Plainmoor, Saturday 24th March 2012, 3pm.
Tomorrow afternoon we return to Plainmoor where Torquay United entertain Micky Adams Port Vale side. After 3 successive away fixtures, in which the Gulls took 6 points from a possible 9, only dropping points at champions-elect Swindon on Tuesday night, they return to familiar surroundings for tomorrows fixture. With just 8 games remaining, with 4 at Plainmoor and 4 on the road, it really is getting to the squeaky bum stage of the season for all teams involved in a promotion battle, aswell as those at the bottom end of the division. Port Vale come to Plainmoor without not much to play for. A 10-point deduction for entering administration a few weeks ago ended the Valiants playoff hopes, but with no threat of promotion or relegation, the club can focus on getting themselves sorted off the field.
TEAM NEWS.
The Gulls fielded their usual 11 on Tuesday, and I expect it to be the same again tomorrow. Damon Lathrope and Rene Howe were both taken off early in the second half at Swindon, as a precautionary measure and also to give them a well-earned rest. It’s expected that the side will line up in the same manner as they did on Tuesday night.
Port Vale have Clayton McDonald out through suspension, as he was sent off at Crawley last week. John McCombe may return from injury into his place, although all reports suggest that youngster Joe Davis filled in very well in Tuesdays narrow win over Hereford, so there’s a decision for Adams to make. Anthony Griffith returns in the engine room for the Valiants after sitting out a two-match ban.
HEAD TO HEAD.
25/11/11 – Port Vale 0 – 0 Torquay
A goalless draw was played out at Vale Park as the Gulls ended a 4-match winning streak.
16/04/11 – Torquay 0 – 0 Port Vale
Another goalless draw, this time at Plainmoor as the Gulls pushed towards the top 7.
28/08/10 – Port Vale 1 – 2 Torquay
Two goals in the opening 30 minutes from Nicky Wroe (penalty) and Chris Zebroski put the Gulls 2-0 up, but a 25-yarder by Anthony Griffith pulled it back, also ending the Gulls run without conceding, which reached a club-record 998 minutes.
13/02/10 – Torquay 1 – 2 Port Vale
Lewis Haldane and Marc Richards scored for Vale either side of halftime, with Elliot Benyon netting for the hosts.
24/11/09 – Port Vale 2 – 2 Torquay
A topsy-turvy game saw the points shared. Doug Loft opened the scoring, before goals by Nicky Wroe and Scott Rendell turned it around, but Rob Taylor levelled it up.
16/04/05 – Torquay 1 – 0 Port Vale
Leon Constantine scored an injury-time penalty to give the Gulls a vital 3 points in their fight against the drop in League 1.
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In 3 meetings at Plainmoor in recent years, Vale have won one and lost one. Their 1-2 win down here is the only time they’ve beaten us in 7 attempts, the last one before that coming in April 1986.
Zebroski celebrates his goal at Vale Park last season.
THE FORM TABLE.
Torquay – WWDWWL
Port Vale – DDWLLW
Whereas we go into this fixture on a run of 1 defeat in 6, the Valiants come into it with a very mixed record, 2 wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats. Their last away success came at Northampton at the end of February, where they won 1-0. Tuesday’s victory over Hereford stopped it becoming 3 consecutive defeats, as they lost at home to Barnet and away to Crawley.
HOW THEY LINED UP.
This is how the Valiants lined up on Tuesday night;
Stuart Tomlinson
Adam Yates, John McCombe, Joe Davis, Doug Loft
Sean Rigg, Paul Marshall, Sam Morsy, Chris Shuker
Marc Richards, Louis Dodds.
Subs: Tom Pope, Chris Martin, Ben Williamson, Phil Roe, Kingsley James.
MAN IN THE MIDDLE.
Darren Sheldrake is the man in black for this one. Tomorrow will be the second time he has been in charge of the Gulls this season, having seen over the match at Dagenham back in August (1-1). In 26 matches, he has dished out 75 yellow cards and 10 reds. His most recent fixture was Tuesday night, as he was at the Amex Stadium to officiate Brighton’s 2-0 win over Derby.
Darren Sheldrake in action.
PREDICTION.
Every game is tough now, but hopefully we’ll get back to winning ways.
2-1 to United.
allthingstorquayunited 