Torquay v Crawley

Due to technical problems, today's live updates will appear on the main Herald Express website www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk in the Sport section.

GOAL - GULLS 2-0 KETTERING

ir Sturrock makes it 2-0 with a neat finish after Nicky Wroe put him through from midfield.

Great shot from Nicky Wroe after a run down the left from Sturrock. Harper saves at the second attempt. dsane should have buried it when he had the first chance but dithered over the ball and the chance was gone...again.

A worrying momnet for the Gulls on the hour as Westcarr crosses from the right but Marna drives his shot high over the roof of the stand as Hargreaves flies in to tackle him.

Dsane shoots over the top in the 56th minute after a good run across the defence.

Westcarr looks lively for Kettering down the right and they're having the better start to the half.

Double substitution for the visitors at half time, with Marna and Westcarr on for Solkhon and Wright.

HALF TIME - GULLS 1-0 KETTERING

Fantastic save by Kettering's Harper in the 43rd minute from a powerful chris Todd header.

Great save from Scott Bevan in the 40th minute, hanging on to a shot by Ryan Charles at the second attempt

Another corner to Torquay - their seventh of the half - and Carlisle swings it in only for the mighty Branston to head clear.

Luke Potter swings in a free kick from Kettering's right. It's aimed at the far post but curls high and wide.
Sturrock shoots wide after a melee in the box in the 30th minute. Robertson had an effort blocked, too.

Dsane has a shot blocked from 10 yards after 25 minutes. We are very much on top here but, as usual, will need to score again...

GOAL - GULLS 1-0 KETTERING

Chris Robertson puts the Gulls in fron after 20 minutes, finding the roof of the net from close range after Sills flicks on a nicko long throw from the right.

A flurry of corners for Torquay but no real chances. Ten minutes gone.

Nicholson pings in a free kick in the third minute and Robertson meets it 15 yards out. it's on target but easy for Lee Harper.

It looks as if Hargreaves has won the toss and we're playing towards the Babbacombe End in the first half.
We're off.

More network connection problems here, apologies for the 'down time'. You haven't missed a lot. The teams are on the pitch, Gulls in gold and Kettering in white with a bold red cross on the front, white shorts and socks.
A minute's silence here.

Lee Mansell is back for the Gulls at right back. Chris Robertson moves into the middle and Lee Hodges drops to the bench.
It's a great day here, although the pitch looks a bit on the hard side. There's water going on it before the start so it should be fine.

TORQUAY: (4-4-2) Bevan; Mansell, Robertson, Todd, Nicholson; Carlisle, Wroe, Hargreaves, Dsane; Sturrock, Sills. Subs not used: Benyon, Hodges, Carayol, Stevens, Christie.

KETTERING: (5-3-2) Harper; Bennett, Branston, Dempster, Geohaghon, Potter; Solkhon, Boucaud, Charles; Wright, Seddon. Subs not used: Eaden, Potter, Beardsely, Marnia, Westcarr.

REFEREE: Paul Melin (Surrey)

GULLS v KETTERING

Welcome to sun-soaked Plainmoor for the play-off six pointer between Torquay and Kettering. No team news as yet, but what an afternoon!
Shirt sleeves and a goal-fest, I reckon...

FINAL SCORE - GULLS 4-1 BARROW

And to cap the late drama Barrow have had Walker sent off for a wild foul on Ellis.

GOAL - GULLS 4-1 BARROW

Green scuffs the ball in after 88 minutes. The linesman flags for offside but the ref over-rules him. It's 4-1!

Stevens pings a great shot just over the top with 10 minutes to go.
And Green comes on for Benyon after 86 minutes. Elliot has given us a man of the match performance today.
Green volleys just bwide with his first touch.

A lovely header from Robertson brings a great diving save from Deasy in the 75th minute.

Hargreaves apperas to be playing through the pain barrier here, and is moving better then he was.

GOAL - GULLS 3-1 BARROW

Tim Sills makes it 3-1 after 67 minutes. Carlisle crosses from the left, Benyon helps it on with a flick over the defence and Sills heads it in at the far post from eight yards. That's 18 goals this season for the big man.

Attendance 2,269

Carlisle has just answered the question in the 65th minute, cutting in from the left and hammering one in from the edge of the box which deasy punches straight up into the air.

Carlisle is coming on for Thompson after 62 minutes. He has scored winning goals on his last couple of appearances from the bench. We'll need another today, I reckon.

Ellis heads wide from a Nicholson cross in the 57th minute.
Barrow are still giving this a right go, though.
Great chance for the Gulls in the 58th. Wroe burst down the right and crossed low into the box. Simon Spender just beat Benyon to the ball and Deasy was able to gather.

Great break from Torquay with Stevens crossing low for Benyon. The ball goes out for a corner on the right.
Barrow full back logan is now down having treatment. He may have twisted his ankle.

Hargreaves is really struggling now, and a substitution must be imminent.

Deasy gathers the ball right on his line after a back header by Paul Jones puts the Barrow keeper under pressure.
Thompson now appears to be wide on the left with Wroe in the middle.

Tyrone Thompson lets fly 25 yards out but it's high and wide.
Hargreaves looks to have hurt himself stretching for a tackle. It looks like a groin from here, if you see what we mean. He's limping it off by the look of it.
Barrow have just missed a great chance, with Spender lifting the ball into the box and Bond taking his time before volleying into the side netting.
That was a let-off.

No changes on either side as we begin the second half. The formation will be interesting.

HALF TIME GULLS 2-1 BARROW

What a strange half that was. With an unusual formation and with a number of players looking distinctly uncomfortable in unfamiliar positions, we are still ahead with a couple of cracking goals.
Do we stick with this formation for the second half?
Probably. You can't argue with a 2-1 lead.

There are two extra minutes to play, and we are laying siege to Barrow's goal. Benyon drives in a volley, but Deasy gets down to hang on.

GOAL - GULLS 2-1 BARROW

Elliot Benyon puts us back in front after 39 minutes. Danny Stevens cuts in from the right and angles the ball back into the box. Benyon gets his 12th goal of the season with a sharp finish back across the keeper

Great run into the box by little Danny, but his shot is blocked.
And Tim Sills is penalised for a push in the box when the general consensus is that Sills has been on the receiving end for most of the half.
We're in the 38th minute now.

Boyd drills a low free kick from the best part of 40 yards just wide of Bevan's right hand post. Boyd crosses for Bond, but his header is high over the bar.
At the other end Nicko crosses from the left. Hargreaves gets his head to it 15 yards out but can't direct it on target and it flies wide.

Stalemate at the moment. Our fast flowing start appears to have petered out. We have a lot of players looking ill at ease in unaccustomed positions.
Half an hour gone.

Wroe is over on the right now.
Nicko drives in a powerful cross from the left which Hargreaves tries to direct into the path of Benyon but Barrow scramble it clear.

Barrow's Jason Walker is off after treatment, but quickly back on again.
A very promising attack breaks down for us on the edge of the box.
Barrow break again but Mark Ellis gets to the ball ahead of Walker.
There are 22 minutes gone now.

Thompson appears to be playing through the middle for us, with Wroe on the left. He's a right-footer, but there must be some method to this.

