The journey of West Bromwich Albion head coach Darren Moore from being a Torquay United apprentice to managerial victor over Jose Mourinho has been a long and winding one.
Moore's second game in caretaker charge of the Baggies saw them secure victory over Manchester United, which effectively ended the Red Devils' hopes of catching rivals Manchester City and handed former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola his first Premier League title.
It all began for Moore as a teenager in his native West Midlands when he was recommended to the Gulls by John James, the scout who also had a hand in another West Midlander Lee Sharpe finding his way to Plainmoor.
His debut for United came whilst he was still a teenager against Birmingham City, who at the time were in second place in the 'old' Third Division - what is now League One. Although the Blues won 2-1, Moore was used on several other occasions by then manager Ivan Golac, and he even managed to find the back of the net in a 2-0 win over Bolton Wanderers.
Moore soon became a firm favourite of the Plainmoor faithful, and even earned the nickname 'Bruno' for his likeness to the boxer Frank Bruno. He was awarded his first professional contract on the eve of the 1992-93 season and was part of the side that pulled off a 'Great Escape' under Neil Warnock with a 1-0 win over Carlisle United in the penultimate game of the season, and also received the club's Player of the Year award for his efforts.
The following season, under Warnock's successor Don O'Riordan, saw the Gulls challenging at the right end of the table. They reached the end of season play-offs where they faced Preston North End over two legs for the chance to compete in the final at Wembley.
United won the first leg 2-0 at Plainmoor with Moore finding the target with a stunning volley and Duane Darby added another, as they headed to West Lancashire with a two-goal advantage.
However, the second leg proved to be a game to forget for both Moore and United, as he was dismissed for striking out at North End striker Paul Raynor in retaliation to being kicked in the chest by the Lillywhite's forward on 36 minutes. To rub salt in the wounds, Raynor scored a late winner in injury time to secure a 4-3 aggregate win for Preston.
Since the incident, the Yellow Army have never been too shy of reminding Raynor of the part that he played in the aforementioned fixture whenever their paths have crossed.
Moore remained with the Gulls until the summer of 1995 when he joined Doncaster Rovers for a fee of £62,500, which was decided by a tribunal, but he remained a firm favourite of the Plainmoor faithful and has always received a warm welcome on his subsequent returns.
He later went on to appear for Bradford City, Portsmouth, West Bromwich Albion, Derby County, Barnsley and Burton Albion. He helped the Bantams, the Baggies and the Rams win promotion to the Premier League in the 2001-02 and 2006-07 seasons respectively (although he didn't appear in the top-flight for Bradford).
After retiring from playing he became a development coach at West Brom before joining Alan Pardew's backroom and stepped up to take charge of first team affairs following his dismissal.
His two results in charge so far have yielded a draw with Swansea City and the unlikely victory over Mourinho's Manchester United, which played a key role deciding the destiny of the Premier League title. He might even be in with a shout of getting the job on a more permanent basis.
Tuesday, 17 April 2018
Sunday, 15 April 2018
FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS FC HALIFAX
1. Squad players still have a big part to play for the Gulls.
Had Elliot Romain not been suspended for yesterday's fixture then Jamie Reid wouldn't have been on the pitch to score his sixth goal of the campaign when he did. However, he was in the right place at the right time to latch onto Luke Young's ball into the box, which was adjudged to have crossed the line by the linesman on the far side, which was enough to see United return to winning ways following back to back defeats against Dover Athletic and AFC Fylde. More of the same will be required if Saturday's match isn't going to turn out to be a false dawn.
2. All eyes on Barrow and Woking.
The Gulls are now effectively in a mini-league with Barrow and Woking and trail the former by four points and the latter by five in their battle to stay in the National League. Gary Owers' side are now five points from safety with three games left and are reliant on them dropping points. They will also need to avoid dropping points themselves in their remaining games against Hartlepool United away, Guiseley home and Ebbsfleet United home.
