Torquay v Gillingham, match day topic

[Louis]

On Saturday we take on Gillingham at home, who are currently standing at 10th in the league.

Who's going? What result are you looking for?

I look forward to seeing a Match day topic post from one of the team to get this topic stared...


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[Jeff]

I'll be there, for my second home game of the season and my first game for a while due to work commitments - I've had big withdrawl symptoms!

I'm hoping the performance won't be as bad as those have said over the last couple of weeks. I think having Billy Bodin back will make a big difference - really liked the look of him so far and I think we suffered last week without him. With Morris missing, I hope that Ling plumps for Bodin and Stevens on the flanks to give us some natural width, then the decision will be whether Atieno or McPhee partners Howe up front. I personally would go for Atieno, but it seems he is out of form at the moment. I just hope we don't go for some variant of the 4-5-1 formation as I feel that is too negative at home.

It appears now would be as good a time as any to face Gillingham. They'll be missing top scorer Danny Kedwell, influential midfielder Charlie Lee, versatile frontman Dennis Oli, sometime skipper Andy Frampton as well as longer term injury victims in Danny Spiller, Adam Birchall and Barry Fuller. They do still have a strong squad, with players like our former star Jo Kuffour, Curtis Weston, Chris Whelpdale, on loan West Ham forward Frank Nouble, and a solid looking backline. It'll be interesting to see how they set out their side - my assumption would be they'll go for the 4-4-1-1 variant, looking to utilise Nouble and Rooney to support Kuffour up front.

I reckon it'll be another 1-1 draw, big Rene scoring for us as I believe he's a former Gill which makes it inevitable.

[Plymouth Gull]

Another week gone, and it hasn't been a very good one for TUFC, looking back. The first team failed to show up at Valley Parade, and were beaten by 10 men for over an hour, which is disappointing in itself. Then, as we moved into the week, the reserves travelled up to Cheltenham for a reserve league fixture. A squad including 8 of our senior pros were soundly beaten 9-1, which is frankly embarrassing, even at reserve level. If that doesn't bring up any doubts regarding the lack of squad depth here, then I have no idea what will.

Onto tomorrow then, we host Andy Hessenthaler's Gillingham side. The Gills have had a mixed start to the season. They are one of the more established sides in the division, and will be there or thereabouts come May, in my opinion. They should have reached the playoffs last year, but for a dismal run in, especially at Priestfield, where they practically threw their season away. Still, Hessenthaler has strengthened further this season, and they seem well equipped to make a strong push for a top 3 spot this time around.

GULLS NEWS.

Ian Morris has today undergone surgery for his knee injury, so he is out for a while. Apart from that, I think everyone else is available. Daniel Leadbitter made his first appearance in a Gulls shirt last weekend, coming off the bench, so he could make another appearance tomorrow.

THE OPPOSITION.

I've spoken a bit about Martin Ling's counterpart already, but Andy Hessenthaler is a bit of a legend in Kent. The man played for the Gills for 10 years, before becoming manager. During that time, he took the Gills to their highest ever league position. Hess recently returned to Priestfield after spending a bit of time at Barnet, and then 3 years at local rivals Dover, where he won 2 promotions, reaching the Blue Square South.

On the pitch, and the summer had been a busy one for Gillingham. In goal, we have Ross Flitney. He spent his young years at Arsenal, but has since been at several lower league clubs in the South East. He is best known for spells with Barnet and Dover. He is one of the players who followed Hess from Dover to Gillingham, having signed this summer. The back up for Flitney is the Argentinian keeper Paulo Gazzaniga.

Infront of the keeper, the back four will be doing their best to keep out our attackers tomorrow. Hess has several options from which to choose from tomorrow, but I'll start off with Barry Fuller. Fuller has been a regular at Priestfield since making the move from Stevenage, and he's made more than 130 appearances for the Gills. Matt Fish is also a rightback, and he moved to the Gills in the summer, again from Dover. The 22 year old has made 135 appearances for Dover, in 4 years, which is pretty good going. In the heart of the defence, and we could see club-captain Matt Lawrence play. Lawrence has been involved in the game for quite a while, and the 37 year old is in his second year at Priestfield. We also have former-Millwall defender Andy Frampton, who signed in the summer and was installed as captain. The 32 year old can also play at left back, if needed. Other options in defence are Garry Richards, Callum Davies and Jack Evans.

In the middle of the park, and this is where I feel the Gills possess their strongest players. Charlie Lee is a defensive minded midfielder, he's likely to be in the middle. Other options in the engine room are youngster Jack Payne, whos come through the youth ranks at the Priestfield, Curtis Weston, who has been with the Gills for 3 years, making over a century of appearances for them. Danny Jackman and Danny Spiller also play in the middle, aswell as Lewis Montrose. On the wings, we have former Peterborough player Chris Whelpdale, whos back in Gillingham after a loan spell last year. Joe Martin can play on the wing, aswell as Luke Rooney, who, if I remember rightly, scored the Gills equaliser last year at Plainmoor.

Finally, the attack line that Hessenthaler has assembled is also quite strong. Danny Kedwell was signed from AFC Wimbledon in the summer, and he is the main man at the Gills now, having hit the net 5 times already. In 119 appearances for Wimbledon, he scored 58, giving him a ratio of a goal every other game, which is decent. His strike partner could be one of two current loanees at the club, Frank Nouble, from West Ham, or Jo Kuffour, on loan from Bristol Rovers. This is Nouble's last game before his loan expires, whereas Kuffour only recently moved to Priestfield. Other striking options at the club include Adam Birchall, another who moved from Dover in the summer, Dennis Oli and Stefan Payne.

HOW THEY LINED UP.

This is how the Gills took to the field last weekend against Port Vale:

Flitney

Fish
Richards
Lawrence
Martin

Lee (Whelpdale 55)
Weston
Rooney (Oli 83)

Kuffour (Payne 76)
Kedwell
Nouble

Subs: Gazzaniga, Davies, Whelpdale, Oli, Payne.

REF WATCH.

OLIVER LANGFORD
Richard Corp and Neil Radford
Fourth Official Kevin Johnson

Oliver Langford is the ref tomorrow. It will be his 10th game of the season. He was at Plainmoor on the opening day last season as we hammered Northampton 3-0 (a similar result would be nice tomorrow!!).

PREDICTION.

I've changed my shift at work to go to this, not sure why as I'm not confident at all, at the moment.

0-2.

[portugull]

I am over for my first game of the season . i am hopeful that Martin Ling might take a chance on playing Mark Ellis as a striker. Ellis is strong, physical and good header of the ball and i feel that we are very weak physically up front with the exception of Rene Howe.

Gillingham always have a strong physical side and if we get crosses into the box i think Howe and Ellis together could surprise a few people.

ever the optomist i am going for a 3-1 win.

[AlexGulls]

Apparently Gillingham have a few injuries going into this but I can still see them having too much for us,

0-3 With Kuffour getting at least one of them.

[Dave]

I am looking forward to this match, i think the squad have reached a cross roads, whilst i am not on twitter it was intresting for me reading what some of our players have been saying, i get the feeling that many of them know they have let themselves, the club and its fans down over the last few matchs.

I have a feeling that tomorrows performance will not lack any desire, maybe quality, also hoping that us fans will go back to doing hwta we do best, supporting our team rather than screaming for a return of cartain players who could not be arsed to play in midweek for the reserves, who proved there desire for the club in that utterly humilating 9-1 defeat.

2.2 tomorrow.

[stevegull]

An Ellis - Howe combination would be ludacrous up front. I'm sure now they'll both net hatricks but Ellis is a defender, and one 3 minute stint up top will not change my mind....

[bixieupnorth]

an optimistic 2-0 home win, howe and bodin. just under 2000 there

[bixieupnorth]

no team news on player yet, imagine billy will come in for danny if hes still injured?

[bixieupnorth]

here we go

Robert Olejnik

Joe Oastler
Brian Saah
Chris Robertson
Kevin Nicholson

Billy Bodin
Lee Mansell
Eunan O'Kane
Danny Stevens

Rene Howe
Taiwo Atieno

subs
Martin Rice
Chris McPhee
Damon Lathrope
Saul Halpin
Mark Ellis

bodin takes lathropes place i think? danny plays, rice on bench, not much to shuffle with, cant see saul being played

[Jeff]

Gillingham line up as I expected, but with their injury problems they haven't got much to come from the bench.

Good to see Halpin given a shot on the bench, kind of suggests that Ling's frustrations at the reserve game may have been directed at Macklin amongst others, and Halpins efforts have been rewarded. I'd like to see him get a run wide left (with Bodin moving up front) if Atieno fails to impress again.

[bixieupnorth]

kuffour puts gills ahead, was just gonna say how well we'd been playing, another soft goal again, all looked for offside except jo!

[Gulliball]

Have we got a defence?

[bixieupnorth]

exeter behind too

[bixieupnorth]

good save from their keeper, cracking strike from bodin, set up by danny who sounds lively again today

robbo puts free header over from the corner