GOAL GULLS 1-1 BARROW

Just when we were talking about it looking too easy, Jason Walker charges down a Hodges clearance wide on the Gulls left, races down the line and crosses low to the edge of the box.
Paul Brown reaches the ball first and drives it low to Bevan's left.
Good goal for them. Sucker punch for us.

Lovely link-up between Wroe and Hargreaves on the edge of the box but Barrow clear.
We are really up for this today, by the look of it. Let's hope we can keep it up for the full 90.

GOAL - GULLS 1-0 BARROW

Great goal in the 4th minute by Nicky Wroe. Tyrone Thompson breaks from defence down the centre, lays the ball off to Wroe in the left channel. Wroe cuts inside, steadies himself and shoots home right footed.
That's one of the best goal we've seen here this season.

Boyd shoots from a free kick in the first minute, but it's an easy gather for Bevan in the Torquay goal.
And Benyon races through on a flick by Sills. He tries to flick the ball over the ample figure of deasy in the Barrow goal but Deasy blocks.

Barrow kick off, playing towards the Ministand in the first half.

The teams are out, with the Gulls in gold and Barrow in white shirts with blue trim, blue shorts and white socks. Their numbers are big and black.

The sweepstake is a mighty four-quid-plus rollover, and I've gone for a 1-0 win for the Gulls. It's the first time these clubs have met for 39 years.
It was 1-1 that day, and Jimmy Dunne got the goal.

Brilliant sunshine here this afternoon and almost a shirt sleeves day.
The Gulls are warming up, with Sills jogging alongside Damien Davey. There are still obviously a few concerns over his calf injury.

GULLS v BARROW

The big news is that tim Sills is fit to start, and Iyseden Christie is fit to take his place on the bench.
Lee Mansell and Matt Green are dropped. Sills is in for Green and Danny Stevens in for Mansell.
We will line up 4=4-2 although the midfield four could be a bit fluid. we are Bevan; Robertson, Hodges, Ellis, Nicholson; Stevens, Wroe, Hargreaves, Thompson; Sills, Benyon. On the bench are Mansell, Carlisle, Green, Carayol and Christie.
Barrow are also 4-4-2, with Deasy; Logan, Spender, Jones, Holness; McGill, Bond, Boyd, Brown; Walker, Hunt.
On the bench they have Kerr, Woodyatt, Sheridan, Bayliss and Steele.
Referee is Ian Cooper from Kent.

And once again that's going to feel like two points dropped, although as someone has just pointed out, seven points out of nine in a week isn't a bad return.
Onwards and upwards to Altrincham on Tuesday night, then.

FINAL SCORE - GULLS 1-1 R&D

Danny Stevens shoots left footed from 20 yards. It scuffs along the ground but Roberts holds on.
Another low cross from the right by Stevens in the third minute of stoppage team brings a crunching challenge between Roberts and Robertson, from which Rushden emerge with the ball.
Burgess drives a great shot from 25 yards for the visitors but Bevan takes it in the midriff and hangs on.

There will be four added minutes to play.

Great run down the right by Benyon. Hargreaves challenges for the cross but the ref judges it as a foul on the keeper.
Finally a free kick for Torquay - 35 yards out and central.
Wroe and Nicko over it. Wroe touches it to his left and Nicko drives it. Roberts saves.
Right back to the other end where Kelly shoots from 20 yards out on the left and hits the bar.
Smith comes on for Rankine for the visitors.

Attendance is 2,161.
Torquay have a corner on the right with six minutes to go.
It breaks eventually to Nicko, but his shot is deflected behind for another one.
This time the ref gives a foul by Robertson and it's a free kick for the visitors.

Osano gets a booking for a foul on Carayol in the 80th minute.
Nicko whips in the free kick from wide on the left. Now it's a corner for the Gulls on the left. All sorts of pushing and shoving on the far post, but nothing comes of it.
Great save from Bevan in the 82nd minute. R&D sub Marcus Kelly shot from 20 yards and a deflection off Woods looks to be taking it in before Bevan gets down. And the home keeper denies Downer from the corner, too.

And it's a booking for Hargreaves, who caught Burgess late.
Green bursts through in the left channel on a long through ball, but his volley lands in the directors' box.

Benyon's downward header bounces kindly into Roberts' hands. Hargreaves puts Benyon in with a typically brave header but Rushden clear.
We are still playing high balls into the box, but without Tim Sills we don't exactly have many tall players to aim at.

Good cross by Danny Stevens from the right but Benyon can't get anything on the header.
Wroe and Carayol get in each other's way on the edge of the box and neither can get a clean shot on the bouncing ball.
Penalty shouts turned down as Chris Robertson goes sprawling in the box.
We have just over 15 minutes left.

That came out of the blue, but what a good finish from Tomlin. And sure enough, right on cue, the downpour arrives.
And Tomlin has another go in the 69th minute, but Mansell clears.

GOAL - GULLS 1-1 R&D

The sky is getting darker here. There's a downpour coming.
Stevens is playing on the right, with Green partnering Benyon up front.
Torquay have a corner on the right. Nicko curls it but Roberts catches easily.
Tomlin fells Muzzy and Mr Johnson has finally had enough and books him.
Free kick wide on the left after Carayol is fouled. Nicko pulls it back for Danny, who tees it up and shoots from 20 yards. Roberts tips it over the bar. Glorious!
Tomlin equalises in the 65th minute. He collected the ball wide on the left and cut inside to shoot low inside the far post with his right foot.

And Tim Sills succumbs after 59 minutes. He was suffering with calf injuries in the week, and he looks in some pain as he comes off, to be replaced by Danny Stevens.

Free kick now wide on the left for Torquay, Nicko to take.
It's headed clear by Osano.
There are 55 minutes gone now.
Marcus Kelly is on now for the visitors, replacing Chris Arthur.

Gareth Jelleyman comes on in the 51st minute to replace Robinson, who is clearly still feeling the effects of his clash with Sills.
Corner on the left for Torquay in front of the ministand. Woods meets it but it's cleared.
Now Tomlin is down hurt, but he's up again quickly.

A great ball round the corner by Sills releases Benyon in the 49th minute. Elliot is bearing down on the keeper with the ball at his feet when the lino's flag flutters and he's offside. The Pop Side disagree. It was mighty close.

Muzzy is still in orange boots, too, and celebrates the first minute of the new half with a mesmerising run into the box which has no end product.
Robinson is down clutching his shin after a tussle with Sills and needs some attention. He's up after a couple of minutes of TLC.

Nope, no changes on either side at the break, and we're under way for the second half.

Torquay subs are warming up on the pitch. Rushden's are nowhere to be seen. Have they all gone in for a Bovril, or are we expecting wholesale changes in the visiting team?

HALF TIME - GULLS 1-0 R&D

Two minutes of added time to play.

A simple finish for Sills. Clinical is probably a better word.
Now it's a corner on the left for Rushden. Burgess again.
Bevan punches clear, Wolleaston crosses it back in and Osano heads it over from six yards. That was a great chance for the visitors.

GOAL - GULLS 1-0 R&D

Corner for Torquay on the left in the 41st minute. Carayol swings it into the box and Sills gets up unmarked six yards out to glance it in.