3. Guiseley could have a big say too.
Remarkably despite being bottom of the league and 15 points adrift of safety, Guiseley still have a mathematical chance of staying up - a chance which hinges on them winning all of their remaining five matches. This run will see them play Barrow, Woking and the Gulls in the space of a week starting on Tuesday, as well as a Thursday night encounter with Dagenham & Redbridge. Sean St Ledger's men are certainly capable of throwing a few spanners in the works, and will certainly not want to go down without a fight.
4. The Luke Young - Connor Lemonheigh Evans partnership works wonders again.
Since United manager Gary Owers switched to a 3-4-3 formation Luke Young and Connor Lemonheigh-Evans have both been key performers in the middle of the park for the Gulls .
Young was instrumental in setting up Jamie Reid for United's decisive goal and Bristol City loanee Lemonheigh-Evans was voted as the sponsors man of the match for the second time in three matches, as well as making the Non League Paper's team of the day, having also won the award against Woking on Easter Monday. The dynamic duo will be just as important to the Gulls in their final three fixtures.
5. The Gulls home and away records are now almost identical.
Following United's win over FC Halifax, their home and away records for the 2017-18 season are nearly the same and can only be separated by goal difference. The Gulls have tested victory at home only five times and have drawn five and they have done the same on their travels. However their home goal difference is minus 9 whilst their away goal difference in minus 18.
With two home games left and one away, United will certainly need to make Plainmoor into a fortress and their final away fixture is against Hartlepool, whose away record is better than their home record at Victoria Park.
Had Elliot Romain not been suspended for yesterday's fixture then Jamie Reid wouldn't have been on the pitch to score his sixth goal of the campaign when he did. However, he was in the right place at the right time to latch onto Luke Young's ball into the box, which was adjudged to have crossed the line by the linesman on the far side, which was enough to see United return to winning ways following back to back defeats against Dover Athletic and AFC Fylde. More of the same will be required if Saturday's match isn't going to turn out to be a false dawn.
2. All eyes on Barrow and Woking.
The Gulls are now effectively in a mini-league with Barrow and Woking and trail the former by four points and the latter by five in their battle to stay in the National League. Gary Owers' side are now five points from safety with three games left and are reliant on them dropping points. They will also need to avoid dropping points themselves in their remaining games against Hartlepool United away, Guiseley home and Ebbsfleet United home.
3. Guiseley could have a big say too.
Remarkably despite being bottom of the league and 15 points adrift of safety, Guiseley still have a mathematical chance of staying up - a chance which hinges on them winning all of their remaining five matches. This run will see them play Barrow, Woking and the Gulls in the space of a week starting on Tuesday, as well as a Thursday night encounter with Dagenham & Redbridge. Sean St Ledger's men are certainly capable of throwing a few spanners in the works, and will certainly not want to go down without a fight.
4. The Luke Young - Connor Lemonheigh Evans partnership works wonders again.
Since United manager Gary Owers switched to a 3-4-3 formation Luke Young and Connor Lemonheigh-Evans have both been key performers in the middle of the park for the Gulls .
Young was instrumental in setting up Jamie Reid for United's decisive goal and Bristol City loanee Lemonheigh-Evans was voted as the sponsors man of the match for the second time in three matches, as well as making the Non League Paper's team of the day, having also won the award against Woking on Easter Monday. The dynamic duo will be just as important to the Gulls in their final three fixtures.
5. The Gulls home and away records are now almost identical.
Following United's win over FC Halifax, their home and away records for the 2017-18 season are nearly the same and can only be separated by goal difference. The Gulls have tested victory at home only five times and have drawn five and they have done the same on their travels. However their home goal difference is minus 9 whilst their away goal difference in minus 18.
With two home games left and one away, United will certainly need to make Plainmoor into a fortress and their final away fixture is against Hartlepool, whose away record is better than their home record at Victoria Park.
Friday, 13 April 2018
NO MARGIN FOR ERROR
The brief for Torquay United is simple: win all four of their remaining National League fixtures to avoid becoming the first former Football League side to be relegated to the National League South.
Back to back wins for the third time this season against Chester FC and Woking over the Easter Bank Holiday gave hope to the possibility of the Gulls pulling off a late resurrection. However, subsequent losses against Dover Athletic and AFC Fylde have left United facing into the abyss.
