Torquay United's involvement in the 2010-11 FA Cup came to an end this afternoon as the Gulls were beaten 1-0 by Blue Square Premier high flyers Crawley Town.
A Matt Tubbs effort in the 39th minute proved to be the difference for the Red Devils who also had two penalties saved by Torquay keeper Scott Bevan in the 61st and 68th minutes by Tubbs and McAllister.
The Gulls also had winger Chris Zebroski sent off for two bookable offences.
In winning the match, Crawley have become the first team from outside the Football League to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup in 17 years.
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Friday, 28 January 2011
GULLS ON VERGE OF CREATING HISTORY
In many ways Torquay United's FA Cup fourth round clash with Crawley Town typifies what the competition is all about.
Although there will be a number of all Premiership affairs, Saturday's encounter at Plainmoor will see two teams bidding to go further in the competition than either has gone before.
13 places separate the two sides in the football pyramid, the Gulls are currently mid-table in League Two and the Red Devils are challenging for promotion from the Blue Square Premier.
So there is a strong possibility that both teams could be playing in the same league as each other in the 2011-12 season.
Whilst Crawley have spent big during the summer to acquire players such as Richard Brodie and Matt Tubbs, who joined from York City and Salisbury City respectively, Torquay have never lost an FA Cup tie to a team from a league lower than themselves under Paul Buckle's reign.
Indeed, the Gulls have won 15 cup ties in the last six years, which includes five wins over teams in higher divisions, 2006-07 Leyton Orient League One, 2007-08 Yeovil Town League One, 2008-09 Blackpool Championship & this season they have defeated Walsall and Carlisle United of League One enroute to tomorrow's tie.
However, they will not be taking the threat posed by Steve Evans' side lightly. In 2011, Crawley have won six and drawn one of their seven matches and have defeated Swindon Town and Derby County to reach round four.
It may be a meeting of two of the lowest ranked teams left in the competition, but it has all the ingredients to be the tie of the round.
Although there will be a number of all Premiership affairs, Saturday's encounter at Plainmoor will see two teams bidding to go further in the competition than either has gone before.
13 places separate the two sides in the football pyramid, the Gulls are currently mid-table in League Two and the Red Devils are challenging for promotion from the Blue Square Premier.
So there is a strong possibility that both teams could be playing in the same league as each other in the 2011-12 season.
Whilst Crawley have spent big during the summer to acquire players such as Richard Brodie and Matt Tubbs, who joined from York City and Salisbury City respectively, Torquay have never lost an FA Cup tie to a team from a league lower than themselves under Paul Buckle's reign.
Indeed, the Gulls have won 15 cup ties in the last six years, which includes five wins over teams in higher divisions, 2006-07 Leyton Orient League One, 2007-08 Yeovil Town League One, 2008-09 Blackpool Championship & this season they have defeated Walsall and Carlisle United of League One enroute to tomorrow's tie.
However, they will not be taking the threat posed by Steve Evans' side lightly. In 2011, Crawley have won six and drawn one of their seven matches and have defeated Swindon Town and Derby County to reach round four.
It may be a meeting of two of the lowest ranked teams left in the competition, but it has all the ingredients to be the tie of the round.
Thursday, 27 January 2011
LIFE AFTER BRAD
One of the challenges facing Plymouth Argyle manager Peter Reid in the immediate future is how his side can cope without Bradley Wright-Phillips following the striker's departure to Charlton Athletic.
Whilst Bradley's 13 goals in 17 appearances, which saw him lead the League One goalscoring charts in the 2010-11 campaign, were crucial to the Pilgrim's cause, there is evidence to suggest that they can adapt well to life without him.
In their opening two games of the season, Argyle picked up four points from a possible six with Bradley playing no part in either match.
More recently, Argyle stunned Milton Keynes Dons by winning 3-1 at Stadium:mk whilst Bradley was waiting for further advice from a specialist after a failed medical, which had seen a potential move to Reading collapse.
However, with the recent off-the-field troubles that have seen the Pilgrims face a winding up order in the High Court, many Argyle fans will simply be happy in the knowledge that the fee received from the transfer will have provided a major shot in the arm to the club's finances.
Whilst Bradley's 13 goals in 17 appearances, which saw him lead the League One goalscoring charts in the 2010-11 campaign, were crucial to the Pilgrim's cause, there is evidence to suggest that they can adapt well to life without him.
In their opening two games of the season, Argyle picked up four points from a possible six with Bradley playing no part in either match.
More recently, Argyle stunned Milton Keynes Dons by winning 3-1 at Stadium:mk whilst Bradley was waiting for further advice from a specialist after a failed medical, which had seen a potential move to Reading collapse.
However, with the recent off-the-field troubles that have seen the Pilgrims face a winding up order in the High Court, many Argyle fans will simply be happy in the knowledge that the fee received from the transfer will have provided a major shot in the arm to the club's finances.
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
BUCKLE JOINS 200 CLUB
Since he was appointed as manager of Torquay United in the summer of 2007, Paul Buckle has helped turn the Gulls into a club almost unrecognisable from the one that he was appointed by.