A mighty drop kick by Bevan bounces just wide of Roberts' goal.
Muzzy runs through his repertoire of step-overs and stand-ons down in the corner. He finishes off with a cross but it's an easy catch for Roberts.
Great save by Bevan in the 38th minute. Burgess and Tomlin combine to put Wolleaston in for a sidefoot shot from after 15 yards, but Bevs is down sharply to push it away.

Great catch by big Scott Bevan as Osano floats in a cross from the right for R&D. The Gulls keeper was under real pressure.
We are in the 32nd minute now with no score. The Gulls are just about on top but R&D look sharp on the break.
Burgess drives in a corner from the left in the 33rd minute. Hargreaves gets up to clear with a powerful header.

Benyon gets in a header which makes Roberts stretch a bit, but the visiting keeper completes the save.
In the 27th minute R&D have a free kick 40 yards out. Nice movement in the box but Nicko clears.
Arthur tries a shot but it is deflected behind by Tim Sills for a corner.
Burgess takes, it breaks to Tomlin and is deflected behind on the other side. Burgess is the man who has to shuttle back and forth.
Torquay clear and Matt Green breaks but loses the ball.

Corner to R&D on their left. it's their first.
Burgess finds Tomlin on the edge of the box. He sets himself and volleys. It's over the top but a bold effort. Round of applause.
Now it's a corner on the right for Torquay, and it's Nicholson to take it as ever.
Punched clear by Roberts for a throw on the other side, so it's Nicko making his weary way across again.

Free kick to Torquay wide on the right again. Nicko will take it and curl it in.
He shoots but it's blocked by Wolleaston.
We are now midway through the first half and there's no score.

Muzzy's orange boots are getting an airing today. They may just be his first half boots though.
Nasty foul on Muzzy by Kurt Robinson. The ref is giving him a yellow card which should make him a bit more careful from now on.
Corner to Torquay on the right.
There's a scramble in the goalmouth. Benyon's header hits the top of the bar and there's a R&D player injured on the line. It's Osano and he's up on his feet again.
Play restarts with a contested drop-ball.

Matt Green and Lee Msnsell both have shots at goal in the seventh minute after a cross from the right but both are blocked.
In the 10th minute Benyon has a shot on the turn from the edge of the box but it's weak and no problem for Roberts.
Mr Johnson has already had a word with R&D striker Tomlin for dissent. He had a good game against us last time they were here but he does like to have a word with the officials.

Corner on the left for Torquay in the seventh minute. Muzzy takes it. It curls beyond the far post and is put behind for another corner, to be taken from the right by Nicko.
This time it's cleared from the near post.

Free kick this time from the right. Woods curls this one into the box. Sills meets it and it's a header on target, although it's an easy take for Dale Roberts.
Hope clatters Benyon and it's another free kick for the Gulls in the fourth minute.
We were right about this being a physical game.

Nicko curls in a free kick from the left after 45 seconds. Woods meets it at the far post but puts the ball over the bar.
Not an easy chance, but a chance nevertheless.

We appear to have won the toss and will play towards the Babbacombe End in the first half. R&D are having a team huddle. In your own time, lads...
The announcer here has just urged 'Fortress Plainmoor' to become the '12th man'.
Oh dear.

Rushden seem to have brought 30 or so fans, sheltering from the drizzle in the Herald Express away stand.
And the teams are on the field, Torquay in all gold as ever, R&D in all white with red trim and red numbers. Very smart and very easy to read. We're happy.
They are a big team, too. This could be quite a physical challenge.

Referee is Kevin Johnson from Bristol.
Chris Hope is Rushden's player to watch, according to the Herald Express. we also like the look of midfielder Andy Burgess.

GULLS v R&D

Welcome to a grey and chilly Plainmoor, where we line up with that attacking 4-4-2 line-up that converts to a 4-2-4 going forward.
We are Bevan; Mansell, Woods, Robertson, Nicholson; Carayol, Wroe, Hargreaves, Green; Sills, Benyon. On the bench are Thompson, Carlisle, Hodges, Stevens and Ellis.
R&D are also 4-4-2 and will be Roberts; Osano, Hope, Downer, Robinson; Burgess, Wolleaston, Beecroft, Arthur; Rankone, Tomlin. On the bench are Jelleyman, Mcguinness, Kelly, Smith and Hilliard.

FINAL SCORE - GULLS 3-3 FGR

Mr Creighton goes off to a chorus of boos, but it has been an entertaining evening. It's two points dropped for the Gulls, though, thanks to a virtuoso performance by Mangan.
Good performances all round from the home team, but down in that dressing room they'll see it as points lost.
Full report and pictures in Wednesday's Herald Express and at www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk

Christie is through on goal but this time he is offside.
Long throw from the right by Nicko. Is this our last chance?
The ball bounces around the box. Christie shoots but it's saved.

Wroe drives a shot over from the edge of the box. There are two of the added minutes to go, and Burton is going as slowly as he possibly can to take the goal kick.

There are four minutes added on.

Corner on the left for the Gulls, to be taken by Carayol, but it doesn't beat the first man.
We're in the last minute.

Christie is in behind the FGR defence in the 88th minute but is crowded out.
Matt Green is named man of the match and the attendance is 1,554.
There are two minutes to go, plus whatever the man in black adds on.

Double substitution in the 84th minute.
Danny Stevens replaces Green for the Gulls. Michael Symons replaces hat-trick hero Mangan for Forest Green.

GOAL - GULLS 3-3 FGR

Benyon is off in the 77th minute and Christie is on.
This is crucial, too. Benyon has looked sharp and Christie will need to hit the ground running.
Green lashes a shot from 10 yards but it hits Sills and goes behind.
Mr Creighton is now telling Hargreaves and Sills to calm down.
And Christie DOES score. Carayol crosses from the left and Christie stabs it in at the far post from point-blank range.

Hodges is booked for handball, we think, in the 73rd minute.
Could that have been a match-changing decision, ruling out Benyon's goal. We have no way of knowing if it was the right decision, although we all thought Benyon came from behind a defender.
Brown is down for FGR, and taking a very long time to get back up again. 76 minutes gone.

McDonald is going off for FGR. Conal Platt comes on to replace him and his first act is to curl a free kick over the Gulls wall where Bevan saves.
Torquay have a goal disallowed in the 70th minute. Green lashed the ball in low from the right and Benyon turns it in. Benyon is flagged offside and gets a booking for protesting.
This has done nothing to make Mr Creighton more popular.

Big shouts for handball as Hargreaves charges in on a loose ball. The ref is having none of it, and on this occasion he's probably right.
Green tries to cut in from the right for another shot but he is tackled before he can have a go.
Free kick to Torquay. Carayol makes space for a shot inside the box. it's a good one, but Burton is down smartly to his right to save.
There are 68 minutes gone.

Benyon is fouled again, this time by Hardiker. He is being fouled almost every time he gets the ball.
There are 63 minutes gone now.
Nicko crosses from the right but no-one is there to get the crucial touch as the ball curls beyond the far post.

Great ball by Sills to find Green cutting in from the right in the 58th minute. His cross is blocked for a corner.
Nicko from the right. Sills header bounces up and is cleared off the line by Lawless.

In the 56th minute Benyon is fouled out on the right.
Nicko swings it in, the FGR defence runs out but Woods beats the offside trap only for Burton to gather.

