Torquay United v Accrington Stanley - 13/10/12

[AustrianAndyGull]

Martin Ling tries to regroup the troops in preparation for the tricky assignment that is a home league game against Accrington Stanley, especially after the disappointing defeat to Wycombe where he confessed it was possibly the worst performance of the season. Well Rotherham away was worse IMHO and Chesterfield, Fleetwood and Port Vale on a par so he really needs to wake up a little and get these issues addressed. I'm not sure a home game against Accy is the tonic either as they can be a very awkward side to play against and could easily turn us over at Plainmoor causing more consternation for the Gulls boss.

Accrington have acclimatised well to the rigours of league football since they got promotion from the conference in 2009 and they are now becoming an established club with a reputation for feeding off scraps in terms of the transfer/loan market. A bit like ourselves. The only downside about their football league accreditation is the fact that we have to go up there once a season to the back of beyond to watch a football match. We have met 8 times as football league clubs since 2009 with Accy having the upper hand winning 5, we have won 2 (both at Plainmoor) and drawn 1 (also at Plainmoor) and they have scored 12 goals to our 6 so clearly they are a bit of a bogey side, especially away.

The last time we met was at the back end of last season when we were pushing for promotion and we notched a 1-0 home win courtesy of a 73rd minute Rene Howe goal in front of 3,934 spectators. The season before that only 2,598 fans saw a 0-0 draw at Plainmoor. Stanley are currently on 17 points in league 2 in 9th place and boss Paul Cook likes to play flowing attacking football, a sequence of 29 games without a 0-0 draw seems to be evidence of this. Last time out they were involved in a thrilling 3-2 defeat at home to Rochdale and a few weeks before that they were on the wrong end of a 4-3 scoreline against Chesterfield at the Proact Stadium. Clearly goals are there for us if we can hit them hard but i fear us not taking the initiative AGAIN and struggling to create chances which would be unacceptable. Stanley, despite their lack of household names even in league 2 terms are well capable of knocking a few past us if we let them have the ball too much.

In Padraig Amond i believe they have one of the leagues most potent strikers and he is their leading scorer this term on 5. His previous clubs include Shamrock Rovers and Sligo Rovers and a stint in the Portuguese league with Pacos Ferreira making appearances against Braga and Porto. He will need to seriously be watched. They also have Benin international Romuald Boco, a midfielder who nearly signed for Doncaster in the summer. He has 3 goals this term and went to the 2008 African Cup of Nations. Their 'biggest' signing of the summer was former Preston NE midfielder George Miller and they also have club captain Dean Winnard, a former Blackburn player, the wonderfully named Congolese player Aristote Nsiala and the experienced keeper Ian Dunbavin. Dunbavin is handy with his hands having served 18 months in the slammer for lamping someone in the bar brawl incident that Steven Gerrard was involved in 3 years ago. It's a good job it wasn't Luis Suarez who he hit coz he would have GONE down and STAYED down!

Last time out v Rochdale:

1. Ian Dunbavin (gk)
2. Peter Murphy
3. Aristote Nsiala
4. Lee Molyneux
5. Robert Atkinson ( on loan from Fleetwood Town )
6. Luke Joyce
7. Aiden Chippendale
8. Danny Schofield ( on loan from Rotherham United )
9. Padraig Amond
10. Piero Mingoia ( on loan from Watford )
11. Romuald Boco

SUBS: Andrew Dawber (gk) UNUSED, Will Hatfield ( on for Mingoia on 80 mins ), George Miller ( on for Chippendale on 56 mins ), Matthew Whichelow ( on for Schofield on 76 mins ), Craig Lindfield UNUSED, Karl Sheppard ( on loan from Reading ) UNUSED, Bohan Dixon UNUSED.

I can't imagine many Stanley Ultra's making the long journey down to Devon and i can't see there being much of an atmosphere at Plainmoor for this one but we really need to forget about the Wycombe game and get behind the lads for this. If i could be there to ad an extra voice i would but i can't. I just hope the lads out there on the pitch do enough to justify the continued support and, again, if we play well and show some real attacking intent they i would be happy with a draw. For me now it is the performance that is most important and not the result because i really have seen some real tripe so far this season and i'd take a gung ho loss just so the lads can feel alive again. They've looked like extras from 28 Days Later for what i've seen of them this season and i just want them to break free and express themselves without fear. We are playing with fear and it's just perpetuating safety first football. Do that against an unpredictable but talented Accrington side and we will lose the game.

I personally think this game will be a 1-1 draw with Downes bombing in from a set piece to give us a share of the spoils.