At that point, Torquay had just been relegated from the Football League for the first time in their history and only had three players under contract and no reserve side or youth set up.
Fast forward to 2011 and Buckle is now the third longest serving post-war Gulls' manager and the club, which returned to the Football League in 2009, is enjoying a level of stability that it hasn't experience for a long time.
On Saturday, he could become the first Gulls manager to lead them into the fifth round of the FA Cup, should they beat Crawley in their fourth round tie.
If he was to achieve this feat, then the only challenge left for Buckle at Plainmoor would be to take Torquay into League One and consolidate their place in the division in the following season, which, if it was to happen, wouldn't go unnoticed by Championship Chairmen with a eye for talented lower league managers.
At that point, Torquay had just been relegated from the Football League for the first time in their history and only had three players under contract and no reserve side or youth set up.
Fast forward to 2011 and Buckle is now the third longest serving post-war Gulls' manager and the club, which returned to the Football League in 2009, is enjoying a level of stability that it hasn't experience for a long time.
On Saturday, he could become the first Gulls manager to lead them into the fifth round of the FA Cup, should they beat Crawley in their fourth round tie.
If he was to achieve this feat, then the only challenge left for Buckle at Plainmoor would be to take Torquay into League One and consolidate their place in the division in the following season, which, if it was to happen, wouldn't go unnoticed by Championship Chairmen with a eye for talented lower league managers.
Monday, 24 January 2011
BRADLEY TO JOIN CHARLTON
Plymouth Argyle have agreed to sell striker Bradley Wright-Phillips to Charlton Athletic.
Bradley, who has scored 13 goals in 17 appearances for the Pilgrims this season, has signed an 18-month deal with the Addicks.
The fee, which currently remains undisclosed, will see the Pilgrims move closer to clearing their tax debts that has seen the club hit with a transfer embargo.
It was only a week ago that his proposed move to Reading fell through after the former Manchester City and Southampton striker failed a medical with the Royals.
Bradley, who has scored 13 goals in 17 appearances for the Pilgrims this season, has signed an 18-month deal with the Addicks.
The fee, which currently remains undisclosed, will see the Pilgrims move closer to clearing their tax debts that has seen the club hit with a transfer embargo.
It was only a week ago that his proposed move to Reading fell through after the former Manchester City and Southampton striker failed a medical with the Royals.
TALKING YEOVIL #10
The 2010-11 season could yet have many more twists and turns for Yeovil Town.
After a run of five matches unbeaten, which included three wins and five clean sheets, the Glovers suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of in form Rochdale at Huish Park on Saturday.
That loss saw them drop one place in the table because of results elsewhere.
In his post match interview, Yeovil boss Terry Skiverton revealed that he put two signs on the Glovers’ dressing room wall, A & B.
A, he revealed, was a question mark asking how far they could go this season and B was jagged, windy road which would get them to where they wanted to be, out of the bottom four.
With 26 points to their name, Yeovil will need to double that tally to secure their League One status outright. No team has ever been relegated from League One with 52 points.
Earlier in the season, Skiverton drew parallels with Exeter City, managed by his one-time Glovers team-mate Paul Tisdale, who stayed up last season on the final day with a win over Huddersfield Town.
The way the season has gone in League One so far, Yeovil could yet find themselves in the similar scenario.
After all, they are only 13 points of the Play-Off zone.
After a run of five matches unbeaten, which included three wins and five clean sheets, the Glovers suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of in form Rochdale at Huish Park on Saturday.
That loss saw them drop one place in the table because of results elsewhere.
In his post match interview, Yeovil boss Terry Skiverton revealed that he put two signs on the Glovers’ dressing room wall, A & B.
A, he revealed, was a question mark asking how far they could go this season and B was jagged, windy road which would get them to where they wanted to be, out of the bottom four.
With 26 points to their name, Yeovil will need to double that tally to secure their League One status outright. No team has ever been relegated from League One with 52 points.
Earlier in the season, Skiverton drew parallels with Exeter City, managed by his one-time Glovers team-mate Paul Tisdale, who stayed up last season on the final day with a win over Huddersfield Town.
The way the season has gone in League One so far, Yeovil could yet find themselves in the similar scenario.
After all, they are only 13 points of the Play-Off zone.
Friday, 21 January 2011
2011 JANUARY TRANSFER GAMES #4
Exeter City playmaker Ryan Harley has become the latest player to leave St James Park to move up the league after joining Swansea City.
The midfielder, who has scored 11 goals for Exeter this season, will join the Swans on a free transfer, but he will be loaned back to the Grecians for the remainder of the current season.
Ryan will be joining other former City stars who are currently with Championship clubs including Jamie Mackie (QPR), George Friend (Doncaster Rovers) and Dean Moxey (Derby County).
The midfielder, who has scored 11 goals for Exeter this season, will join the Swans on a free transfer, but he will be loaned back to the Grecians for the remainder of the current season.
Ryan will be joining other former City stars who are currently with Championship clubs including Jamie Mackie (QPR), George Friend (Doncaster Rovers) and Dean Moxey (Derby County).
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