Great run down the right by Carayol in the 51st minute but his cross is cleared.
A cross by Mansell almost reaches Sills but it is headed clear.
We are getting behind them down that right flank but are vulnerable on the break.
McDonald swings a cross from the left flank all the way across the face of Bevan's goal, but there's no-one there to finish for FGR.

45 seconds gone and Green gets to the byline on the right. His low cross is gathered by Burton at the second time of asking.
He's off again and this time Benyon volleys his cross just over the bar.

The Gulls are out early, with no changes. FGR also come out as does Mr Creighton, with boos ringing in his ears. Who'd be a referee, eh?
And we're under way. Expect fireworks.

What a half! Green's amazing goal seems a distant memory.
Mangan's penalty was a tough one to take, but his next two goals were superb, as was Captain Chris' header in the last knockings of the first half.
Tempers were getting a bit frayed in the last couple of minutes. FGR are busy wasting time at every opportunity, and their boss Jim Harvey was berating the ref for some reason on the way off the field.
There will be more goals and a card or two...

HALF TIME - GULLS 2-3 FGR

GOAL- GULLS 2-3 FGR

Another great run from Green sets up a cross from Mansell and Sills' header is tipped round the post by Burton.
Nicko has a free kick wide on the left after a handball. It's curled in and Hargreaves gets up to head it back across the keeper and in.

We're in the last minute of the half and Benyon has just had the ball nicked off his toe by Darren Jones.
There will be four added minutes.

GOAL - GULLS 1-3 FGR

And that's a 14-minute hat-trick for Mangan, this time a powerful right-foot drive from the edge of the box after a good through-ball by Brown.
There is a stunned silence here, with a minute to go to the break.

GOAL - GULLS 1-2 FGR

In the 36th minute we have gifted them a second. Nicky Wroe lost control of the ball on the edge of the box and rolled it into the path of Mangan, who lashed it in off the foot of Bevan's left post.

Mark Preece is off with a blood injuury for FGR. Looks like a smack on the nose.
He's back on now in a shirt with no number on it. That won't make any difference, frankly.
Free kick to Torquay wide on the left in the 34th. After a bit of pinball on the edge of the box it's cleared.

GOAL - GULLS 1-1 FGR

Andy Mangan drives the penalty to Bevan's right and it's 1-1.
that was a really harsh penalty. There was no way mansell could have got out of the way.
Straight from the kick-off Sills gets into a good position and forces a good save from Burton.

Mr Creighton is having a word with Steve Woods after a foul, but there's no card.
A promising attack on the break from the visitors, but Wroe clears up.
There are 27 minutes gone now.
Penalty to FGR. Mr Creighton says Mansell handled.

Forest Green make a substitution, with Paul lloyd coming on for Lee Ayres in the 23rd minute. Ayres appeared to injure himself trying to prevent Green's goal.

GOAL - GULLS 1-0 FGR

Goal of the season material, this! Matt Green picked the ball up inside his own half, charged across the half-way line on the left flank, cut inside and shot from 25 yards into the top left hand corner of the net.
What a stunner! 18 minutes gone.

Another ball over the top from FGR in the 14th minute but this time Woods tidies up.
McDonald crosses from the left for the visitors, Woods volleys it straight up in the air but Bevan gathers.
Green is fouled wide on the left. This should give Nicko a chance to cross. It does, but Carayol can't do anything with it.
A nice move around the edge of the box by the visitors in the 16th minute, but they can't get a shot in and the ball is cleared.

We are playing the ball about nicely here without making any real chances as yet. Reunited, Wroe and Hargreaves look well up for it. They will have to work hard in this new three-man midfield, though.
FGR try a long ball over the top of the Gulls defence but Bevan is out to gather it with no problems.
Mansell gets in a tackle to snuff out the danger as FGR push forward again.

Benyon gets his head to a far post cross by Nicholson, but he can't get over it and it goes to safety.
Wroe slides a great ball through to Benyon who is one-on-one against the keeper but is also, regrettably, offside.

Carayol is caught offside on a long cross-field ball in the second minute and Chris Hargreaves has just gone through man, ball and ten metres of turf with a sliding tackle on Jonathan Smith.
The ball bounces loose inside the FGR box but the visitors clear.

The coin is tossed, and we are playing towards the Babbacombe End in the first half.
We're off.

There are a few more drifting in now, and the teams are out.
We are in all gold. FGR are in black and white striped shirts, black shorts and black socks. Their numbers are red and virtually impossible to read, but we'll do what we can.

Two ex-Gulls in the FGR line-up tonight. Alex Lawless on the right of midfield is DT's man to watch tonight. Up front they have much-travelled striker and former Plainmoor front-runner David Brown.

We're not expecting a huge crowd tonight, what with the European Cup on the box and all. There are about a dozen FGR fans down at the Babbacombe End.
Sweepstake entries are extravagant once again. We are all going for Torquay wins, naturally. I have signed on for a 2-0 victory.

FGR will be 4-4-2, lining up Burton; Hardiker, Preece, Ayres, Stonehouse; Lawless, Jones, Smith, McDonald; Mangan, Brown. On the bench are Robinson, Gill, Platt, Symons and Lloyd.
Referee is Steve Creighton from Berkshire.

GULLS v FGR

Welcome to a cool and slightly misty Plainmoor, where the Gulls face FGR tonight.
Warming up at the moment and no sign of the team sheets, but we are speculating that there may be some changes.
And the sheets are here.
We have indeed dropped Dsane, Carlisle and Robertson, and gone for a 4-3-3 line-up.
We are Bevan; Mansell, Woods, Hodges, Nicholson; Carayol, Hargreaves, Wroe; Benyon, Sills, Green.
On the bench are Robertson, Dsane, Thompson, Stevens and Christie.

FINAL SCORE - GULLS 3-1 ALTRINCHAM

The attendance here is 1,760.
Benyon has just been named the sponsors' man of the match, quite rightly. Not sure why he's gone off, but Christie's getting stuck in.
There are three added minutes to play.

GOAL - GULLS 3-1 ALTRINCHAM

What a strike to give the visitors some hope. Doughty volleys over Bevan and into the top corner from 18 yards.
Benyon is off and Christie is on.

Have the fans not been saying all season long that Sills/Benyon is our best striking partnership...?

GOAL - GULLS 3-0 ALTRINCHAM

Great save from Coburn in the 70th minute, blocking a close range header from Robertson.
The fans are getting restless again about the service from the wings, but we're 3-0 up in the 75th minute.
It's a great goal from Benyon, giving him nine goals from nine starts this season.
Wroe passed the ball into the area, Benyon nicked it from Coburn's fingertips, went round him and sidefooted it into the net.

Carlisle takes a corner from the left in the 67th minute. Altrincham clear.
Benyon is back in the thick of it.
There's a scare at the back as a bouncing nthrough ball finds it way right through to Senior, but Bevan is able to pluck it off his head.

GOAL - gulls 2-0 altrincham

Now it's Mansell's turn to cross from the right, but Coburn dives to gather before Dsane can get there.
Penalty to Torquay in the 55th minute. Hargreaves' through ball puts Benyon in. his pace is too much for Coburn, who pulls him down. Sills takes the kick and drives it in powerfully.