Defeat against FC Halifax coupled with fellow strugglers Woking beating Bromley would be enough to seal the Gulls' fate. However, there are factors that could that United can live to fight another day.
The Shaymen's visit to Plainmoor will be their fourth game in the space of seven days and their second in the space of 48 hours, as they drew 2-2 with Gateshead on Thursday night to extend their unbeaten run to six matches.
Then there is also the return of Rhys Healey - currently on loan from Cardiff City, an Easter gift from former Gulls' boss Neil Warnock - from a one-match suspension that he received following the two yellow cards that he was awarded in United's 1-0 defeat to Dover.
Healey, 23, marked his debut on Good Friday at Chester with the game's opening goal as the Gulls won 2-0, and they could be more to come from a player who was rumoured to be a loan target for Plymouth Argyle manager Derek Adams last season.
Early signs suggest there could be more goal to come from Healey, who was awarded a new contract by Warnock during an injury spell earlier in the season, between now and the end of United's National League campaign, as there are no illusions over the task that they face.
Back to back wins for the third time this season against Chester FC and Woking over the Easter Bank Holiday gave hope to the possibility of the Gulls pulling off a late resurrection. However, subsequent losses against Dover Athletic and AFC Fylde have left United facing into the abyss.
Defeat against FC Halifax coupled with fellow strugglers Woking beating Bromley would be enough to seal the Gulls' fate. However, there are factors that could that United can live to fight another day.
The Shaymen's visit to Plainmoor will be their fourth game in the space of seven days and their second in the space of 48 hours, as they drew 2-2 with Gateshead on Thursday night to extend their unbeaten run to six matches.
Then there is also the return of Rhys Healey - currently on loan from Cardiff City, an Easter gift from former Gulls' boss Neil Warnock - from a one-match suspension that he received following the two yellow cards that he was awarded in United's 1-0 defeat to Dover.
Healey, 23, marked his debut on Good Friday at Chester with the game's opening goal as the Gulls won 2-0, and they could be more to come from a player who was rumoured to be a loan target for Plymouth Argyle manager Derek Adams last season.
Early signs suggest there could be more goal to come from Healey, who was awarded a new contract by Warnock during an injury spell earlier in the season, between now and the end of United's National League campaign, as there are no illusions over the task that they face.
Thursday, 12 April 2018
FEED THE FISH
The career of Yeovil Town striker Alex Fisher could easily be described as 'have boots, will travel.'
Fisher's career has seen him appear in England, Spain, Italy and Scotland, but now - certainly for the moment - he has made his home at Huish Park.
After starting his career at Oxford United, he has turned out for a range of clubs that includes AS Monza, Jerez Industrial, Mansfield Town, Torquay United, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Motherwell.
His debut for the Glovers came as a substitute in an FA Cup fourth round tie against Manchester United - just hours after making the journey to south Somerset to sign from Motherwell. He wasn't the only debutant on display that evening as Alexis Sanchez was making his bow for the Red Devils following his big money move from Arsenal.
It also marked his return to English football two years after he left Torquay United to join Inverness Caledonian Thistle. During his six-month stay with the Gulls, Fisher found the back of the net five times in 16 starts and he has already been amongst the goals for Yeovil.
So far in his brief spell at Huish Park he has netted five times for the Glovers, which has included a brace against Coventry City in a 6-2 win over the Sky Blues at the Ricoh Arena. His most recent effort came in the 89th minute against Swindon Town at County Ground, which earned Yeovil a 2-2 draw with the Robins.
If Fisher can carry this form into the 2018-19 season for Darren Way's side then the Glovers look set to be challenging at the top end of the table.
Fisher's career has seen him appear in England, Spain, Italy and Scotland, but now - certainly for the moment - he has made his home at Huish Park.
After starting his career at Oxford United, he has turned out for a range of clubs that includes AS Monza, Jerez Industrial, Mansfield Town, Torquay United, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Motherwell.
