Southport v Torquay United

[Dave]

The young Gulls find themselves back in a run of Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday fixtures, our team go into Saturdays away fixture at Southport off the back of a gut wrenching midweek defeat at home to Dover, October is still relatively early in the season, however this match now takes on a huge importance for The Gulls, many Torquay fans will say it's must win game, for me it's a do not lose game first and foremost.

The Sandgrounders went into the penultimate month of last season sat in the relegation zone and looked certain for the drop, however a late run that, saw them win five games over this period helped them to safety, Southport would finish 19th beating the drop by 6 points. The Sandgrounders are currently sat 21st in the league table 2 points ahead of Torquay, and come into this match of the back of a confidence boosting win, away at Woking.

For Gulls fans attending the match

Haig Avenue, Southport, PR8 6JZ. http://www.southportfc.net/pages.php?page_id=585#pages

Featured Southport player

Andrew Wright; born 15th January 1985, position midfielder, Andrew Wright started his career as a youth player with Liverpool, but would go down the education route after his release in 2004, Wright would gain a degree in physical education while continuing his football development at
West Virginia University, Andrew Wright gained a call up to the College Men's MVP team during his time in the U.S.

2008 saw Andrew Wright return to England signing for Scunthorpe United making 87 appearances, he would have two separate loan spells at Grimsby during his time at Scunthorpe, after his release Andrew Wright would make 92 appearances for League 2 Morecambe before signing at Southport in the summer.

Southport top goalscorers and season stats

Cole Stockton 3
Louis Almond 2
Gary Jones 2
Liam Nolan 1
Michael Phenix 1
Andrew Wright 1



HOME / AWAY ADVANTAGE
% Points (HOME) 45% (AWAY) 55%
% Goals scored (HOME) 50% (AWAY) 50%
% Goals conceded (HOME) 52% (AWAY) 48%

Current from

Southport L-D-D-D-L-W

12 Sep Forest Green 2-1 Southport
15 Sep Southport 2-2 Tranmere
19 Sep Halifax Town 2-2 Southport
22 Sep Guiseley 1-1 Southport
26 Sep Southport 0-4 Grimsby
3 Oct Woking 1-2 Southport

Last time out

Woking 1-2 Southport

01 Coughlin
04 Nolan
08 Wright
20 Davies
14 Joyce
16 Rutherford Booked
17 Almond (Challoner - 92' )
03 Beesley
18 Jones
09 Stockton (Allen - 95' )
06 Foster

Substitutes
02 Challoner
07 Allen
12 Blakeman
19 Viscosi
23 Cameron

From a Torquay United point of view

Apart from the known long term injuries, I know of no other player that's unavailable for this match. I fully understand the reaction of many Torquay fans to the appointment of Kevin Nicholson, personally for me, I always like to give time and judge on results, performances and player recruitment, Kevin Nicolson and Chris Hargreaves are two different people with two different ways of doing things, just because one was failure doesn't mean the other will.

We've had two games to judge Kevin Nicholson on so far, and the one thing that stands out for me so far, was the improvement between Aldershot home, a flat, shot shy, bore fest and Dover, we saw a better style of football, and had more than enough good chances to win the game, how it ended will stick in the throat, but when you're down these things seem to happen, mistakes don't always get punished at this level, at the moment it seems every single mistake made by our team seems to end up in the back of our net, so there is a bit a luck element, and it sure going against right now.

Dover Athletic boss offers words of comfort to Torquay United

Kinnear said: “If Torquay carry on playing like that, they won’t be where they are for long. We weren’t at our best, but Torquay have to take a fair bit of the credit for that – they worked hard and put us under a lot of pressure, especially in the second half.

Read more: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Dov ... z3o3aytY2g

Torquay United top goalscorers and season stats

James Hurst 7
Alex Fisher 4
Tyrone Marsh 2
Dan Butler 1
Josh Carmichael 1
Exodus Geohaghon 1
Angus MacDonald 1

HOME / AWAY ADVANTAGE
% Points (HOME) 40% (AWAY) 60%
% Goals scored (HOME) 42% (AWAY) 58%
% Goals conceded (HOME) 56% (AWAY) 44%

Current form

Torquay United D-L-L-L-L-L

15 Sep Kidderminster 2-2 Torquay Utd
19 Sep Torquay Utd 3-7 Bromley
22 Sep Torquay Utd 1-2 Boreham Wood
26 Sep Lincoln City 2-0 Torquay Utd
3 Oct Torquay Utd 0-2 Aldershot To.
6 Oct Torquay Utd 2-3 Dover Athlet

Last time out

Torquay United 2 v 3 Dover

01 Spiess
29 Berry
05 MacDonald
16 Richards (Bell - 80' )
24 Nicholson (Murombedzi - 73' )
18 Smith
02 Hurst
26 Heslop
03 Butler Booked
17 Fisher
07 Briscoe (Fenwick - 73' )

Substitutes
04 Fenwick
11 Murombedzi
21 Lavercombe
27 Bell
28 Hickford

Young optimistic on knee injury

"I'm listening to the physio, doing my rehab and I'll be back at the end of the season hopefully," Young told BBC Radio Devon.

"Everyone says it's starting to look like a normal knee and as it goes on I'm feeling more confident about it."

"When it came back that it was an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament injury) it obviously came as a bit of a shock and hit me a little bit, because I've never really had a serious injury," Young added.

"But fingers crossed it's feeling a lot better now and I'm feeling optimistic about my recovery."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34477594

Skipper looks ahead to our trip to the north-west


My approach to games has remained exactly the same,” he said. “When I am on the pitch I am more aware now that I need to show others the right way to conduct themselves and lead by example, so I’ve reined my temper in from what it was.