Altrincham have started the second half brightly, with Johnson and Senior giving them some more options.
However, we still look the more dangerous side, and Benyon bursts down the right in the 50th minute to fizz in a cross which goes begging.
A minute later Sills misses a great chance. shotting way over the bar from a good position. He looked off balance when he hit it, but it was still a bad miss.

Two changes in the Altrincham side as we get under way again. Dale Johnson and Christopher Senior are on for Peyton and Danylyk.

HALF TIME - GULLS 1-0 ALTRINCHAM

So far, so good.
A win is the most important thing today, and so far it has been a decent performance if not spectacular.
It was a good goal from Tim Sills, too. Maybe that will give him some of his goal-getting confidence back.

There will be one minute to add.

There will be one minute to add.

Peyton clatters into Sills with a tackle straight out of a Sunday morning at Stoodley Knowle.
Woods lofts the free kick into the box and Sills' header forces a save from Coburn.

Confusion in the 42nd minute as Wroe shoots for goal and Coburn grabs it down among the flying feet. The offside flag is up, though.

There's another free kick 35 yards out but we give possession away. Benyon is in behind the defence again but Altrincham clear.
The visitors hoist a free kick into the box but Bevan is out to gather, dominating the box.
A lovely touch by Benyon releases Mansell down the right, but Benyon can't quite reach the cross when it comes in.
There are five minutes to go to the break.

We're in the 35th minute and Nicko blasts a free kick way over the bar from 25 yards.

We are building well through midfield, and the crowd seem to appreciate a bit of style.
Sills shoots wide in the 28th minute after a Carlisle cross.
And in the 30th minute Dsane shoots from 25 yards but Coburn, who was DT's 'Man to Watch' today, gets down to his right to gather.

In the 22nd minute Robert Lawton shoots just wide from outside the box as Altrincham try to get back into the game.
And Wayne Carlisle gets a round of applause for tackling back to deny the marauding Warren Peyton.

GOAL - GULLS 1-0 ALTRINCHAM

In the 19th minute we had another corner. Nicko swings it in and Sills meets it five yards out. His header is guided in beyond the keeper.

In the 16th minute Nicko crosses from the left, Dsane meets it at the near post but guides his header wide.
A lovely touch from Banim almost creates an opening for Altrincham but the offside flag is raised.

That's not taking the proverbial out of the Altrincham fans, by the way. Following a BSP side the length and breadth of the country takes some dedication and full marks to them.
The visitors have their first corner. Doughty takes it from the right but the Gulls clear.

I make it 38 fans on the away terrace, confirming what we said during the Coventry game that the BBC had brought more than Altrincham would.
Sills heads a Carlisle free kick over the bar in the 11th minute.

As we thought, Banim is ploughing a lone furrow up front for the visitors.
We have started well here, and in the sixth minute Benyon shoots wide after a bit of clever play by Nicky Wroe to give him the chance.
Corner on the left now. Nicko takes. Altrincham clear.

In the first minute Benyon gets through down the left. His low cross gets a touch from Sills at the near post but it's easy for Coburn in the Altrincham goal.
Robertson glances a header wide from Torquay's first corner, in the second minute.

The ref looks very much like the little bald chap who used to be in the Benny Hill Show, and now that I have thought of that, it is not going to be far from my mind all afternoon.
We are playing Babbacombe-wards, and we're under way.

The teams are out now. We are, as ever, in all gold. The visitors are in red and white striped shirts with black shorts and red socks. They look worryingly like Ex*t*r.
This is a small crowd, too.
Tuesday's disappointment and the lure of the rugby on TV may hit the gate hard this afternoon.

Cold and grey here, and the pitch looks pretty good after the pounding it got on Tuesday.
There are 17 supporters in the away end at the moment, with about 10 to go to kick-off.

And here it is.
Lee Hodges and Iyseden Christies are both dropped to the bench, with Chris Robertson coming into defence and Elliot Benyon starting up front.
Both Wayne Carlisle and Roscoe Dsane - so disappointing on Tuesday both of them - stay in the side.
We are Bevan; Mansell, Robertson, Woods, Nicholson; Carlisle, Hargreaves, Wroe, Dsane; Benyon, Sills. On the bench are Thompson, Hodges, Carayol, Stevens and Christie.
Altrincham, we think, will play 4-5-1, and line up Coburn; Lane, McGregor, Young, Doughty; Danylyk, Lawton, Densmore, Smith, Peyton; Banim.
Referee is Matt McLaughlin from Bedfordshire.
That's Jody Banim up front for them, by the way. He was here last season and is a decent player. we wish him well. But not this afternoon, eh?

GULLS v ALTRINCHAM

You're in the right place for live blogging of this afternoon's match.
The team sheets aren't here yet, but rumour has it there may be some surprises...

FINAL SCORE - GULLS 0-2 WEYMOUTH

And that's it. The game ends with McPhee getting treatment for another knock. He has been in the wars tonight.
Weymouth are down at the Babbacombe End saluting their fans while Torquay trudge off to meagre applause.
I don't think we can have any complaints about that. We weren't robbed.
We attacked well in the second half after a first half horror story, but couldn;'t hit the target.
Roll on Saturday and the visit of Altrincham...

Beavon misses a great chance to get a third for Weymouth but his shot is deflected over by Nicko.

Mansell crosses from the right. Hargreaves gets up at the far post but his header goes wide.
We are now in the third minute of added time and it may not be up for grabs any more.

There will be five minutes to add here, so it's still up for grabs.
Gulls fans are streaming out through the gates, though. They've seen enough.

GOAL - GULLS 0-2 WEYMOUTH

Robertson has gone forward to join the strikers and Hargreaves is loitering up there too.
Corner on the right now, to be taken by Nicko.
It's cleared again.
And we are indeed caught on the break in the 87th minute. Stuart Beavon scores after the visitors burst through three against two. Beavon gets the ball just inside the area and drills it past Bevan.

Muzzy wins a corner in the 85th minute out on the left.
He takes it himself. Stevens has a shot but it is blocked and cleared.
Nicko's long throw drops to Hargreaves but the ball runs behind for a goal kick.
Will Paul buckle throw Elliot Benyon into the fray for the last couple of minutes?
There's no sign yet.

We are now in the 80th minute, pressing forward and risking getting caught on the break, but that's the way it's going to have to be in the last 10.
Free kick on the left to be taken by Nicko.
It's cleared. Danny lifts it back in but it runs through for a goal kick.
The sponsors' man of the match is Lee Mansell.

There are 15 minutes to go and we're still trailing by the only goal of the game.
A lovely touch from Christie in the middle of the field to release Little Danny on the right, but this time his cross is intercepted.
Lee Hodges is having another one of his invisible games, and I mean that in a good way. He is getting the job done with no frills and no mistakes.
The attendance is 1,743.

At the other end Coutts tries his luck from 30 yards. It's a good shot dipping below the bar but Bevan tips it over.

In the 70th minute Stevens jinks past his defender and crosses again from the right. Sills gets up six yards from goal but his header is over the bar.

Robertson is booked for a foul on Phillips in the 68th minute.
Christie has a shot from 18 yards deflected wide by a defender. He was clearly offside but there was no flag.