His debut for the Glovers came as a substitute in an FA Cup fourth round tie against Manchester United - just hours after making the journey to south Somerset to sign from Motherwell. He wasn't the only debutant on display that evening as Alexis Sanchez was making his bow for the Red Devils following his big money move from Arsenal.
It also marked his return to English football two years after he left Torquay United to join Inverness Caledonian Thistle. During his six-month stay with the Gulls, Fisher found the back of the net five times in 16 starts and he has already been amongst the goals for Yeovil.
So far in his brief spell at Huish Park he has netted five times for the Glovers, which has included a brace against Coventry City in a 6-2 win over the Sky Blues at the Ricoh Arena. His most recent effort came in the 89th minute against Swindon Town at County Ground, which earned Yeovil a 2-2 draw with the Robins.
If Fisher can carry this form into the 2018-19 season for Darren Way's side then the Glovers look set to be challenging at the top end of the table.
Wednesday, 4 April 2018
CAREY RECEIVES DOUBLE RECOGNITION
Plymouth Argyle midfielder Graham Carey received double recognition this week, as he followed up being named in the PFA League One team of the season for 2017-18 by being named in FourFourTwo's top 50 players outside the Premier League.
The Irishman, who was also named in the League Two team of the season for the 2016-17 campaign, came 27th in the magazine's annual list which includes players from Leagues One and Two and the Championship.
He is the only Pilgrims player to feature on the list and the only player from either Argyle, Exeter City or Yeovil Town.
Carey is also the sixth highest-placed League One player on the list behind Josh Morris (Scunthorpe United) 26th, Charlie Mulgrew (Blackburn Rovers) 21st, Jack Marriott (Peterborough United) 19th, Bradley Dack (Blackburn) 18th and Nick Powell (Wigan Athletic) 14th.
Other notable names in the list includes former Argyle loanees Joe Bryan and Bobby Reid (both with Bristol City) 23rd and 12th, ex Torquay United striker Adebayo Akinfenwa (Wycombe Wanderers) 25th, ex-Exeter City starlet Ollie Watkins (Brentford) 17th and Plymouth-born defender Sean Morrison (Cardiff City) 8th.
The Irishman, who was also named in the League Two team of the season for the 2016-17 campaign, came 27th in the magazine's annual list which includes players from Leagues One and Two and the Championship.
He is the only Pilgrims player to feature on the list and the only player from either Argyle, Exeter City or Yeovil Town.
Carey is also the sixth highest-placed League One player on the list behind Josh Morris (Scunthorpe United) 26th, Charlie Mulgrew (Blackburn Rovers) 21st, Jack Marriott (Peterborough United) 19th, Bradley Dack (Blackburn) 18th and Nick Powell (Wigan Athletic) 14th.
Other notable names in the list includes former Argyle loanees Joe Bryan and Bobby Reid (both with Bristol City) 23rd and 12th, ex Torquay United striker Adebayo Akinfenwa (Wycombe Wanderers) 25th, ex-Exeter City starlet Ollie Watkins (Brentford) 17th and Plymouth-born defender Sean Morrison (Cardiff City) 8th.
Monday, 2 April 2018
FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED FROM TORQUAY UNITED'S EASTER FIXTURES AGAINST CHESTER AND WOKING
1. Is Neil Warnock the footballing equivalent of the Easter Bunny?
Cardiff City manager and former Gulls' boss Neil Warnock's delivery of Rhys Healey to Gary Owers on loan until the end of the season could turn out to be the greatest Easter gift of all.
Healey marked his debut for United on Good Friday against Chester FC with an angled effort on three minutes. In his withdrawn attacking role behind Elliot Romain and Brett Williams, his touch and movement looked a different proposition to what you would normally find from most forwards in the National League and Warnock - who steered the Gulls to safety in 1993 - could have another role to play in another United Great Escape.
2. The form of Brett Williams and Elliott Romain has been and will be instrumental.
Following the Gulls' back-to-back victories over Brett Williams and Elliot Romain remain on track towards overhauling the five goals scored by current joint-leading scorers Jamie Reid and Luke Young (five). Williams' opening penalty against Woking took his tally to three and Romain's header, from Luke Young's corner, against Chester was his fourth of the campaign - so it's now a case of more of the same please.
