FINAL SCORE - GULLS 2 EASTBOURNE 0

That's a big three points for the Gulls and a massive sweepstake win for me!
The players are getting a great reception from the fans.
Torquay did what had to be done this afternoon, and did it well.
Now for FGR on Tuesday night.
That's it from sunny Plainmoor. Thanks for blogging.

Chris Hargreaves has won the sponsors' man of the match award and you can't fault their choice. Nicky Wroe has done his chances of a run in the side no harm at all this afternoon with a good, solid performance and Tyrone Thompson has worked hard.
Wayne Carlisle has had an awful afternoon. Everything he has touched has gone wrong. It's just one of those days, Wayne.

The crowd is 1,921, and in the 84th minute Hook does really well to save a header from Sills after a great cross from the right by Wroe.

Eastbourne are really on the ropes now with 10 minutes to go.
I've got 2-0 in the sweepstake but I think we might be able to go on and get another.

GOAL - GULLS 2 EASTBOURNE 0

Chris Hargreaves makes it 2-0 after 73 minutes, getting up in the middle of the box to meet a Lee Mansell cross from the right and guide it perfectly inside the post to Hook's right.
That's a great finish.
Can we make it three wins on the trot?

And lo, Stevens appears from the dugout. He's on after 69 minutes, replacing Carayol, which is a surprise.

That's 65 minutes gone now, and we are no closer to killing this game off. And no closer to making any changes. Stevens for Carlisle would be the crowd's change of choice. Carlisle is not having a great day and we could do with some pace up front.

On the hour Hook gets up brilliantly to tip a Hargreaves header over the bar, and moments later he's sprinting off his line to welly the ball clear as Sills closes in. He's busy but he's on top of his game.
Wroe makes ground on the edge of the box again but Carayol's cross lands out in the car park.

Carayol has just skinned the full-back down the left again, but we haven't made it count.
There are 55 minutes on the clock and there's more Keystone Koppery on the edge of our box as we fail to clear the ball properly.
I don't mean to go on, but we really need a second goal....

No changes at half-time for either side, by the look of it.
And we're off, playing towards the Ministand in brilliant sunshine.
We have a corner 15 seconds into the half but Wayne Carlisle fouls the keeper and it's a free kick to the Sports

HALF TIME - GULLS 1 EASTBOURNE 0

Good half for the Gulls, even if we have failed to kill off a poor team again.
One goal isn't going to be enough, and we'll need another before the hour, I reckon.
But if we hang on by our fingernails to claim another 1-0 win, I am NOT going to complain.
This is a whole lot better than the football we were seeing a couple of weeks ago.

We can see 38 Eastbourne fans behind the goal, by the way. None of them seems to want to retrieve another wayward Thompson shot which is pinging up and down on the concrete steps.
Now Pullan clears off the line to give Torquay another corner, their fourth of the half so far.

35 minutes gone now, and Eastbourne are trying to play a bit of football although the home defence are coping well so far.
Down at the other end in front of the few Eastbourne fans who have made the trip, Thompson fires in another shot but it's an easy save for Hook.

The Sports have taken off the injured Harkin and replaced him with the similar-sounding Harding.
And there have been bookings for Chris Hargreaves and the Sports' Alan Tait, both for fouls.

GOAL - GULLS 1 EASTBOURNE 0

Tyrone Thompson puts us in front after 23 minutes. Sills got up well to meet a Steve Woods free kick and direct it back across the box.
Thompson had time to control it before lashing it in from six yards.
Good goal.

A real let-off for the Gulls in the 18th minute as Neil Jenkins lets fly with a left-foot volley from 30 yards.
Poke is beaten and it looks like a stunner, but the ball hits the bar and comes back.

Mr Rushton is wearing a pair of boots with red and white go-faster stripes on them. We're thinking £4.99 from Lidls in the press box but we may be wrong.
Eastbourne are called the Sports by the way, because they grew from a club called Langney Sports.
It's all gone a bit quiet for a moment, which gives us a chance to bring you top quality trivia.

Six minutes gone and this game has a touch of the Keystone Kops about it, with balls going astray everywhere. Expect it to end 4-3 or 5-4, which probably means it'll be 0-0.
Tyrone Thompson bangs a shot into Lee Hook's midriff from the edge of the box.