We're over the hour mark now and still trailing.
Nicko has another free kick from half-way. Weymouth clear.
Hargreaves is booked now for a foul on McPhee, who is hobbling slowly off the pitch after treatment.
Bevan gets down well to his right to save from Reed.
Torquay break to the other end. Carayol has them beaten down the left but his cross is too deep and the chance is gone.
Hargreaves' booking will mean a suspension.

Shouts for handball as Mansell's cross is blocked. Now we have a corner on the right in the 59th minute.
Nicholson swings it in but it's cleared. We are well on top now.
The visitors are starting to make mistakes at the back, and the referee is making some very peculiar decisions.

In the 54th minute Sills misses a great chance. Christie burst into the box and had his shot blocked by Doe. The ball breaks to Sills but he sidefoots over the top from 12 yards.
Another terrific cross by Stevens passes just in front of Carayol. Nicholson retrieves the ball on the left and has a go. Knowles saves.
What a difference these two substitutions have made.

Now Carayol does the same down the left flank, sending the ball into the centre where Wroe shoots but sees his effort deflected into the arms of the Weymouth keeper.
Now Carayol is down needing treatment. He's limping off but should be OK.

There's a long stoppage here after a clash of heads between Hargreaves and Phillips. Phillips is getting some lengthy attention.
Stevens, in his first act of the game, scorches down the right flank and gets to the byline. His cross lands on the roof of the net but at least he got one in, which is a bonus after the first half we just saw.

So Carayol and Stevens are on for the second half, replacing Dsane and Carlisle.
Torquay are out very early, looking like a bunch of players who have had a full and frank exchange of views during the interval.
And we're off.

Carayol is having a fairly purposeful warm-up out there. His track suit bottoms are off and his orange boots are on. Could we be seeing him. Danny Stevens is also stripped and warming up properly.

Changes at half time, then? Certainly Carlisle and Dsane have given us nothing on the flanks. Carayol and Stevens are both on the bench and both could do better than the players currently out there.
Dsane has had what the technical experts call 'a shocker' so far.

HALF TIME - GULLS 0-1 WEYMOUTH

GOAL- GULLS 0-1 WEYMOUTH

Ryan Williams gives Weymouth the lead a minute into stoppage time. Beavon crosses from the left, it runs through the defence to Williams who shoots home left-footed from 15 yards.

Corner to Weymouth on the left.
It's a low cross by Reed and easily cleared. Beavon tries a shot from 20 yards and it is deflected away for another Weymouth corner.
That's the 45 minutes up. The fourth official says there will be 2 more.

And it's 0-0 by the way, just in case you are scanning down the page for a score flash.

Mansell crosses from the right, finding Christie on the penalty spot. His header is firm but wide.
Carlisle has a go from 25 yards, but it's well wide.
We are in the 42nd minute now.

Free kick to Weymouth 30 yards out. Coutts curls it in but Sills heads it clear.
Christie forces a corner on the left for Torquay in the 36th minute. Carlisle takes it. Doe clears.
Weymouth set up a chance on the edge of the Torquay box, but there's an offside flag and the danger passes.
The biggest cheer of the night comes for the Weymouth physio, who has just sprinted across the pitch to tend to Stuart Beavon. The physio is a big lad - no stranger to the pie counter - but that was a tidy turn of speed.

Williams crosses but Bevan gathers with ease.
Things are livening up a bit here.
Nicholson crosses from the left but Knowles catches confidently.
The verdict so far on Christie is encouraging. He's in all the right places. Weymouth full back Sandwith is getting a booking for a two-footed lunge at Carlisle.
We are in the 30th minute. Carlisle half-volleys just wide left-footed after a low cross by Nicholson.

Christie goes down in the box in the 23rd minute under a challenge by Doe. He wants a penalty but Mr Hendley isn't interested.
Up to the other end and a corner for Weymouth. It's cleared, but now they have a free kick on the left. Williams curls it in but Wroe clears for another Weymouth corner on the right.

Iyseden Christie lashes in a left foot shot from the edge of the box in the inside right position in the 21st minute. It's on target but doesn't bother Knowles.
Corner to Weymouth in the 22nd but Hodges heads clear.
Another corner for the visitors, this time from their left in the 23rd minute.
Sills volleys this one clear.

A word for Mr Burd the groundsman here. After yesterday's deluge he has produced a good surface, although it is bound to cut up later.
Christie is fouled out on the left and Scott Doe gets a booking for the challenge. Nicholson swings the ball in but Carlisle is offside at the back post.

In the 17th minute Dsane cuts in from the left and shoots from 12 yards. Knowles gets down well to his left to push the ball away.

Ryan Williams on the left for Weymouth looks a bit of a pocket rocket. He's fast and isn't afraid to run with the ball. His final ball often lets him down, say those who have seen him play before.
That's 15 of the least interesting minutes of football I have ever seen.
Phillips has just gone on a tremendous run down the right for Weymouth. He cut inside and shaped for the shot only to lose control of the ball at the vital moment.
How we laughed...

In the seventh minute and neither team seems able to string more than two passes together at the moment.
Phillips beats Robertson down the right for the visitors but the ball goes loose and Torquay clear.
Into the 10th minute and Sills is judged to have fouled the full back on a long throw by Nicko.

Will we see a 'Raging Bull' performance out of Lee Phillips tonight?
It's a cagey start. We're in the fourth minute and apart from one foul and an offside, there's not much to blog about.
The Pop Side did fill up quite nicely, by the way.
Coutts crosses from the right and Mansell heads it behind. Coutts has another shot but it's blocked.

Here come the teams, then. We are, of course, all in gold. Weymouth are in claret shirts with blue trim, white shorts and sky blue socks.
Iyseden Christie, who was wearing green boots in the warm-up, is now wearing red ones. He also has the longest, baggiest shorts since Charles 'Charlie' Charles.
Weymouth kick off playing towards the Ministand

Hopeless optimism has broken out in the press box. All the sweepstake bets are for Torquay wins, varying from the conservative to the frankly outlandish (hello Darryl). I have gone for a 2-1 Gulls win, and it's a mighty rollover jackpot of almost five of your puny earth pounds.

Greetings to our regular bloggers and any of you who are new to the joys of the match day blog. Hello Bristol. Hello Paignton.
It's cold and dry here, with not many in so far. Watch the terraces fill up at 7.43pm when Boots kicks out.
The Gulls are warming up in front of the Pop Side. Weymouth are down in the dark corner in front of the police box.

So, we are Bevan; Mansell, Robertson, Hodges, Nicholson; Carlisle, Wroe, Hargreaves, Dsane; Sills, Christie. On the bench are Benyon, Thompson, Green, Carayol and Stevens.
Weymouth are Knowles; Mawer, Doe, Gaia, Sandwith; Coutts, McPhee, Reed, Williams; Beavon, Phillips. Subs are Browning, Tribe, Collins, McKechnie and Dixon. That's Marcus Browning, by the way, ex of Bristol Rovers.
Ref is Andy Hendley from Halesowen in the West Midlands.