3. Goals from other players are important too.
Following Woking's equaliser from Reece Grego-Cox, it appeared as though the Gulls needed a goal out of nothing - and they got one three minutes later through Connor Lemonheigh-Evans. The Bristol City loanee picked the perfect opportunity to open his account for United, as he found the back of the net from 25-yards after being teed up by his midfield partner Luke Young. It was the 11th goal scored by a midfielder for the Gulls this season: Young 5, George Dowling 2, Josh McQuoid 2, Lemonheigh-Evans 1, Aaron Barnes 1.
4. United have been able to beat 'bogey sides' this season.
Prior to this season, Torquay United hadn't beaten Barrow since March 2009 or Woking since September 2014. However, this season the Gulls beat Barrow 3-1 in February and have ended their 'hoo-doo' against Woking in what was a 'cup final' for both sides - a game that United had to win and one that Woking couldn't to lose, but the Gulls won now have another six 'cup finals' between now and the end of the season.
5. Defensively sound.
Whilst United have scored six goals in their last five matches, they have only conceded three times (Maidstone United, Solihull Moors and Woking) and have kept two clean sheets (Leyton Orient and Chester FC). It's important in the Gulls' situation that they don't concede fewer than they score, but with a forward line comprising of Romain, Williams and Healey attack might be the best form of defence.
Cardiff City manager and former Gulls' boss Neil Warnock's delivery of Rhys Healey to Gary Owers on loan until the end of the season could turn out to be the greatest Easter gift of all.
Healey marked his debut for United on Good Friday against Chester FC with an angled effort on three minutes. In his withdrawn attacking role behind Elliot Romain and Brett Williams, his touch and movement looked a different proposition to what you would normally find from most forwards in the National League and Warnock - who steered the Gulls to safety in 1993 - could have another role to play in another United Great Escape.
2. The form of Brett Williams and Elliott Romain has been and will be instrumental.
Following the Gulls' back-to-back victories over Brett Williams and Elliot Romain remain on track towards overhauling the five goals scored by current joint-leading scorers Jamie Reid and Luke Young (five). Williams' opening penalty against Woking took his tally to three and Romain's header, from Luke Young's corner, against Chester was his fourth of the campaign - so it's now a case of more of the same please.
3. Goals from other players are important too.
Following Woking's equaliser from Reece Grego-Cox, it appeared as though the Gulls needed a goal out of nothing - and they got one three minutes later through Connor Lemonheigh-Evans. The Bristol City loanee picked the perfect opportunity to open his account for United, as he found the back of the net from 25-yards after being teed up by his midfield partner Luke Young. It was the 11th goal scored by a midfielder for the Gulls this season: Young 5, George Dowling 2, Josh McQuoid 2, Lemonheigh-Evans 1, Aaron Barnes 1.
4. United have been able to beat 'bogey sides' this season.
Prior to this season, Torquay United hadn't beaten Barrow since March 2009 or Woking since September 2014. However, this season the Gulls beat Barrow 3-1 in February and have ended their 'hoo-doo' against Woking in what was a 'cup final' for both sides - a game that United had to win and one that Woking couldn't to lose, but the Gulls won now have another six 'cup finals' between now and the end of the season.
5. Defensively sound.
Whilst United have scored six goals in their last five matches, they have only conceded three times (Maidstone United, Solihull Moors and Woking) and have kept two clean sheets (Leyton Orient and Chester FC). It's important in the Gulls' situation that they don't concede fewer than they score, but with a forward line comprising of Romain, Williams and Healey attack might be the best form of defence.
Wednesday, 28 March 2018
OWERS LOOKING TO KICKSTART GULLS' RESURRECTION AT EASTER TIME
Torquay United head into the Easter weekend of 2018 looking to turn around their National League survival hopes with a resurrection of biblicial proportions.
The Gulls head to Chester FC, who are level on 31 points with United, on Good Friday ten points adrift with eight games left and then face another 'six-pointer' on Easter Monday with Woking, who are seemingly in free-fall - having only won twice in their last 17 games.
