Caolan Lavery's first goal in senior professional football helped Plymouth Argyle to secure a crucial victory over Bury.
The Northern Ireland Under-21 international, currently on loan at Home Park from Sheffield Wednesday, struck in the 11th minute for the Pilgrims before Chris Sedgwick equalised for the Shakers with a stunning lob in the 49th minute. However, Argyle struck back to clinch victory when Reuben Reid fired home with his ninth of the season from close range with 12 minutes to go.
It was also Lavery's first start during his loan period, which expires on January 1st 2014.
To date, Lavery, who was born in Canada; but qualifies to represent Northern Ireland through his parents, has made three appearances for the Owls and is a key member of their Development Squad, which is managed by former Argyle winger David Byrne.
His previous taste of League Two football came last season when he had a brief stint at Southend United. Prior to his move to Argyle, he had been lined up for a loan move to Scunthorpe United, which failed to materialise following the sacking of Brian Laws.
If he can maintain the level of performance that he showed against the Shakers for Argyle, then there is every chance that Pilgrims' boss John Sheridan will be keen to extend his loan agreement beyond New Year's Day.
Sunday, 22 December 2013
COME ON AUSSIE
Australian sport has been undergoing a resurgence of late.
The Kangaroos recently won the Rugby League World Cup, Neil Robertson lifted the UK Championship in snooker, and thus retained his World No.1 ranking in the process; Australia's cricketers then won back the Ashes, and now Torquay United Aussie defender Aaron Downes is also getting in on the act.
Downes, who won the Gulls' Player of the Year award last season, scored his third goal of the season, in Torquay's 1-0 win at Dagenham & Redbridge, a fixture in which he was sent off in last season, which now makes him the Gulls' second highest scorer for the campaign.
Their victory over the Daggers was Torquay's second win on the bounce, and it lifts Alan Knill's side out of the relegation zone ahead of their Boxing Day encounter with Bristol Rovers, a club who Downes had a brief loan spell with during the 2011-12 season.
If the Gulls are going to retain their League Two status come next May, they will need a few more displays of Aussie grit and determination from Downes to help ensure that it happens.
The Kangaroos recently won the Rugby League World Cup, Neil Robertson lifted the UK Championship in snooker, and thus retained his World No.1 ranking in the process; Australia's cricketers then won back the Ashes, and now Torquay United Aussie defender Aaron Downes is also getting in on the act.
Downes, who won the Gulls' Player of the Year award last season, scored his third goal of the season, in Torquay's 1-0 win at Dagenham & Redbridge, a fixture in which he was sent off in last season, which now makes him the Gulls' second highest scorer for the campaign.
Their victory over the Daggers was Torquay's second win on the bounce, and it lifts Alan Knill's side out of the relegation zone ahead of their Boxing Day encounter with Bristol Rovers, a club who Downes had a brief loan spell with during the 2011-12 season.
If the Gulls are going to retain their League Two status come next May, they will need a few more displays of Aussie grit and determination from Downes to help ensure that it happens.
Monday, 16 December 2013
BRASS RETURNS NORTH
Torquay United assistant manager Chris Brass will be leaving his post to rejoin his former club, and the Gulls' League Two rivals, Bury.
Brass, 38, has had three spells with the Shakers, as a player, Academy coach and-most recently-as assistant manager to Alan Knill between 2009 and 2011.
Prior to Knill's appointment, he also had a brief spell as Caretaker Manager following the dismissal of Chris Casper.
Aside from a seven-match loan spell with the Gulls during the 1994-95 season, Brass had spent his entire career, both a player and as coach, based in the north with Burnley, who he joined Torquay on loan from, York City, who he managed briefly in the 2003-04 campaign, and Bury before working alongside Knill at Scunthorpe.
In his new role, he will be working as assistant to his former Shakers' teammate David Flitcroft.
His final match with the Gulls; alongside Knill, ended on a high with Torquay beating Southend 1-0, and he will be making a quick return to the South West on Saturday when Bury travel to Home Park to face Plymouth Argyle.
He will be returning to south Devon next year on February 8th, when the Shakers travel to Plainmoor for their away fixture with the Gulls.
Brass, 38, has had three spells with the Shakers, as a player, Academy coach and-most recently-as assistant manager to Alan Knill between 2009 and 2011.
Prior to Knill's appointment, he also had a brief spell as Caretaker Manager following the dismissal of Chris Casper.
Aside from a seven-match loan spell with the Gulls during the 1994-95 season, Brass had spent his entire career, both a player and as coach, based in the north with Burnley, who he joined Torquay on loan from, York City, who he managed briefly in the 2003-04 campaign, and Bury before working alongside Knill at Scunthorpe.
In his new role, he will be working as assistant to his former Shakers' teammate David Flitcroft.
