Davis, added a third midway through the second half.
With ten minutes to go, Saikou Janneh headed home his 18th of the season after Kyle Cameron headed a Jake Andrews corner back across goal to reduce United's arrears to a single goal.
The Cards were then reduced to ten men after ex-Torquay defender Ben Gerring became the villain of the afternoon - receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Reid.
With a numerical advantage, the Gulls then saved the best for last as right-back Ben Wynter equalised with his second goal of the season to ensure that United go into the final four matches of the campaign with a seven-point gap between themselves and the Cards.
They could also claim the National League South title if they win at home to Eastbourne next week and Woking lose at home to Chelmsford City.
Greg Luer had given the Cards the lead on seven minutes before Jamie Reid equalised for United, following good work from Ruairi Keating, to score his 31st of the season and Torquay's 100th in all competitions. Luer then restored Woking's lead with his second of the game and Kieron Cadogan, cousin of Torquay left-back Liam Davis, added a third midway through the second half.
With ten minutes to go, Saikou Janneh headed home his 18th of the season after Kyle Cameron headed a Jake Andrews corner back across goal to reduce United's arrears to a single goal.
The Cards were then reduced to ten men after ex-Torquay defender Ben Gerring became the villain of the afternoon - receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Reid.
With a numerical advantage, the Gulls then saved the best for last as right-back Ben Wynter equalised with his second goal of the season to ensure that United go into the final four matches of the campaign with a seven-point gap between themselves and the Cards.
They could also claim the National League South title if they win at home to Eastbourne next week and Woking lose at home to Chelmsford City.
Friday 5 April 2019
GULLS READY FOR SHOWDOWN WITH CARDS AS TITLE RACE NEARS CONCLUSION
Forget the Premier League title race between Liverpool and Manchester City, English football's most intriguing title race of the 2018-19 campaign will be nearing its conclusion this weekend as National League South leaders Torquay United travel to second placed Woking.
Instead of the managerial duel between Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, it was Alan Dowson and Gary Johnson who will be looking to outwit each season as their respective sides go head-to-head and the stakes could not be higher.
In what will be their third meeting of the season, and the first at Woking's Kingfield Stadium, United are seeking their first win over the Cards after bowing out of the FA Cup to them at the first round stage - in addition to drawing 2-2 with them in the league in Johnson's first home game in charge.
The Gulls warmed up for this 'six-pointer' in perfect fashion on Tuesday with a 3-1 win over play-off contenders Chelmsford City, which was United's fifth win in a row following victories over Billericay Town, Dartford, Concord Rangers and Wealdstone - a run which has seen United overhaul the Cards as league leaders.
What makes the Gulls' current position seem even more remarkable is the fact when Gary Johnson succeeded Gary Owers as Gulls manager last September, United were 14th position in the National League South - ten points behind the Cards who were top of the table at the time.
For no player is that transformation more apparent than for the Gulls' leading scorer Jamie Reid, who netted what were his second and third goals of the season when United drew with Woking last September, as the Gulls overcame a two-goal deficit to level at 2-2. Torbay-born Reid now has 30 goals to his name and he is the first United player to achieve this feat in a season since Robin Stubbs in the 1964-65 season.
While Reid is revered as the local hero, the same cannot currently be said of Woking centre back Ben Gerring who, like Reid, grew up supporting the club, but, also like Reid, had to seek a route into the professional game beyond South Devon - Gerring joined Plymouth Argyle's youth academy as a child while Reid was spotted by Exeter City.
However, that's where the similarities end, especially after Gerring was filmed joining in with a group of Cards' fans singing an anti-Gulls song in February. He is widely expected to receive a warm reception from the 1,400 or so travelling United support.
Now the Gulls are left requiring just two more wins to secure what would be a first professional title triumph and victory over the Cards would give United the chance to clinch that title in front of their own fans at Plainmoor next week against Eastbourne Borough.
Winning the league would also see United bounce back into the National League at the first attempt, and should they go up via the play-offs the Cards would achieve a similar feat. This would be ironic given that last season's National League South promotion winners Havant and Waterlooville and Braintree Town are currently in the bottom four of the National League and seem destined for a swift return.
Instead of the managerial duel between Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, it was Alan Dowson and Gary Johnson who will be looking to outwit each season as their respective sides go head-to-head and the stakes could not be higher.
In what will be their third meeting of the season, and the first at Woking's Kingfield Stadium, United are seeking their first win over the Cards after bowing out of the FA Cup to them at the first round stage - in addition to drawing 2-2 with them in the league in Johnson's first home game in charge.
The Gulls warmed up for this 'six-pointer' in perfect fashion on Tuesday with a 3-1 win over play-off contenders Chelmsford City, which was United's fifth win in a row following victories over Billericay Town, Dartford, Concord Rangers and Wealdstone - a run which has seen United overhaul the Cards as league leaders.
What makes the Gulls' current position seem even more remarkable is the fact when Gary Johnson succeeded Gary Owers as Gulls manager last September, United were 14th position in the National League South - ten points behind the Cards who were top of the table at the time.
For no player is that transformation more apparent than for the Gulls' leading scorer Jamie Reid, who netted what were his second and third goals of the season when United drew with Woking last September, as the Gulls overcame a two-goal deficit to level at 2-2. Torbay-born Reid now has 30 goals to his name and he is the first United player to achieve this feat in a season since Robin Stubbs in the 1964-65 season.
While Reid is revered as the local hero, the same cannot currently be said of Woking centre back Ben Gerring who, like Reid, grew up supporting the club, but, also like Reid, had to seek a route into the professional game beyond South Devon - Gerring joined Plymouth Argyle's youth academy as a child while Reid was spotted by Exeter City.
However, that's where the similarities end, especially after Gerring was filmed joining in with a group of Cards' fans singing an anti-Gulls song in February. He is widely expected to receive a warm reception from the 1,400 or so travelling United support.
Now the Gulls are left requiring just two more wins to secure what would be a first professional title triumph and victory over the Cards would give United the chance to clinch that title in front of their own fans at Plainmoor next week against Eastbourne Borough.
Winning the league would also see United bounce back into the National League at the first attempt, and should they go up via the play-offs the Cards would achieve a similar feat. This would be ironic given that last season's National League South promotion winners Havant and Waterlooville and Braintree Town are currently in the bottom four of the National League and seem destined for a swift return.
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