The team are here, and we have a couple of changes.
Steve Woods is injured, so Chris Robertson comes into the back four. Iyseden Christie makes his debut, partnering Tim Sills up front. Matt Green drops to the bench.
Weymouth have three ex-Gulls in the starting line-up - Chris McPhee, Stephen Reed and, of course, Lee Phillips.

GULLS V WEYMOUTH

Live match blogging will appear here

Read all about in Monday's Herald Express and at www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk

What can you say? The Gulls were on top for long spells, and certainly throughout the second half.
City had one shot on target in the second half, and substitute Ward made it count.

FULL TIME - GULLS 0-1 CITY

Have we got anything left to give? We were all over them right up until the goal went in.
Doyle shoots just wide from 25 yards for City.
Have we got one more chance left?
No, that's it.

We are in injury time now, of which there will be two minutes.

We haven't given up the ghost, though.
Nicholson swings in another cross but City clear.
We are making a double substitution. Carayol is on for Dsane and Stevens for Carlisle.
We are in the last minute.

GOAL - GULLS 0-1 CITY

There are four to go, and City have a corner on the left. it will be fox again with the kick.
And Elliot Ward heads in from six yards. Simple goal, and heartbreaking.

Westwood hoofs a clearance into Marnham Road now. City are on the ropes but we can't quite find the killer blow.
It's a corner on the right for the Gulls now, in the 85th minute. Nicko takes it.
Westwood grabs it off Sills' brow.
The attendance is 6,018.

Corner on the left for City. Fox will take it.
Sills clears.
Now it's a corner on the other side for City, and Fox is coming across to take this one too.

Nicky Wroe shoots over in the 81st minute, shooting from outside the box after some great work by Dsane.
City just haven't been in this in the second half, and that's dangerous...

McKenzie gets himself into another great position from an Eastwood pass. Bevan saves brilliantly but the flag is up for offside.
Now City are beginning to get themselves back into this.
But in the 79th minute Chris Hargreaves shoots just over from 18 yards as the ball breaks to him.
In the 80th minute Benyon is coming on for Green.

Corner on the left for Torquay, forced by Green. He has really given us a great performance today.
Woods meets the corner but it's easy for Westwood.
Foul on Sills now, 35 yards out. Wroe will take this one.
He clips it into the box, Woods meets it unchallenged and heads over from eight yards. That was another great chance.
We're now in the 76th minute.

There are 20 minutes to go. Carlisle has a shot charged down on the edge of the box.
Torquay have a free kick wide on the left. Nicko will take it.
A good curling cross but Coventry deal with it.
Green crosses from the right and sills heads over.
At the other end Thornton tries a few tricks on the edge of the box, but he's caught offside.

Mifsud, who is, by the way, wearing gloves, races past Nicholson but then beats himself and stands on the ball.
There are 67 minutes on the clock, and McKenzie shoots over the top again after a great through ball by Doyle.
McKenzie is now down needing treatment.

Another Nicholson throw is flicked on but runs through to Westwood.
We are absolutely on top here. Who'd have thought that?
Nicko throws in from the right this time. Westwood punches this time.
Turner clears out into Marnham Road and it's another big throw from our specialist.
64 minutes gone and Green pokes the ball over the top after being found by yet another Nicholson throw.
Coventry bring Thornton on for Beuzelin.

Dsane must have been 10 yards out if that. Will we get another chance that good?
The Gulls are on top now.
Nicholson throws in, Sills flicks on but it bounces through to Westwood. we're in the 60th minute.
Carlisle puts the ball over the top from 30 yards after spotting Westwood off his line.
The Championship side are rocking and we need to score before they get their act together again.

At the other end Mansell clears for a corner. Fox is taking it from the right.
Mansell heads clear. Who else?
Long throw again from the left by Nicko, this time right up by the corner flag. The ball bounces around the area and Dsane lifts it over the bar in the 58th minute. What a great chance - the best of the game so far.

In the 55th minute Green conjures a great shot from 15 yards when it seemed he was going nowhere. The ball goes through the legs of the defender, but Westwood flings himself down to his left to save.

So, we all said if we could get to half time with the score at 0-0 anything would be possible. We did, and it is.
Now we have a corner on the right. Nicko will take it.
Westwood has to paw it away from under his bar and it has gone for a corner the other side. Carlisle takes it.
City break but Wroe snuffs out the danger.

Throw in for Nicko out on the left again.
A great run into the box by Hargreaves but his cross goes begging. McKenzie appears to clip Dsane's ankles and he goes sprawling in the box. No penalty, says Mr Friend.
Now he wants a word with Carlisle and Fox, who are getting a little aerated.
Dsane crosses from the left and Green heads goalwards in the 50th minute but it's an easy take for Westwood.

The teams are back on, with no more changes by the look of it.
We are attacking the Ministand end in the second half, and we're off.

HALF TIME - GULLS 0-0 CITY

Great take from Bevan under pressure in the 45th minute, and that's half time.

In the 44th minute Gunnarsson is limping off, apparently with a hip injury. There's no sub as yet. Yes there is. Ward is coming on, himself just coming back from a knee injury.
Another great tackle from Mansell. Lee is right up for this today.

Westwood again sprints off his line to deny Green. The Gulls striker - in green boots by the way - is covering some ground today.
Another long throw from the left sets up a chance for Green, he hooks a shot at goal but it's deflected behind for a corner which Carlisle will take in the 43rd.
He gets it back, but Sills puts the ball behind for a goal kick.

Another free kick for City 24 yards out. Fox drives it at the wall and Mansell is judged to have handled the ball. He gets a yellow card and it's a kick on the edge of the box now for Fox to have pop at.
He curls it over the wall but also just over the bar.

Another big throw from Nicko causes problems in the City box but Turner wellies it clear.
33 minutes gone. The scrap between Woods and Eastwood is interesting. They will both go off with a bruise or two. Hodges and Morrison the same.
A great move in the 35th minute involves Wroe and Green before Carlisle crosses from the right. Turner heads over his own bar.
The corner comes to nothing.

A good ball from Nicky Wroe puts Green in again, but the keeper is out to claim it off him.
Some clever work by City puts McKenzie in, but he's offside. Once again Nicko has to take the kick for Bevan, which means a sprint to catch up with the rest to avoid playing people onside.
Carlisle plays another good through ball for Green, but it's just too far for him.
Mifsud forces a great save from Bevan, but he's offside.
The ball over the top finds Green again in the 30th minute. He lashes in a low shot from wide on the left but it's just wide.

Another ball over the top finds Green but he can't quite keep it in. This is definitely going to be a feature of the afternoon.
The chants of 'Yellow Army' are drifting across from the Pop Side. A long diagonal ball from the right finds Dsane but he can't get a shot in. Nicko throws in from the left, the ball reaches Carlisle but his shot doesn't have the power to bother Westwood unduly.
At the other end McKenzie spoons the ball over the top from a decent position.
We're in the 24th minute....

Now City have a free kick 30 yards out and central. Fox will take it. He shoots but the ball pings up off the wall and Bevan gathers.

There doesn't seem to be much chance of Coventry sleepwalking through this like Blackpool did. They are contesting every ball and looking to make an early impact.
We're in the 17th minute, and the ref is having a word with Chris Hargreaves for a foul on Gunnarsson.
Morrison beats Hodges in the air and flicks on, but it's easy for Bevan.
Gunnarsson is in the book now for something involving Green off the ball. Nicko has the free kick again from the same spot as the last two. Sills gets his head to it around the penalty spot but the header is over the bar.