The referee is Mr Simon Hooper with his assistants Mr Richard Hulme and Mr Simon Knapp. The fourth official is Mr Kevin Johnson.

Enjoy the game lads and lasses!

[Glostergull]

This is one match I always dread. Either home or away. The team has to be one of the least attractive teams in the league with a depressing stadium if you can even call it that. in a depressing town. The railway or bus station having seemed to have been the donors of their stand roof.
The supporters must have a death wish just to live in that town if you can call Accrington a life. I have been there more times than I want to remember for one thing or another. I swear I even saw the rats deserting the town as i arrived.
Our performance against them will need to be much better than Wycombe. Although I did see some positives I also saw some things that definatly needed work on and we desperatly need to play with out fear of our last few performances.
If they lose again I fear we may well be on a losing streak due to severe lack of confidence and then we will be worrying when it will end. We can't stay like this for much longer. But i sincerely hope we will end this sequence and back to winning ways. I wouldn't be afraid of giving starts to Niall. Ashley and Danny. be it only part of the game. As long as we have something on the bench to give them a rest if they tire then I thinkl we will start with an energetic tempo. Let's see if giving one or two of the others a rest if they need refreshing. Then see how they come back in a couple of games time.

[DubGull]

Well it's good to see you all so upbeat about the game on Saturday
I'll be coming along to Plainmoor for the first time in over 25 years to see the lads play and I'm hoping that there's a big reaction to last week's defeat. There'll be 10 of us travelling from Dublin and we plan to be on the Popside, singing voices at the ready. A pint or two in Boots and Laces for the warm up will help. I've been counting down the weeks for this trip so no more negative talk please, we're going to WIN! COYY!!

[AlexGulls]

Hopefully it will be luck of the Irish then! Wont be many goals I think a goal either way will decide it.

[Behind-the-Gulls]

I think there must be some doubt whether Saturday's game will go ahead.
Its rained constantly since last Sunday night-heavy rain too,not just light showers. We had a brief respite yesterday afternoon and evening but it rained very heavily again last night and this morning.Its expected to clear up a bit this afternoon but more heavy showers are expected tomorrow and Saturday-albiet with some sunny spells.
The pitch will be saturated;having had no chance to dry out-there's been little wind with the rain.
I'm even wondering if there might be an early pitch inspection tomorrow morning to prevent Accrington from travelling unnecessarily.
Very unusual to lose two home games to the weather this early in the season,but this must be one of the worst rainy spells we've had in October for years.
Not sure who's supervising pitch preparation at Plainmoor either as I don't think the new Head Groundsman has started yet?

[Dave]

Yep for those of you not local, keep an eye on the weather, it's chucking buckets hasn't stopped all week, even the roads are flooded this morning..

EDIT Here is a link to the weather forecast...http://uk.ask.com/web?l=sem&ifr=1&qsrc= ... FCEC21773E, maybe Mr Candy could give us a hint as whether there is any planned pitch inspections.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Play them on the beach if the pitch is waterlogged! Mind you, that would give them an unfair advantage as they are used to playing on sand.

[chipnicker]

Hope this one is on, love watching Accrington play - Good passing side.

No need to make a rushed decision regarding the pitch though - should clear up come weekend.

[DubGull]

Oh please let this be on. We've been organising this trip with military precision for weeks!

Rain, I command thee - STOP!!

[Dave]

Good call DubGull, the rain has stopped and just a few bright patchs showing through..

[DubGull]

Just rang the club and they reckon the game will go ahead and the pitch is no worse than on Tuesday. They said to ring again tomorrow afternoon.
Fingers, toes and nadgers crossed

While i'm on here, any recommendations for decent pubs in Torquay itself? We're arriving at around 4pm tomorrow and staying til Sunday. I've marked out a few places to visit but any thoughts from anyone on here welcome!

[AlexGulls]

Couple of Weatherspoons down the Harbour one called The London Inn and theres one two minites just at the bottom of Fleet Walk called Green Ginger.

[chipnicker]

Dunbavin is handy with his hands having served 18 months in the slammer for lamping someone in the bar brawl incident that Steven Gerrard was involved in 3 years ago. It's a good job it wasn't Luis Suarez who he hit coz he would have GONE down and STAYED down!

This I must point out is incorrect, it was 18 weeks (suspended for a year). Also Accy have been in League two since 2006/07

[AustrianAndyGull]

Damn my inaccurate sources!!!

[AustrianAndyGull]

The 18 months thing is a typo, now you've mentioned it i meant to put weeks and not months but hold my hands up for the second gaffe.