His final match with the Gulls; alongside Knill, ended on a high with Torquay beating Southend 1-0, and he will be making a quick return to the South West on Saturday when Bury travel to Home Park to face Plymouth Argyle.
He will be returning to south Devon next year on February 8th, when the Shakers travel to Plainmoor for their away fixture with the Gulls.
MARQUIS OF PLAINMOOR
Loanee striker John Marquis's second goal in three games for Torquay United ensured that the Gulls ended their three-month wait for a home win against Southend United on Saturday.
Marquis, 20, who is currently on loan at Plainmoor from Millwall, struck in the 59th minute, after being sent through by the returning Billy Bodin; with the decisive goal of the game against Phil Brown's Shrimpers, which secured Torquay's first home win since they defeated Cheltenham Town on September 21st.
After making his debut in the Devon derby against Plymouth Argyle in November, Marquis then went on to open his account for the Gulls in their 3-1 defeat against Scunthorpe United.
Earlier in the season, he lined up against Torquay when they hosted Portsmouth-who he was previously on loan with- at Plainmoor in October.
However, despite their win, the Gulls still remain bottom of the League Two; but only on goal difference behind Northampton Town in 23rd spot, as five points separate Torquay and 16th-placed Argyle.
Marquis, 20, who is currently on loan at Plainmoor from Millwall, struck in the 59th minute, after being sent through by the returning Billy Bodin; with the decisive goal of the game against Phil Brown's Shrimpers, which secured Torquay's first home win since they defeated Cheltenham Town on September 21st.
After making his debut in the Devon derby against Plymouth Argyle in November, Marquis then went on to open his account for the Gulls in their 3-1 defeat against Scunthorpe United.
Earlier in the season, he lined up against Torquay when they hosted Portsmouth-who he was previously on loan with- at Plainmoor in October.
However, despite their win, the Gulls still remain bottom of the League Two; but only on goal difference behind Northampton Town in 23rd spot, as five points separate Torquay and 16th-placed Argyle.
Thursday, 12 December 2013
FESTIVE POINTS A MUST FOR GULLS
Nearly ten years ago, Torquay United faced Southend United on the final day of the 2003-04 requiring three points to secure automatic promotion for the first time in 38 years.
Goals from Steve Woods and David Graham helped to give the Gulls a 2-1 victory over the Shrimpers and, as their promotion rivals Huddersfield Town had failed to beat Cheltenham Town, Leroy Rosenior's side clinched United's first automatic promotion since the mid-1960's.
However, when Alan Knill's Gulls of 2013-14 take on Southend on Saturday at Plainmoor, in a season defining game; they head into the fixture knowing that three points could be enough to lift them off the bottom of the League Two table.
Saturday's meeting with the Shrimpers is the first of a number of festive fixtures, which includes a visit to Dagenham and Redbridge and a return fixture with Plymouth Argyle on New Year's Day; as well as home clashes with Bristol Rovers and Exeter City on Boxing Day and December 29th respectively.
With home games against fellow strugglers Northampton Town, Bury and Accrington Stanley coming up in the early part of the new year, a minimum of two victories from their next five games would give them an excellent foundation heading into those matches.
The evidence of the importance of the Gulls winning their December and New Year fixtures can be found in the ill-fated 2006-07 season when, under the disastrous Chairmanship of Chris Roberts, Torquay failed to win four fixtures that could have helped save them.
In December 2006 and January 2007, the Gulls only picked up two points from a possible 12 from home matches against Wrexham, Boston United, Macclesfield Town and Bury.
Maximum points from those four games would have given Torquay a fighting chance of beating the drop heading into their final few fixtures of the campaign in question, which is why the Gulls must ensure that they get a healthy points return during the festive period.
Goals from Steve Woods and David Graham helped to give the Gulls a 2-1 victory over the Shrimpers and, as their promotion rivals Huddersfield Town had failed to beat Cheltenham Town, Leroy Rosenior's side clinched United's first automatic promotion since the mid-1960's.
However, when Alan Knill's Gulls of 2013-14 take on Southend on Saturday at Plainmoor, in a season defining game; they head into the fixture knowing that three points could be enough to lift them off the bottom of the League Two table.
Saturday's meeting with the Shrimpers is the first of a number of festive fixtures, which includes a visit to Dagenham and Redbridge and a return fixture with Plymouth Argyle on New Year's Day; as well as home clashes with Bristol Rovers and Exeter City on Boxing Day and December 29th respectively.
With home games against fellow strugglers Northampton Town, Bury and Accrington Stanley coming up in the early part of the new year, a minimum of two victories from their next five games would give them an excellent foundation heading into those matches.
The evidence of the importance of the Gulls winning their December and New Year fixtures can be found in the ill-fated 2006-07 season when, under the disastrous Chairmanship of Chris Roberts, Torquay failed to win four fixtures that could have helped save them.
