1997-98
United’s next foray into the Play-offs came in the 1997-98
season when Kevin Hodges successfully made a silk purse out of a sow’s ear –
just under two years after the Gulls had retained their league status by virtue
of Stevenage’s Broadhall Way home not meeting league standards.
A club record winning run of eight matches from January to
March 1998 had lifted Torquay towards automatic promotion. Unfortunately, a
stuttering run of results which followed left United needing a point from their
final day trip to Leyton Orient. Sadly, the Gulls fell to a 2-1 defeat – which
also saw goalkeeper Kenny Veysey sent off.
This set up a two-legged Play-off semi-final with
Scarborough, and a 3-1 win in the first leg at the Seadogs’ McCain Stadium home
put United firmly in control of the tie. What followed in the return meeting
proved to be one of the most memorable matches ever witnessed at Plainmoor.
Two virtuoso goals from Rodney Jack in the opening ten
minutes saw United race into a two-goal lead. Jason Rockett then replied for
Scarborough before player-coach Steve McCall to display the kind of ability
that saw him win the UEFA Cup with Ipswich Town in 1981. McCall scored United’s
third with a stunning left-footed strike from the edge of the penalty area to
restore United’s two-goal cushion on the night. Paul Gibbs later added a fourth
in the second half – which proved to be the final nail in Scarborough’s coffin
as United headed to Wembley to face Colchester United.
However, a controversial penalty awarded for a ‘handball’
against Jon Gittens condemned the Gulls to a narrow defeat, which proved to be
Hodges’ final game in charge before his departure to Plymouth Argyle.
Ten years later, a new look Torquay United under Paul Buckle
who were looking to bounce back to the Football League at the first attempt
headed into the Conference play-offs, where local rivals Exeter City lay in
wait.
After a 2-1 win in the first leg at St James Park, with Tim
Sills and Chris Zebroski finding the target, the footballing gods appeared to
be smiling on the Gulls in the return clash at Plainmoor.
Long-serving United midfielder Kevin Hill was recalled to
the Torquay side for a match that would see him equal Dennis Lewis’
long-standing club appearance record of 473. When Hill struck from the edge of
the penalty area in the 58th minute to put the Gulls 3-1 ahead on aggregate –
the stage seemed set for a perfect ending.
However, the Grecians clearly didn’t read the script as they
hit back through Ryan Harley, Ben Watson, a penalty from Richard Logan and an
injury time effort from Wayne Carlisle, who would join the Gulls in the summer,
saw them overturn their two-goal deficit to win 4-1 on the day and 5-3 on
aggregate.
Exeter City A W 2-1 Tim
Sills, Chris Zebroski
Exeter City H L 1-4 Kevin
Hill
Nevertheless, United would have a chance to go one better a
year later as they reached the Play-offs again – this time Histon were their
opponents. A 2-0 win in the first leg with goals from Tim Sills and Nicky Wroe
was followed by a 1-0 defeat at Histon’s Glassworld Stadium home and set a
final clash with Cambridge United.
United headed into the final with a goalkeeper with a broken
jaw in Michael Poke, a centre back in Chris Todd who was still in remission
following a diagnosis from Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia earlier in the season and
a centre forward in Tim Sills who was nursing a fractured cheekbone, which saw
him take to the field in a ‘Zorro’ mask.
On 35 minutes, the Gulls were in front when skipper Chris
Hargreaves lashed home a shot from the edge of the penalty area after being
teed up by Elliot Benyon. In the second half, Cambridge were reduced to ten men
when Phil Bolland was dismissed for a second yellow card in the 70th minute.
Then, four minutes later, came the pivotal moment in the match. Following some good build-up play between Nicky Wroe and Benyon, Wayne Carlisle raced down the right hand side and picked out Sills, who headed home United’s second and decisive goal which will be forever immortalised by the commentary of Setanta Sport’s Steve Bower: ‘Carlisle, he checks instead, he’s looking for Benyon…Sills!’
The Gulls return to the Football League was complete.
Histon H W 2-0 Tim
Sills, Nicky Wroe
Histon A L 0-1
Cambridge United N W 2-0 Chris
Hargreaves, Tim Sills
