I had a few spare minutes so I thought I’d bash this out to save others the trouble. As always, feel free to add your own thoughts and comments on the thread.
Fresh from their triumph away to Barnet this week, the Gulls are at home to Forest Green Rovers on Saturday, and this is going to be as tough a game for our lads as the one at Barnet, if not more so. FGR are the longest-serving members of the Conference and are making every effort to secure promotion to the Football League for the first time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_Green_Rovers_F.C.
On Tuesday FGR drew 1-1 at home with Eastleigh, and though they were beaten 2-0 at home by Scunthorpe in the FA Cup first round, they are unbeaten in the league since a 2-1 defeat at home to Barnet on 27 September.
But three days after that game, they beat the Gulls 2-1 at home, and on 18 October they beat Bristol Rovers 1-0 away at the Memorial Stadium. Going back even further, FGR have suffered only two other defeats, at home to Wrexham and away to Nuneaton, early in September.
In our meeting at the New Lawn, moments after Krystian Pearce went close with a header, we went in front with a neat lob from Duane Ofori-Acheampong. Jon Parkin levelled for FGR from six yards before Courtney Richards, who set up the Gulls’ goal, saw a second yellow card for a foul on Norwood and we were reduced to ten men. After which Norwood met Elliott Frear's left-wing cross to seal victory for FGR.
FGR’s manager is Adrian Pennock, who played for Norwich City, Molde FK, Bournemouth, Gillingham, and Gravesend & Northfleet. He was manager of Welling United for two years before joining Stoke City to be first team coach. He left at the end of the 2012–13 season following the departure of Tony Pulis, and on 12 November 2013 he was appointed manager of FGR.
Current league positions: FGR are eighth in the table with 32 points from 19 games. The Gulls are ninth with 30 points from 18 games.
Teams last time out:
FGR: Russell, Pipe, Oshodi, Oliver, Stokes, Guthrie (sub Norwood), Kamdjo, Wedgbury, Frear, Hughes (sub Sinclair), Rodgers (sub Parkin). Substitutes: Bennett, Norwood, Kelly, Sinclair, Parkin. Players to watch: FGR’s top scorers are Hughes, Norwood, and Parkin, with six goals each.
Torquay United: Rice, Berry, Pearce, Downes, Cruise, Young, Richards, Cameron (sub Thompson), Ajala, Bowman, Briscoe (sub Ofori-Acheampong). Substitutes: Yeoman, Thompson, Seabright, Ofori-Acheampong, Odofin.
I expect Chris Hargreaves will make few if any changes to the side for this game. If other results go our way, victory here could see us back in the play-off positions over the weekend. Another important game. Turn up and support the lads.