“It’s a responsibility that I have taken on with relish and pride. I feel that our performance levels as a team have improved in the last two games, but we haven’t had the results to go with them.

“We’ve been unlucky; that said, we know that if we keep performing like this, the results will come and the feeling is that once we get a win and that bit of luck that all teams need, we’ll get ourselves on a run and start climbing the table.

“There is a lot of belief amongst the lads. That was evident in the way that we came back twice against Dover on Tuesday.

“We face two tough away games now. We’ll go into Saturday’s trip to Southport determined to bring home the three points; we’re ready for the challenge and then we’ll move on to the next one and just take it one game at a time.”

Read more at http://www.torquayunited.com/news/artic ... 2HrMYxx.99

Head to Head meetings


English Division Four (old)

13.09.1958 Torquay United 1-0 Southport
31.01.1959 Southport 2-2 Torquay United
09.09.1959 Torquay United 4-0 Southport
15.09.1959 Southport 1-2 Torquay United
28.09.1962 Southport 4-4 Torquay United
16.02.1963 Torquay United 5-1 Southport
07.10.1963 Southport 1-0 Torquay United
14.10.1963 Torquay United 3-1 Southport
17.10.1964 Southport 0-1 Torquay United
27.02.1965 Torquay United 2-0 Southport
22.09.1965 Torquay United 1-1 Southport
25.04.1966 Southport 3-3 Torquay United


English Division Three (old)

02.12.1967 Southport 0-2 Torquay United
27.04.1968 Torquay United 2-2 Southport
10.08.1968 Torquay United 3-0 Southport
06.05.1969 Southport 2-2 Torquay United
01.11.1969 Torquay United 0-0 Southport
28.02.1970 Southport 4-2 Torquay United


English Division Four (old)

27.10.1972 Southport 2-1 Torquay United
24.03.1973 Torquay United 2-0 Southport
06.09.1974 Southport 1-1 Torquay United
22.03.1975 Torquay United 3-2 Southport
19.12.1975 Southport 1-3 Torquay United
31.03.1976 Torquay United 2-1 Southport
11.09.1976 Southport 1-1 Torquay United
23.03.1977 Torquay United 0-0 Southport
12.10.1977 Torquay United 2-2 Southport
07.01.1978 Southport 0-0 Torquay United


English Conference

16.08.2014 Torquay United 0-0 Southport
28.03.2015 Southport 2-1 Torquay United (last meeting)

[Dazza]

2 All .

[Gullscorer]

Excellent preview as usual, Forever. And I agree, we are certainly improving, and it's only a matter of time before we start picking up points and moving back up the table. I have a feeling that we'll get back to winning ways tomorrow.

Southport 1 Torquay 2

[Bloggy]

1-3 (please)

[Scott Brehaut]

3-1 to the good guys.

Hurst hat-trick

[Tarrboy1]

Southport 0 v 2 Torquay United.

COYY

[Yorkieandy]

Dave, you forgot the head to head in the FA Trophy 6 or 7 years back where they battered Torquay 3-0 at Haig Avenue. Went that day. Bloody hell, it was awful.

Just being a pedant mate, superb match preview as always.

Southport is a great place to while away a few hours by the sea before the game. It's a bit like Morecambe only less hoodies with pitbulls and less random assaults. There is a pub on the road before you get to the Haig Avenue that does (did) great food too. Perhaps my best memory of the day out.

I'm expecting you to get back on track up there and keep my fingers crossed for those travelling that they see a long overdue victory.

[Colorado Gull]

First away game I'll miss this season won't be going to two away games this month! Hope it's a good journey for the lads and lasses on the coach! See you at Woking.

[tktufc91]

First away game I'll miss this season won't be going to two away games this month! Hope it's a good journey for the lads and lasses on the coach! See you at Woking.

Nooo Danny. Atmosphere away has been great this season. Does that mean no drum tomorrow?

[PhilGull]

First away game I'll miss this season won't be going to two away games this month! Hope it's a good journey for the lads and lasses on the coach! See you at Woking.

If we win those two games you are being barred from away travel for the foreseeable!

[SuperNickyWroe]

If we win those two games you are being barred from away travel for the foreseeable!

Harsh PhilGull harsh.

But fair :~D

[Colorado Gull]

Nooo Danny. Atmosphere away has been great this season. Does that mean no drum tomorrow?

Probably mate :Oops:

[tomogull]

We had a tough midweek match - Southport didn't play midweek. Not sure if that makes much difference but it's going to be another test for Nico's lads. Southport were described as a big and ugly team on the Woking site after their home defeat last week.

[tktufc91]

We'll get the travel club to stop by and nick the drum before we leave

[Dave]

Dave, you forgot the head to head in the FA Trophy 6 or 7 years back where they battered Torquay 3-0 at Haig Avenue. Went that day. Bloody hell, it was awful.

Just being a pedant mate, superb match preview as always.

Southport is a great place to while away a few hours by the sea before the game. It's a bit like Morecambe only less hoodies with pitbulls and less random assaults. There is a pub on the road before you get to the Haig Avenue that does (did) great food too. Perhaps my best memory of the day out.

I'm expecting you to get back on track up there and keep my fingers crossed for those travelling that they see a long overdue victory.

Firstly thanks gullscorer. Hi Andy, I hadn't forgotten about that F.A Trophy match, was going include it in from a Torquay point of view, along with some other opinions, not critising the excellent previews done by yourself, which I use to enjoy, but if you make them to long many don't read them, so try to keep them as short and sweet as possibly.