Great chance for Eastbourne after 15 seconds, but Crabb's backheel from a Jay Lovett cross goes straight at Michael Poke in front of the family stand.
At the other end Darren Baker denies Tim Sills.
This is a lively start.

Half an hour to kick-off and it's another sun-drenched summer afternoon at Plainmoor, with the distant peaks of Haytor just visible through the haze over the top of the Pop Side.
We are unchanged, and that means another go at the 4-4-1-1 formation. Poke is in goal; Mansell, Woods, Todd and Hodges across the back; Carlisle, Wroe, Hargreaves and Carayol across the middle, Sills up front and Thompson, er, in the hole...
On the bench nicko comes in for Robertson, and his bench-mates today are Benyon, Stevens, Adams and the midweek hat-trick man for the reserves, Matt green.
Eastbourne, who we have never played before, are 4-4-2 with Hook in goal; Austin, Baker, Pullen and Jenkins across the back; Lovett, Smart, Armstrong and Harkin across the middle and Tait and Nathan Crabb up front.
their bench is Harding, Atkin, Matt Crabb, Wormull and Budd.
Ref is Steve Rushton from Staffordshire.

LIVE MATCH COVERAGE

Live match blogging here tomorrow. Get to the game and cheer the lads if you can, but if you're otherwise engaged - on a desert island with just enough power for an hour and a half of laptop, for instance - just click here.

The countdown to the Eastbourne game begins in Friday's Herald Express with Paul Buckle pondering the shape of his team and DT giving a run-down on the opposition, including a tribute to the man who has played for the Sports for the last 16 years!
Make sure of your copy, and click on www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk
The match will be live on this blog tomorrow afternoon.

Matt Green's hat trick for the reserves yesterday has increased the competition for places up front ahead of the visit of Eastbourne on Saturday.
Green enjoyed his day in the sunshine yesterday, scoring a 'perfect' hat trick. That's one with the left, one with the right and one with the head.
There's a full report in Thursday's Herald Express, along with DT's Plainmoor Diary which includes the latest on Boots & Laces and a bit of nonsense from Lee McEvilly.
Grab a copy now, or click www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk

Gulls Reserves 5 Team Bath 1

Matt Green scored a hat-trick as the Gulls reserves beat Team Bath 5-1. Other goals came from Elliott Benyon and Roscoe Dsane.
Our man at Plainmoor with a cup of tea and a bag of Big D nuts reports a decent game and a good outing for some of our fringe players.
According to Darryl Haggan's rather excellent Torquay United website we lined up with Martin Rice in goal, a back four of Pryce, Kelly, Brough and Nicholson; a midfield of Dsane, Adams, Yeoman and Stevens, and Benyon and Green up front.
Warming the bench for us this afternoon were Gwinnett, Westcott, Hemming, Beattie, Palmer and Fisher.
Full details in Thursday's Herald Express and at www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk

It seems Mark Ellis could be out for a month after tearing calf muscles at Cambridge, and the 19-year-old defender is due to have a scan today.
Also today, there will be a chance for players on the fringe of the first team to impress during a friendly against team Bath at Plainmoor, kicking off at 1pm.
Expect to see the likes of Kevin Nicholson, Elliot Benyon, Matt Green, Danny Stevens and Steve Adams as well as loan-listed Michael Brough and Roscoe Dsane.
It's all in Wednesday's Herald Express and at www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk

Steve Woods is ready to return from his groin injury for the visit of Eastbourne on Saturday, but Mark Ellis will be out for a fortnight after picking up a calf injury at Cambridge.
There's a chance to see the reserves - and maybe Woodsy - in action at Plainmoor on Wednesday afternoon when Conference South side Team Bath visit for a friendly.
Kick-off is at 1pm and admission is free.
Everything you need to know is in Tuesday's Herald Express and at www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk

UNITED WE STAND!

THE Herald Express Monday football supplement is back, and what a week to relaunch it!
Wayne Carlisle's 90th minute goal brought victory at Cambridge on Saturday and came after a sound performance which brought glowing praise from the manager.
Read all about it in Monday's Herald Express and at www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk