League 2: Torquay United v Shrewsbury Town

[ferrarilover]

Plainmoor
Saturday March 12th 2011
KO 15:00

This weekend, we entertain a high flying Shrewsbury Town. The Shrews are clearly one of the bigger and better sides in this division and we will have to be at our best to get anything out of the match. Following the performance at Aldershot on Tuesday evening, PB has responded by signing two strikers on loan. At least one is likely to go straight into the starting XI and both will certainly be in the match-day XVIII.

Last 5 seasons

2005/06 – League Two – 10th place – 61 pts
2006/07 – League Two – 7th place – 71 pts – LOST IN PLAYOFFS
2007/08 – League Two – 18th place – 50 pts
2008/09 – League Two – 7th place – 69 pts – LOST IN PLAYOFFS
2009/10 – League Two – 12th place – 63 pts

Well, as we see from the above, STFC are definitely a settled L2 club with obvious aspirations to gain promotion to L1. It seems the two pushes and subsequent disappointments in the playoffs have a hangover into the next season. 18th place in 2007/08 represented a very great failure for a club with the obvious talent of Shrewsbury.
Their first playoff disappointment came it the final against Brizzle Rovers having beaten the MK Dons 2-1 on aggregate in the semis. Two years later, They once again made the very final match of the season, only to fall at the hands of Gillingham having dispatched Bury on penalties in the two legged semi-final seven days earlier.

Head-to-head

TUFC wins – 28 (27 league)

STFC wins – 23 (20 league)

Draws - 13 (12 league)

As we can see, we have a winning record against the Shrews. Our recent record is excellent, we have lost just once against the Shrews since 1998/09, that being a 1-0 at the home of Town, with a goal by Derek Asamoah in the 77th minute of the match of March 24th 2007.
Earlier in the season, we earned a 1-1 draw courtesy of a 34th minute Benyon penalty to draw us level after none other than Jake Robinson had given the home side a fifth minute lead. Elliot s was in fact our second penner of the match, useless Nicky Wroe hoofed the ball so far over the goal for the first one, that it might still be in the air today.
Our other notable season against Shrewsbury was in 1955/56, where the aggregate score over two league and two FA Cup matches was 12-2 in favour of TUFC.

Form (Last 6 matches)

Away – W L L W W W

Collated – W W D L W D

Decent recent form is indicative of their season as a whole, largely reliable and capable of beating pretty much anyone on their day. The only crumb of comfort offered by the BBC stats page is that they haven t kept a clean sheet in three matches. Notable among their last few games is the quality of the opposition. Recently, they have played Bury, Port Vale, Stevenage, Southend and Gillingham have all been seen off with only one defeat in all those games. Also in that sequence was a 3-2 defeat of the mighty Inter Northampton who remember, will definitely finish above us.

Probable line up

This is the side which started against Port Vale on Tuesday

• 25 Smith
• 03 Sadler
• 05 Sharps
• 06 Cansdell-Sherriff
• 18 Grandison
• 07 Wright
• 12 Wroe
• 16 Ainsworth (Bradshaw 82)
• 23 Taylor
• 29 Davies
• 14 Collins

This is with the proviso that Striker Matt Harrold is recovered from a bout of tonsillitis which forced him to miss the Port Vale match.

Players to watch.

Clearly, Nicky Wroe will be the main focus of Gulls fans attention. Since his January move t up north, Wroey has impressed, scoring one goal. Among the other players in the squad, midfielder Mark Wright is the stand out performer. He is top scorer at the club with 12 goals from 35 league matches this year. Their second top scorer will be wearing a yellow shirt.

Prediction

Who knows, predicting Torquay results is like predicting lottery numbers, impossible. Total and absolute guess 2-1 Shrews, with one of the new boys scoring for us and Wroey getting a pen for them.

Matt.

[Fletch]

Another notable one was about 20 years ago when we stuck 6 past them in the LDV(?) Cost Asa Hartford his job if I remember rightly...

[Southampton Gull]

Good job Matt, not bad for a village idiot

Really gutted to miss out on this one, it was a cracking game up at their place earlier in the season.