Whilst the size of the task in hand may appear gargantuan - it is worth noting that after this stage of the season in the 2015-16 campaign the Gulls went and won four games from six (Gateshead, Chester FC, Altrincham and Bromley) the latter of which secured their survival with two games to spare.
In 2017-18, the immediate task facing United manager Gary Owers is to guide the Gulls to four wins from their next six, which are against Chester (A), Woking (H), Dover Athletic (A), AFC Fylde (H), FC Halifax Town (H) and Hartlepool United (A).
From that list - only Dover, who count former Gulls' defender Giancarlo Gallifuoco amongst their numbers, find themselves in the newly expanded play-off zone. Also Hartlepool - who were facing the threat of Administration until recently - have experienced a new lease of life since being taken over by a consortium headed by Teeside businessman and former Darlington chairman Raj Singh and Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling.
It is highly likely on current form that the Pools could be safe by the time United travel to Victoria Park in their penultimate fixture of the season.
With the Gulls' current points tally, achieving survival following the run of the aforementioned fixtures would seem unlikely - especially with the respective points totals of their rivals - so another two wins in their final two games against Guiseley and Ebbsfleet United - both at home - would also be required.
If United are going to stand a fighting chance scoring goals will be vital to the prospects of Owers' men. At least one of United's two current main strikers Elliott Romain (three) and Brett Williams (two) will have to overhaul the Gulls' current joint-leading scorer's Jamie Reid and Luke Young (five) if a 'great escape three' is to be completed.
Then there is the early Easter present delivered to Owers in the form of Rhys Healey, who was delivered not by the Easter Bunny but Cardiff City manager and former Gulls' caretaker boss Neil Warnock instead.
Healey has a proven pedigree of scoring goals in League Two during a loan spell with Newport County last season and was also believed to be a target for Plymouth Argyle manager Derek Adams in the 2016-17 campaign.
Don't bet against him making a small, but significant impact between now and the end of April.
The Gulls head to Chester FC, who are level on 31 points with United, on Good Friday ten points adrift with eight games left and then face another 'six-pointer' on Easter Monday with Woking, who are seemingly in free-fall - having only won twice in their last 17 games.
Whilst the size of the task in hand may appear gargantuan - it is worth noting that after this stage of the season in the 2015-16 campaign the Gulls went and won four games from six (Gateshead, Chester FC, Altrincham and Bromley) the latter of which secured their survival with two games to spare.
In 2017-18, the immediate task facing United manager Gary Owers is to guide the Gulls to four wins from their next six, which are against Chester (A), Woking (H), Dover Athletic (A), AFC Fylde (H), FC Halifax Town (H) and Hartlepool United (A).
From that list - only Dover, who count former Gulls' defender Giancarlo Gallifuoco amongst their numbers, find themselves in the newly expanded play-off zone. Also Hartlepool - who were facing the threat of Administration until recently - have experienced a new lease of life since being taken over by a consortium headed by Teeside businessman and former Darlington chairman Raj Singh and Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling.
It is highly likely on current form that the Pools could be safe by the time United travel to Victoria Park in their penultimate fixture of the season.
With the Gulls' current points tally, achieving survival following the run of the aforementioned fixtures would seem unlikely - especially with the respective points totals of their rivals - so another two wins in their final two games against Guiseley and Ebbsfleet United - both at home - would also be required.
If United are going to stand a fighting chance scoring goals will be vital to the prospects of Owers' men. At least one of United's two current main strikers Elliott Romain (three) and Brett Williams (two) will have to overhaul the Gulls' current joint-leading scorer's Jamie Reid and Luke Young (five) if a 'great escape three' is to be completed.
Then there is the early Easter present delivered to Owers in the form of Rhys Healey, who was delivered not by the Easter Bunny but Cardiff City manager and former Gulls' caretaker boss Neil Warnock instead.
Healey has a proven pedigree of scoring goals in League Two during a loan spell with Newport County last season and was also believed to be a target for Plymouth Argyle manager Derek Adams in the 2016-17 campaign.
Don't bet against him making a small, but significant impact between now and the end of April.
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