Ten years ago, Torquay United recorded their first league win over Plymouth Argyle since 1972, with a display inspired by two stunning long range strikes by Irish midfielder Eunan O'Kane.
Going into their first meeting of the 2011–12 season, it was fair to say that the Gulls and the Pilgrims were experiencing contrasting fortunes – both on and off the pitch.
United had narrowly missed out on promotion to League One after losing 1-0 to Stevenage in the League Two Play-off final at Old Trafford at the end of the previous season. This was swiftly followed by the departure of manager Paul Buckle to Bristol Rovers, and former Leyton Orient and Cambridge United manager Martin Ling was appointed as his successor.
By contrast the Pilgrims had been relegated from the Championship to League Two in successive seasons, thus ensuring that they would be facing a spell in the basement division of the Football League for the third time in their history. Their second relegation (in 2010-11) was in no small part down to a ten-point penalty that they received for entering Administration in February 2011.
In October 2011, a takeover was finalised by local businessman James Brent, which brought them out of Administration. Whilst they were in Administration, the club’s staff had been forced to defer their wages in full for a period of seven months.
Like United, Argyle also had a new manager in charge as Carl Fletcher was appointed as player-manager in September 2011 by their then Chairman Peter Ridsdale, after the dismissal of Peter Reid. Following their relegation, the Pilgrims’ struggles had continued as they slipped to the foot of the table and found themselves ten points adrift of safety at the time of Reid’s departure.
Plymouth went into the match with a much depleted side as player-manager Fletcher, Conor Hourihane and Robbie Williams were all missing through suspension, whereas Ling had the luxury of a fully fit Gulls’ squad to choose from.
The first half – in keeping with the traditions of many local derby matches – proved to be a war of attrition. The only chance of note fell to Pilgrims’ wide man Luke Daley on 30 minutes, which was comfortably turned away by Torquay keeper Bobby Olejnik.
The second half proved to be a completely different affair. Within two minutes of the restart, the Gulls’ Irish midfield talisman O’Kane fired home a stunning opening strike from distance after Argyle defender Curtis Nelson headed a cross from Rene Howe straight into his path.
If his first goal was merely a good goal, then O’Kane’s second – two minutes later – was a fusion of beauty and intelligence as he looked up, spotted Argyle keeper Romain Larrieu off his line and struck from 40-yards to double the Gulls’ lead with one of the finest goals ever seen at Plainmoor. In an instant, Torquay were firmly in the driving seat and a first league win in nearly four decades over the Pilgrims appeared to be within their grasp.
Danny Stevens later added a third for the Gulls before Will Atkinson pulled a goal back for Argyle as Torquay eventually ran out as 3-1 winners. In addition to being the Gulls’ first league victory over the Pilgrims in nearly 40 years, it was also their biggest ever win against them as well.
When the two sides met again at Home Park on 2nd January 2012, Torquay completed their first double over the Pilgrims since the 1971–72 season. United won 2-1 thanks to goals from Lee Mansell and Billy Bodin, whilst future Gulls’ midfielder Luke Young replied for Argyle with his first goal in senior professional football.
United then went on to reach the Play-offs where they were beaten by Cheltenham Town over two legs. Meanwhile, Argyle were forced to wait until their penultimate home game of the season with Oxford United to secure their League Two status, which they did with a 1-1 draw.
Torquay: (4-3-3) Olejnik; Oastler, Ellis, Saah (Robertson 26), Nicholson; Lathrope, Mansell, O’Kane; Stevens, Bodin (Morris 75), Howe
Plymouth: (4-4-2) Larrieu; Bignot, Nelson, Gibson, Bhasera; Daley (Vassell 76), Young, Walton, Atkinson; Sutherland, Feeney (Lecointe 53)
Attendance: 3,983