[ferrarilover]

Good job Matt, not bad for a village idiot

Really gutted to miss out on this one, it was a cracking game up at their place earlier in the season.

[Wisconsin_gull]

We do seem to raise our game for better opposition
My big toe is saying win on this one, with all the new strikers and peek and freans assortment of new names I think we will be up for the challenge
I'll start the bidding with 3-1 Gulls
Murray,Branston,Tomlin and an Ellis og (cushioned back header in the top corner) >:(
COYY

[bixieupnorth]

i'm thinking we're gonna click in a big way today, after tuesdays no show and with the new lads all starting i'm going for 3-0 or 4-0!! jake 2, tomlin and murray

[gulls_aloud]

I think there'll be a big buzz about this one with two ex-players on the pitch with something to prove, and hopefully a fairly large away contingent.

We do tend to up our game against the bigger teams, but am slightly worried that Buckle will not be able to resist the temptation to mess about with the formation again in an attempt to accommodate the new boys. Also expecting bizarre substitutions, but hope Robinson makes it to the end of the game. Hopefully conditions and opposition will lend themselves to our passing game. Think a win will be difficult with players that have barely met each other, but would be happy to be proved wrong. Going for a thrillling 2-2 draw.

[oxgull]

My very first trip to Plainmoor back in the 68/69 season for a saturday night under the lights in the old cowshed with that well known, and now passed on, HOOOO!!!! the old gent chain smoking mobile foghorn, was to see the Gulls beat the Shrews 2 - 0 in the old 3rd division watched by over 6,000. Micky Cave scored one, as I remember but can't remember who got the second. Well, I was only 10 at the time. Ahh, memories and look what it has lead to? This continuing passionate obsession with all things T.U.F.C.

Anyway, back in the time machine to the present I'll go for another win by a similar score

[Trojan 67]

I don't mean to pee on your nostalgic parade Oxgull, but the Cowshed came down before 68/69. The original Mini Stand without its extentions was in place for the 66/67 season.

[Jeff]

I had a strange dream last night where the result of this game popped into my head. We led 2-0, but ended up drawing 3-3. Can't remember the scorers, but is that an omen? Should I go and lump on down at the bookies??

Either way, I've decided that anything less than a win today and I won't go to Bury on Tuesday. Very put off by the abject display at Aldershot, and the fact that I wouldn't get home until 0230 and have to be up for work at 0630 doesn't help either. So you know what will happen, crushing home victory today followed by a half-arsed effort at Gigg Lane!

[Trojan 67]

I had a strange dream last night where the result of this game popped into my head. We led 2-0, but ended up drawing 3-3. Can't remember the scorers, but is that an omen? Should I go and lump on down at the bookies??

Either way, I've decided that anything less than a win today and I won't go to Bury on Tuesday. Very put off by the abject display at Aldershot, and the fact that I wouldn't get home until 0230 and have to be up for work at 0630 doesn't help either. So you know what will happen, crushing home victory today followed by a half-arsed effort at Gigg Lane!

A resounding :no:

Stick to the excellent match day summaries.

[Trojan 67]

Thank you Matt for the excellent thread and will see you, robbotufc and forevertufc at the usual spot on the Pop.

[bixieupnorth]

I had a strange dream last night where the result of this game popped into my head. We led 2-0, but ended up drawing 3-3. Can't remember the scorers, but is that an omen? Should I go and lump on down at the bookies??

note from betting member in chief, 50/1 for 3-3 draw!!

[bixieupnorth]

desperately quiet on here today!!

where is everyone, started xmas shopping early perhaps??

[bixieupnorth]

Scott Bevan

Lee Mansell
Chris Robertson
Guy Branston
Kevin Nicholson

Chris Zebroski
Craig Stanley
Ben Pringle

Jake Robinson
Ronan Murray
Gavin Tomlin

subs
Eunan O'Kane
Damon Lathrope
Saul Halpin
Danny Potter
Mark Ellis
Danny Stevens
Lathanial Rowe-Turner

assume its 433, great to see the new boys all starting anyway, oastler not even on bench, rules i guess?? bevan back in goal too, didnt see that coming?

come on then, lets get scoring!!