A FAB FIFTH FROM YOUNGY GETS GULLS BACK ON TRACK

Luke Young picked the perfect time- and perfect way- to score his fifth goal of the season for Torquay United to ensure that the Gulls defeated Wrexham to get their promotion bid back on track.

A Louis Moult effort, which came after he had successfully charged down a goal-kick from Martin Rice, had given the Red Dragons the lead in the first half before Torquay gradually gained a foothold as they hit back through Louis Briscoe.

The Gulls and Young then saved the best for last as he unleashed a volley from 25-yards, which went in off the post, to score one of the best goals seen at Plainmoor in recent years to seal a win that moves the Gulls back up to third in the Vanarama Conference table, and also sees the Gulls' skipper top the club's goal scoring charts with five goals.

It was a perfect antidote to back-to-back defeats at the hands of AFC Telford and Forest Green Rovers.

GULLS SUSPENSIONS PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHERS

Despite experiencing back-to-back defeats against AFC Telford and Forest Green Rovers, Torquay United remain in the Vanarama Conference Play-Off zone, as well as having three players and their manager dismissed.

As well as picking up no points, the Gulls also saw three players sent off- Aaron Downes and Toby Ajala against Telford and Courtney Richards against Forest Green- and manager Chris Hargreaves also received his marching during their trip to the New Lawn at half-time, following a disagreement with match referee Rob Whitton for reasons unknown to the Gulls' boss.

Downes received a straight red- and three match ban, which he will complete a week on Saturday against Alfreton Town- whilst Ajala and Richards received two yellow cards.

Striker Duane Ofori-Acheampong also picked up his fifth yellow card of the campaign- thus ensuring that he sits out their next fixture against fellow Play-Off chasers Wrexham, as well as Richards.

Although the bans have come as a blow to Hargreaves, it also presents others within the Gulls' squad with an opportunity to stake their claim.

Last year's Player of the Year Krystian Pearce slotted straight in for Aussie defender Downes on Tuesday night and will do so again against the Red Dragons.

Similarly Ajala's two yellows saw a recall for the fit again Louis Briscoe in the right wing berth.

On Saturday, the absence of Ofori-Acheampong and Richards presents opportunities for Josh Wakefield and Ashley Yeoman to stake a claim for a first team spot.

Wakefield, currently on loan from AFC Bournemouth, opened his account for the Gulls in their 4-3 defeat at Telford and is currently odds on favourite to partner Luke Young in the centre of the park; Ben Harding, who is now fit again, could also feature.

Yeoman, who enjoyed a sustained run in the Gulls' first team at the end of last season as United fell short of retaining their Football League status, now has the chance to establish himself as a recognised strike partner alongside current joint leading scorer Ryan Bowman.

A prolific scorer during loan spells with Bideford and Dorchester Town, Yeoman now has the opportunity to go on a lengthy scoring streak with the Gulls.

A MEMORABLE WEEK FOR LUKE

Torquay United skipper Luke Young capped off a memorable week by scoring the decisive goal to earn the Gulls an important win over high flying Woking - and became United’s top scorer in the process. 

With the game poised at 0-0 and heading into the dying minutes, Young struck with a powerfully struck free-kick, which ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides. 

It was Young’s fourth in as many games, which makes him the Gulls’ top scorer, and also came after he had received a call-up, along with team-mate Ryan Bowman, for the England C’ squad for games against Turkey and Estonia in October and November respectively. 

Torquay wide man Courtney Cameron was also named in reserve squad. 

Since his arrival at the Launa Windows Stadium- Plainmoor in old money, following the Gulls’ new sponsorship deal with the local double glazing company- Young has become assumed the captaincy of Chris Hargreaves’ side, and has emerged as a talismanic figure for Hargreaves’ youthful looking side. 

After opening his account with a brace against Nuneaton, before netting against Grimsby and Woking, Young is currently Torquay’s top scorer with four goals; he has also set about fulfilling a prophecy made by his former manager John Sheridan shortly after he decided, somewhat surprisingly in some quarters, to release him before his move to the Gulls. 

Sheridan said: “Although he hasn’t moved very far – I think it will do him good to get away into a different environment.

“I liked him as a player and if you want to call it a step down or step back (at Torquay) for Youngy to kick on.

“He’s got potential to be a very good player.”

And Young has certainly been demonstrating that potential thus far.

MIDFIELD DUO ENSURE HAPPY HOMECOMING FOR HARGREAVES

Torquay United manager Chris Hargreaves made a winning return to his hometown club Grimsby Town as his Gulls’ side extended their unbeaten run to eight matches thanks to his new central midfield duo Courtney Richards and Luke Young.

First half goals from Richards and Young- their second and third goals for the Gulls respectively- ensured United went into the half-time break with a two goal advantage.

Following the break, a superb rearguard display enabled the Gulls to keep a clean sheet- their third in succession- to retain their position in the Play-off zone.

One pleasing aspect so far in Torquay’s season so far is that their midfield is chipping in with their fair of goals.

Of the 16 league goals that the Gulls have scored so far in the 2014-15 season, nine of them have been scored by the men deployed in the centre of the park.

Skipper Young is now United’s joint top scorer with striker Ryan Bowman, whilst Richards and wide man Courtney Cameron have scored two apiece and summer signings Toby Ajala and Louis Briscoe have managed a solitary strike each.

And let’s not forget that last year’s leading scorer, Jordan Chapell- who managed to find the back of the net five times in the Gulls’ disastrous League Two campaign of 2013-14, is yet to get off the mark.

