HALF TIME IN TIE

Torquay United head into Saturday's FA Trophy semi-final second leg against Wrexham at the Launa Windows Stadium needing to overturn a single goal deficit.

Goals from Joe Clarke and Louis Moult gave the Red Dragons a goal two advantage before Ryan Bowman scored an all-important away goal for the Gulls.

Unlike Wrexham, who played out a goalless draw with Forest Green Rovers in midweek, Torquay had a free week thanks courtesy of the postponement of their Tuesday night fixture with Lincoln City.

If they require any inspiration ahead of what will be their fourth meeting with Wrexham this season, then the Gulls need look no further than their league clash against the Red Dragons in early October.

After going a goal down in the first half from Moult, Torquay levelled when a Louis Briscoe capped off a superb flowing move. It was then left to skipper Luke Young to score the winner with one of the finest goals seen at the Launa Windows Stadium with stunning strike from 35-yards.

Should Torquay overcome Wrexham, it will be the Gulls sixth appearance at Wembley - previous visits came in 1989, 1991, 1998, 2008 and 2009 - and it will be against either Bath City or North Ferriby United who compete in the other semi-final.

Manager Chris Hargreaves will also become the first person to lead Torquay to Wembley as both a player and as a manager - he captained the Gulls in their 2008 FA Trophy final appearance against Ebbsfleet United.

REID'S HAT TRICK OF HAT-TRICKS CLINCHES DERBY WIN

Reuben Reid chose the perfect time to score his hat-trick of career hat-tricks – as he netted all three goals in Plymouth Argyle’s Devon derby victory over Exeter City.

He opened the scoring for the Pilgrims in the 27^th minute before Aaron Davies equalised for the Grecians on the stroke of half-time.

Reid restored Argyle’s advantage from the penalty spot on 57 minutes after his strike partner, Lewis Alessandra, was felled by Matt Oakley.

Despite being reduced to ten men, following the dismissal of on loan midfielder Olly Lee, Reid was able to add a third for the Pilgrims on 71 minutes – thus ensuring that he became the first Plymouth Argyle to score a hat-trick against Exeter since Ray Bowden in 1929.

The win was Argyle’s fourth league victory on the bounce, which moves them up to sixth place in League Two and they are seven short of the automatic promotion places.

Exeter, on the other hand, now find themselves in 13^th place and nine points adrift of the top seven.

GRECIANS AND PILGRIMS SET FOR 70TH MEETING

Saturday's Devon Expressway derby between Exeter City and Plymouth Argyle will be the 70th competitive meeting between the two sides.

Those previous clashes have seen 26 wins for the Pilgrims, 19 wins for the Grecians and 24 draws.

As par the course of their recent clashes, there is something at stake for both sides, as the Grecians, currently in tenth place with 43 points, will be looking to win to get their play-off bid back on track.

Meanwhile, the Pilgrims - in seventh place with 49 points - will be looking to record their fourth consecutive victory and further cement their own promotion bid.

In recent seasons, the Pilgrims have been battling against relegation when they have faced the Grecians, but now - under the guidance of John Sheridan - Argyle are beginning to look up instead of down.

Should Sheridan's men return victorious from St James Park on Saturday, then it will be the first time that they have completed the double over the Grecians since the 2001-02 campaign. That season, of course, was the campaign that saw Argyle win the Third Division title under Paul Sturrock.

That was the start of a period when there were no competitive meetings between the two sides, as Argyle then pushing on to reach the Championship, whilst the City were relegated the Conference in the following season.

GULLS SIGN CAMPBELL

Torquay United have boosted their attacking options ahead of their two-legged FA Trophy semi-final with Wrexham with the loan signing of John Campbell from Oxford United.


Campbell, 26, started his career as a Manchester City youth team player before returning to his native North East to sign for non-league side Newcastle Benfield.


He later returned to the professional ranks briefly with Darlington and then had spells with Bedlington Terriers and West Auckland.


However, it was a stint with Jarrow Roofing - a club that former Gulls Wes Saunders and Eifion Williams have both appeared for - earned him another shot at league football.


After scoring 18 goals in 14 appearances for Roofing, he agreed a deal with Oxford and he made his debut for the U's against Hartlepool United on December 20th 2014. Eight days later, he scored his first league goal against Plymouth Argyle.


Campbell will remain with the Gulls until the end of the current campaign.

THE STRANGE CASE OF ANDY KELLETT

This time last week, Andy Kellett was anticipating a return to Plymouth Argyle on loan from Bolton Wanderers, but instead he was loaned by the Trotters to Manchester United.

On the same day his former Argyle colleague Anthony O'Connor re-joined Argyle on a permanent deal, until the end of the season from Blackburn Rovers, Kellett, an attacking left-back by trade, was heading to Old Trafford as Red Devils manager Louis Van Gaal's only deadline day signing.

With several members of the Manchester United Under-21 side being loaned out to gain first team experience, their squad, which is coached by former Pilgrims midfielder Warren Joyce, was light on numbers.

So - by a twist of fate - Kellett, who made 15 appearances for the Pilgrims and scored once - away at Northampton, was handed a golden opportunity for a would-be professional footballer.

Tonight, he is amongst the substitutes for the Red Devils in their Barclays Under-21 Premier League match against Chelsea. His teammates for the night include: Victor Valdes, Tyler Blackett, Ashley Young and Nick Powell.

