Torquay United v Bradford City - League Two - 18/02/2012

[ferrarilover]

Plainmoor
Saturday 18th February 2012
KO: 3pm

Good day to all, pleased to be welcoming you to my thread all about tomorrow's game. Last time out for me was the NTFC thread and that day we stood a chance to cement ourselves in the playoffs. Today, with other results going our way, we can go top in our own right.

GULLS NEWS.

Sadly, we're missing Lathrope following his enforced removal from Tuesday's epic win at Cheltenham. This should be the only full game he misses, so, with the greatest respect to our opponents, it's probably best that he's out against Bradford, rather than Gillingham or anyone else we have coming up.

Everyone else should be fit. Chris McPhee took a whack to the nose which forced him off at Cheltenham, but he ought to be alright. Fortunately, it was a blow to his head, so no damage done.

I guess our other question must be who will start up front. Will it be Tai, or will it be Rene, or will it be both. The overwhelming majority will go with Tai, but there is always the option for Dinger to pull one clean out of left field.

THE OPPOSITION.

Only one place to start: Guy Branston. For those with alzheimer's, he was our POTS last year. Massive, grotesquely ugly, all the turning circle of an ocean going liner with a broken rudder, but still a hero down our way for all his contribution last term. He won't play, of course, he's been injured for ages, but it might be nice to see him around and about. Aside from Branno, the only name I can see which might be of any interest to us is Ross Hannah. Now renowned as the biggest flop since that embarrassing incident with Samuel L Jackson and the hooker, Hannah has failed to re-find his Matlock Town form since joining the Bantams.
The only other name of note appears to be Robbie Threlfall, who I seem to recall mentioning last time I made a BCFC thread. 24 year old Threlfall came through the ranks at perennial failures Liverpool, and was part of a successful youth team squad which twice won the FA Youth Cup.

FORM GUIDE

If you don't know our form, you're on the wrong website...

As for our once illustrious visitors, they're doing their usual and taking their pre-season tag as serious promotion contenders, and stuffing it right up the collective jacksies of English bookmakers. In the last 10 games, they've managed to lose only two, draw five and win three. Victories against Southend (their only away victory of the season), Crewe and Shrewsbury in consecutive matches at the end of December seemed to signal a change of fortunes for the Yorkshire club, but since then, just three points from a possible 15 have been forthcoming, with draws against Morecambe, Burton and Port Vale (all at home). They've been defeated at Rotherham and Rovers. Completing the 10 matches is a 0-0 draw at Gillingham.
So, they've P10 W3 D5 L2 F13 A11 Pts 14. All this against teams with a Ferrarilover Scale rating of 60% (144/240)

HOW THEY LINED UP.

01 McLaughlin
03 Fry (Ramsden - 79' )
06 Oliver
36 Seip
38 Davies
08 Jones
11 Smalley
14 Ravenhill
32 Reid
09 Hanson (Atkinson - 14' )
10 Hannah (Wells - 56' )

Substitutes
34 Duke
02 Ramsden
04 Flynn
30 Atkinson
21 Wells

You will note that number 9, Hanson, went off after less than a quarter of an hour. It seems the injury he sustained was a serious one and will keep him out for the remainder of the season.

LAST TIME ROUND.

Hmmm, well, not really sure we want to dwell too long on the last meeting between these two teams. They went down to 10 men after about 30 seconds, then snatched a goal and gave us a damn good hiding. Still, we're over it now.

REF WATCH.

PATRICK MILLER
Mark Pottage and Andrew Rodda
Fourth Official Brett Huxtable

If nothing else, the linos and 4th official all seem to have mildly mirthful names.

FORUM WATCH.

Had to laugh. They've won one away game all season and are now talking about turning us over at Plainmoor, based on, wait for it... The fact that we have won our last seven. Explain that if you can.

Go here >>> http://bcafc.livewwware.co.uk/viewforum ... 8831fd68c1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; to laugh yourself silly.

PREDICTION.

Got to be 1-0, hasn't it?

Matt.

Sorry it's late, I seem to have contracted every disease known to medical science and it's making everything very difficult.

[Richinns]

Match day topic to go here. I've got/had the flu, so it'll take me a while, but it's coming.

The full flu or a really nasty cold? I have had the latter this week - not nice but far better than the flu which I have had once in my life and could not move out of bed for 3 days!

[bixieupnorth]

never had it myself and suspect most people actually have a heavy cold rather than proper influenza? even us men, apparently flu wipes you out totally for days on end and quite often kills the less hardy of us?

so if the full post doesn't get made as promised then can someone pop round to check on him please?!

[Gazzableedsgull]

This should be called the "Cold and Flu" thread lol

[ferrarilover]

No, proper influenza, been to hospital and everything, I'm over the hump with the flu itself, but have secondary infections of almost everything, so still pretty sick.

Anyway, back on topic...

Matt.

[Richinns]

No, proper influenza, been to hospital and everything, I'm over the hump with the flu itself, but have secondary infections of almost everything, so still pretty sick.

Anyway, back on topic...

Matt.

Wow - feel sorry for you because that is not nice! How long you had it for Matt?

[stefano]

Hell it's making me feel ill just reading it! Is anybody going to mention the game?

[bixieupnorth]

not if i can help it stef!!

you poor lad ferrari, hope you're over the worst of it and hopefully three points tomor will cheer you up (damn it, just mentioned the game!!)

[bixieupnorth]

bookies making us clear favourites

bet365 have us 8 /11, draw 13/5 and away 15/4, and that seems about right??

1-0 is 11/2, for anyone who fancies our 4th 1-0 home win on the trot

to my eyes the best bet is for us to overcome a one goal handicap at 2/1

[bixieupnorth]

i also like the look of stevens to score first and home win at 7/1

[Dave]

Bless you Matt, would you like me to make you some toasted soldier's tuck you in, and read a bed time story

Go on I will talk about the match as well , Looking at Bradford recent fixtures they have not done to bad, won 4 drew 1 in December, had another dip in January, however have only lost 2 of there last 10 games, so any one thinking a straight forward win here, think again.

That said on the run our team are on, us fan's have every right to expect a win here, hopefully we will see a good support, our team deserves it, going for another tight win.

[Colorado Gull]

1-0, We only win 1-0, We only win 1-0, We only win 1-0 =D

Will it be 8 victories in a row? On paper yes it will be, but football isn't played on paper and no game is an easy game. However, I believe that we can win tomorrow and carry on our fantastic run. With a good support from the crowd and if we play like we have been, we will win.

COYY!

[Wisconsin_gull]

Matt
Get well soon
Bixie is 3/3 on his matchday threads.
So would be happy for you to delegate it to Bixie, and for you rest up with your night nurse... :sleep:
Anyhow, think the boys will showboat tomorrow...watch out for a masterclass from Eunan. Defensive unit hasn't missed a beat with CR departure. The run will continue...we could be top of table for final score...

Torquay 5 v 1 Bradford (FT)
Torquay 2 v 0 Bradford (HT)
First Tqy scorer: Danny Boy

[Yellow4life]

2-1 defeat coming up...

(I've predicted a defeat for the past 2 games so lets hope I lose on the predictor again!)

[Plymouth Gull]

Hope you're well Matt. If it's any consolation then I'm now 99% recovered from my surgery last month! Will try and do the thread tonight/tomorrow morning if you don't fancy it? Definitely owe you for the times you've done them when I couldn't!