Next up for Hargreaves’s men are back-to-back home games against Woking and Dover Athletic.

This coming Tuesday the Gulls host Gary Hill’s Cards, who are currently the only unbeaten side in the Vanarama Conference, at Plainmoor before Dover, managed by Chris Kinnear- brother of Joe, visit the English Riviera on Saturday.

If the Gulls’ midfield maestros can find the back of the net in either of those fixtures, then even better.

Torquay United’s goal scorers in the 2014-15 Vanarama Conference campaign to date:

Ryan Bowman & Luke Young - 3

Aaron Downes, Courtney Richards & Courtney Cameron- 2

Toby Ajala, Duane Ofori-Acheampong, & Louis Briscoe- 1

 

 

 

 

 

BACK TO THE FUTURE FOR HARGREAVES AND HIS GULLS

In his next challenge as Torquay United manager, Chris Hargreaves leads his young side back to the place where he started his footballing life: Grimsby Town. 

The Gulls head to Blundell Park on the back of a seven-match unbeaten run, which includes three consecutive wins over Lincoln City, Nuneaton and Chester respectively, and also find themselves in the Play-off zone for the first time in their 2014-15 Vanarama Conference campaign. 

Now the challenge facing United is to keep that record intact at a place which holds many memories for their manager. 

Back in 1988, Hargreaves- now 42- joined the Mariners as an apprentice- after briefly signing schoolboy forms with Everton- and broke into the first team at Blundell Park under the guidance of their then manager, Alan Buckley, at the age of 17 in 1989.

Buckley, who masterminded the Mariners’ rise from the ‘old’ Division Four to the ‘old’ Division Two- similar to the rise enjoyed by Cambridge United under John Beck at the same time, was soon earmarking Hargreaves as potentially being the club’s first £1million player; there were rumours of the late Brian Clough being interested in signing him for Nottingham Forest. 

However, neither the big money move, nor the transfer to the City Ground ever materialised for Hargreaves as he later joined Hull City for £50,000 in 1993 before embarking on a career that saw him appear for West Bromwich Albion, Hereford United, Plymouth Argyle, Northampton Town, Brentford, Oxford United (twice) and Torquay. 

During his two and a half years at Plainmoor as a player, Hargreaves skippered the Gulls to promotion from the Conference in 2009 and now- in 2014- he is attempting to lead Torquay back into the Football League as a manager; and a positive result against his first professional club could go a long way to helping his young side achieve that objective this season. 

For the Mariners, those heady days of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, as well as the late-1990's when Buckley returned for a successful second spell, must seem like a very distant dream as, like the Gulls, they are vying for a return to the Football League having been relegated from League Two at the end of the 2009-10 season. 

Footnote: In March 1996, Hargreaves’s former boot boy, Gary Croft, achieved the title of becoming Grimsby Town’s first £1million player when Blackburn Rovers paid the Mariners £1million for his services. 

Chris Hargreaves at Grimsby Town 1988-1993: 64 appearances, seven goals.

Chris Hargreaves at Torquay United 2007-2010: 121 appearances, ten goals.

PYM AND GRIMES MAKE WINNING BOW FOR YOUNG LIONS

Exeter City duo Christy Pym and Matt Grimes both featured for England Under-20's as they recorded a comprehensive win over their Romanian counterparts at Telford.

The Young Lions, managed by Aidy Boothroyd,  recorded a 6-0 win in front of a crowd of 2,596 and Pym and Grimes both featured in the final ten minutes of the match before re-joining the Grecians' squad for their meeting with Mansfield Town on the Saturday.

Newcastle United's Rolando Aarons opened the scoring in the 54th minute before Norwich City's Josh Murphy added a second on 71 minutes.

Two minutes later, Callum Robinson, of Aston Villa, extended England's lead to three before skipper Nathan Baker, of Chelsea, made it four from the penalty spot in the 78th minute.

Substitute Kwame Thomas, of Derby County, scored the young lion's fifth with five minutes to go, but England weren't finished then as Robinson completed his brace in the 89th minute when he headed home a free-kick from Grimes after he had replaced opening scorer Aarons on 79 minutes.

The experience proved to be a positive one for him as he scored for the Grecians against Mansfield at St James' Park the following day.

FOUR STAR GULLS JOIN CHASING PACK

Torquay United are now just one point outside the Vanarama Conference Play-off zone after recording their biggest win for nearly three years against Nuneaton Town.

The Gulls- inspired by skipper Luke Young- put four goals past the West Midlands outfit without reply to record their first win by a four goal since Martin Ling's then Gulls defeated AFC Wimbledon 4-0 in October 2011.

Young opened the scoring on 21 minutes with a long range effort to open his account for the Gulls, following his summer move from Plymouth Argyle, before he completed his brace eight minutes later with a delicate flick following good work from Duane Ofori-Acheampong.

In the 39th minute, Young turned provider when his corner picked out Australian defender Aaron Downes who headed home to make it 3-0 to the Gulls.

Recalled striker Ryan Bowman extended Torquay's lead to four goals when he connected with a precision pass from Toby Ajala to mark his return from suspension with his second goal of the season in the 58th minute.

It was a welcome victory ahead of two away trips to Chester FC and Grimsby Town, as well as being an emphatic one which also helps to underline Torquay's potential promotion/play-off credentials.

Young's double also takes the tally of goals scored from midfield by Chris Hargreaves's Gulls to eight, as Courtney Cameron has also scored twice so far this season whilst Louis Briscoe and Courtney Richards have managed one apiece.