United boss Van Gaal has a history of giving youth a chance during his managerial, so - if he deems the situation to be right one - don't be too surprised if Andy features for the Red Devils' first team. 

BOWMAN STRIKE SEES GULLS INTO LAST FOUR

Ryan Bowman maintained his record of scoring in every round of Torquay United's 2014-15 FA Trophy campaign, as he netted the Gulls' winner again FC United of Manchester.

Despite being the lowest ranked side left in the competition, FC United - who were formed in 2005 in response to the Glazer family takeover of Manchester United and play in the Northern Premier League- brought nearly 1,400 fans to the Launa Windows Stadium.

They proved to be stubborn opponents for the Gulls and it wasn't until in the 81st minute until Torquay were finally able to break down the visitors, and avoid an unwanted replay.

Midfielder Courtney Richards picked out Bowman who beat the offside trap and raced through to slot past FC United keeper David Carnell to seal Torquay's place in the last four.

Potential opposition for the Gulls in the semi-finals are: Wrexham - winners of the competition in 2013, or FC Halifax Town, North Ferriby United or either Dover Athletic or Conference South side Bath City.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS!

A memorable era came to an end at Huish Park as Gary Johnson was dismissed as manager of Yeovil Town.

Since he was first appointed as Glovers’ boss in 2001, Johnson has transformed the south Somerset club’s journey from being non-league giant-killers to an established Football League club.

Prior to his arrival, Johnson had previously managed Cambridge United and Kettering Town, before going on to become the head of Watford’s youth academy and manager of the Latvian national side.

He took over a team that had just missed out on promotion to the Football League at the expense of Rushden & Diamonds and immediately set out to build a side capable of winning promotion from the Conference.

In his first season, he led Yeovil to the FA Trophy final where they defeated Stevenage 2-0 in the final, courtesy of goals from Carl Alford and the late Adam Stansfield.

This proved to be a platform for further success as they finally ended their 108-year stay in the non-league wilderness by winning the Conference title with a record 17-point margin.

Key players in this side included skipper Terry Skiverton, Johnson’s son, Lee, and Gavin Williams.

The Glovers’ debut season in Division Three proved to be a memorable, as they came within a whisker of reaching the Play-offs – finishing 8^th with a haul of 74 points. However, there was the consolation of a money-spinning televised FA Cup tie with Liverpool.

The introduction of Bartosz Tarachalski and Phil Jevons helped to make the difference in their second season as a league club, which saw them lift the League Two title.

Johnson’s achievements were being recognised from a distance as he accepted the offer of the Bristol City manager’s job midway through the 2005-06 season.

He guided the Robins to promotion from League One in the 2006-07 season, and – in the following campaign - was 90 minutes away from leading them into the top-flight for the first time since 1980.

The Robins faced Hull City in the 2008 Championship play-off final, where they were beaten 1-0 by virtue of a Dean Windass strike.

Johnson left the Robins following his dismissal in 2010, and later managed Peterborough United and Northampton Town before returning to Huish Park in 2012.

His former skipper Skiverton had been in charge of the Glovers, but he reverted to assistant manager with his former assistants Nathan Jones and Darren Way remaining part of his backroom staff.

Although Jones later left to take up a Development Coach vacancy with Charlton Athletic.
The following season saw the Glovers shocked the footballing world by reaching the Championship for the first time in their history. After finishing 4^th in League One, Yeovil won the 2013 League One play-off final as they beat Brentford 2-1.

Their stay in the second tier of English football proved to be a brief one, as they returned to League One after just one season as relegation was confirmed in their penultimate Championship fixture against Brighton.
This season the Glovers have found themselves fighting against relegation to League Two and – despite the brief highlight of a third round FA Cup tie against Manchester United – the Glovers decided to call time on Johnson’s season spell at Huish Park.  

The reigns have once again been passed to Skiverton who now has the challenge of repeating their great escape of the 2008-09 season, when he was named as successor to Russell Slade.

A time-line of Gary Johnson's time at Huish Park

2001-02: Won the FA Trophy with beating Stevenage Borough 2-0 at Villa Park.

2002-03: Won the Conference League title by a record-breaking 17-point margin, taking the club into the Football League for the first time in its 108 year history.

2003-04: Took the club to a money-spinning FA Cup Third Round tie against Liverpool that was screened live on BBC1.

2004-05: Won the League Two title, finishing three points above a Swansea City side now in the Premier League. Took the club to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup for only the second time in the club's history after they knocked out Championship side Rotherham United on their own patch by a 3-0 score line, giving them a trip to Premier League side Charlton Athletic, backed by around 4,000 travelling supporters.  

2012-13: Gave the club its best League One finish in 4th place, ultimately seeing them beat Brentford in the League One Play-Off Final at Wembley Stadium. Named the LMA Manager of the Year for League One.

2013-14: Gave the club it’s one and only (so far!) season at Championship level, with the club's fate only sealed on the 45th game of the season. Took the club to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup for only the third time in the club's history with an away match against Premier League side Southampton watched by 3,403 travelling supporters.

2014-15 Season : Took the club to a money-spinning FA Cup Third Round tie against Manchester United that was screened live on BT Sport.