In December 2006 and January 2007, the Gulls only picked up two points from a possible 12 from home matches against Wrexham, Boston United, Macclesfield Town and Bury.
Maximum points from those four games would have given Torquay a fighting chance of beating the drop heading into their final few fixtures of the campaign in question, which is why the Gulls must ensure that they get a healthy points return during the festive period.
Monday, 9 December 2013
JOHNSON TO FACE SLADE AGAIN
Yeovil manager Gary Johnson will be testing his managerial wits against one of predecessors Russell Slade, again, in the FA Cup third round after the Glovers were paired with Leyton Orient.
During his reign as Yeovil manager, between 2006 and 2009, Slade led the Glovers to the League One Play-Off final in the 2006-07 season, where they were beaten by Blackpool; after famously beating Nottingham Forest in the Semis.
However, last season, Johnson went one better when he guided Yeovil to victory over Brentford last May, as the south Somerset club celebrated their 10th anniversary as a football league club with their first ever promotion to the Championship.
Orient are currently top of League One and will probably be looking upon the tie as a yardstick to assess whether they have what it takes to make the set up to the second tier of English football.
Meanwhile, Plymouth Argyle were dealt a disappointing draw as they were handed an away tie against Port Vale, who they faced in League Two last season.
There is also the strong possibility of their tie being moved as Stoke City, the Valiants Premier League neighbours, were drawn at home to Leicester City.
During his reign as Yeovil manager, between 2006 and 2009, Slade led the Glovers to the League One Play-Off final in the 2006-07 season, where they were beaten by Blackpool; after famously beating Nottingham Forest in the Semis.
However, last season, Johnson went one better when he guided Yeovil to victory over Brentford last May, as the south Somerset club celebrated their 10th anniversary as a football league club with their first ever promotion to the Championship.
Orient are currently top of League One and will probably be looking upon the tie as a yardstick to assess whether they have what it takes to make the set up to the second tier of English football.
Meanwhile, Plymouth Argyle were dealt a disappointing draw as they were handed an away tie against Port Vale, who they faced in League Two last season.
There is also the strong possibility of their tie being moved as Stoke City, the Valiants Premier League neighbours, were drawn at home to Leicester City.
Sunday, 8 December 2013
GREENS AND GLOVERS AWAIT FA CUP DRAW
Plymouth Argyle and Yeovil Town will be eagerly awaiting this season's FA Cup third round draw for many positive reasons.
For the Pilgrims, it will be the first time that they have featured in the draw for the competition's third round proper draw since the 2009-10 season when, as a Championship club, they were paired with Newcastle United; when they were beaten 3-0 in a replay after a goalless draw at Home Park .
In the years that followed, prior to the current season, Argyle failed to win a match in the competition and were beaten by non-league opposition in the form of Stourbridge and Dorchester Town in the past two years before they finally got their act together in this campaign to see off Lincoln City and Welling United in rounds one and two.
As a former finalist as a player in the competition-with Sheffield Wednesday in 1993, manager John Sheridan will be looking forward to the draw, as with his assistant Gary Owers, who appeared for Sunderland in the 1992 final against Liverpool.
The Pilgrims will be number 58.
Yeovil Town, meanwhile, will be starting the competition at the third round stage for the first time ever due to their current status as a Championship club.
During their days as a non-league side, the Glovers knocked out more football league opposition than any other club outside the league.
At present, Gary Johnson's men are currently enjoying a three-match unbeaten run in English football's second tier, following wins over Watford and Blackpool, as well as a draw Charlton, they will be fancying their chances of adding to that history, as they go into the draw as number 44.
For the Pilgrims, it will be the first time that they have featured in the draw for the competition's third round proper draw since the 2009-10 season when, as a Championship club, they were paired with Newcastle United; when they were beaten 3-0 in a replay after a goalless draw at Home Park .
In the years that followed, prior to the current season, Argyle failed to win a match in the competition and were beaten by non-league opposition in the form of Stourbridge and Dorchester Town in the past two years before they finally got their act together in this campaign to see off Lincoln City and Welling United in rounds one and two.
As a former finalist as a player in the competition-with Sheffield Wednesday in 1993, manager John Sheridan will be looking forward to the draw, as with his assistant Gary Owers, who appeared for Sunderland in the 1992 final against Liverpool.
The Pilgrims will be number 58.
Yeovil Town, meanwhile, will be starting the competition at the third round stage for the first time ever due to their current status as a Championship club.
During their days as a non-league side, the Glovers knocked out more football league opposition than any other club outside the league.
At present, Gary Johnson's men are currently enjoying a three-match unbeaten run in English football's second tier, following wins over Watford and Blackpool, as well as a draw Charlton, they will be fancying their chances of adding to that history, as they go into the draw as number 44.
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