In the 12th minute Nicholson clears off the line after Fox cuts inside and takes the ball into the area. His shot beats Bevan but Nicko is there.
Great shot from 20 yards by Mifsud as the ball breaks clear from a corner, but again Bevan is in the right place and holds on.

Now in the 9th, it's a free kick on the left for City. It finds its way through to Gunnarsson but his shot is straight at Bevan.
Long balls over the top for Green seem to be a tactic today. He has got onto two of them already, and don't forget that's how the Blackpool goal came about...

Mifsud shoots way over the top from the edge of the box.
Eastwood races in on a through ball but Bevan is out to force him to put it wide.
Bevan is once again handing over the kicking duties to Nicko.
Another free kick in the 7th minute. Nicko curls it in again but it's cleared.

A deep cross from Mansell from the right in the first minute is picked out by Westwood before it can reach Sills.
And at the other end Mansell cuts out a Marcus Hall cross.
It's a lively start.
In the third minute Welsh international Freddie Eastwood misses a great chance, heading over from about eight yards after a great cross by Morrison. Mansell took a whack in the face there and is off getting some treatment.
Nicko swings in a free kick from the left in the fifth minute. Woods turns it back at the far post but Westwood gathers.

And here come the teams. We are all in gold as ever. City are all in black with gold trim and white numbers.
We have won the toss and will play towards the Babbacombe End in the first half just the way we like it. There will be a minute's silence for Jim Thompson, founder chairman of the Football Alliance.
And we're off...

This is the first time the ground has been rammed full since the play-off match against Ex***r at the end of last season.
We appear to have seven mascots today, which must be some kind of record.
I can't believe I have just waved to Gilbert the Gull.....and he waved back....

15 minutes to go now and the atmosphere is terrific. If you don't feel the buzz on a day like this, then you have no soul!
It's orange boots for the warm-up for Mustapha, by the way. Very flamboyant.
The Gulls are heading back into the dressing room now to a big reception.

Shaking hands with the fans down on the rails are a couple of Coventry directors. Apparently, our friend from the Coventry Evening Telegraph tells us, one of them is the man who has been given the job of running Northern Rock.

How good is it to see the place full again? With half an hour to go to kick-off, the Pop Side is packed, the family stand is filling up nicely and the grandstand is almost full. Down at the Babbacombe End the visiting fans are shielding their eyes against the low sun as the teams warm up.

So, there are a few surprises in the City side, with Ward and Dann on the bench despite having been declared injured earlier in the week, and Walker, Frazer and Wynter, all of whome are 17-year-olds.
The sweepstake in the press box has thrown up the usual outbreak of hopeless optimism. I have gone for 2-0 to Torquay. Darryl has gone for his usual 5-0 to the Gulls. One day he will be right...

The team sheets are here and the Gulls are unchanged.
We are Bevan; Mansell, Woods, Hodges, Nicholson; Carlisle, Wroe, Hargreaves, Dsane; Sills, Green. On the bench are Poke, Robertson, Benyon, Thompson, Carayol, Stevens and Adams.
The Sky Blues are Westwood; Gunnarsson, Hall, Turner, Fox; Mifsud, Beuzelin, Doyle, McKenzie; Eastwood, Morrison. On their bench are Ward, Dann, Thornton, Marshall, Walker, Frazer and Wynter.
Referee is Kevin Friend from Leicester.

Lots of people logging in today. Hello to those blogging in the library at UWE in Bristol. Try to keep the noise down, eh? And if Danny Stevens gets on, we'll be sure to let you know...

Coventry are stretched in squad terms, apparently, With Jay Tabb having joined Reading last week, they are also without Scott Dann, Isaac Osbourne, Elliott Ward and Marcus Hall, all of whom are injured.
Watch out for the lively Michael Mifsud in midfield, and also for Clinton Morrison of course.
The experienced front man is our official Man to Watch.

Michael Poke is out warming up with Scott Bevan at the moment, which indicates that while Bevan has probably recovered from whatever injury he has, Poke is likely to be on the seven-man bench just in case we need backup.

The press benches here are pretty crowded to say the least. We think the BBC have brought more than Altrincham did last time they came....

As regular bloggers will know, the connection is erratic here. We're in for the moment so what can I tell you?
This is the furthest we have ever been in this competition. The last time we did it was 18 years ago when we lost to Blackpool.
Can we really pull off the impossible? Well, we can dream, can't we?

Welcome to Plainmoor. It's sunny here and the crowd are pouring in. Steve Ogrizovic, the giant Coventry keeper who was between the sticks when we lost 0-2 up at Highfield Road in 1988, is out on the pitch warming up the visiting keeper.

YOU'VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE!

LIVE coverage of Torquay United's FA Cup clash with Coventry City will appear here.

It's a point, for sure, from a tough game in difficult conditions, but we misfired tonight. Wrexham weren't great and we have to look at that as two points dropped.

FINAL SCORE - GULLS 1 WREXHAM 1

Free kick again for us. Woods launches it forward but Wrexham clear.
Nicko has a throw out on the left but it has gone behind off Hargreaves for a goal kick.
Mansell plays it forward. One last chance, maybe?
And that's it. Very disappointing.

The board man has signalled three added minutes.

Tonight's sponsors Riverford Organic Vegetables have named Roscoe Dsane the man of the match.....

More niggling fouls over in front of the Pop Side, and Westwood gets yet another lecture. Sills gets a nudge in the box and goes down, but the ref's not impressed.
We have less than two minutes to win this game.

The Pop Side are getting less and less happy with Mr Sheldrake.
Wrexham painstakingly build an attack around the edge of the box but the final ball is woeful and rolls through to Bevan.
There are four minutes left.

A draw will be no use to us whatsoever here, and we've got about seven minutes left to get that goal we need.
There don't seem to be any more changes imminent down in the dugout.
Now Andy Fleming is in the ref's book for a lunge at Roscoe.

The attendance is 1,842.

Free kicks are being given all over the pitch now as Mr Sheldrake gives his Acme Thunderer a good workout.
Brown tries his luck for wrexham but drives the ball straight at our wall.
Benyon is now getting a lecture for a foul on Westwood, and it's a yellow for him in the 79th minute.

Nathan Fairhurst drills a shot over our bar in the 76th minute.
Wrexham aren't sitting back. They think they can win this.
Mr Sheldrake now wants a word with Fleming for a two-footed challenge on Sills, but a word is all it is.

The rain is showing no signs of abating, weather-watchers, and it's pretty slippery out there.
Wrexham have brought on Sam Aiston in place of the goalscorer Flynn.
They're giving away a few free-kicks, too. Mansell will take our latest one, chipping into the box. It breaks loose, but Wrexham clear.
Now the visitors break. Aiston gets a cross in but Woods clears.
And it's a tremendous double save from Bevan. Marc williams cuts in from the left after 73 minutes, Bevans pushes the shot out and he is up quickly enough to push Brown's follow-up away, too.

Marc Williams finds Jon Brown on the edge of the box for wrexham, but Brown is off balance and his shot is high into the Family Stand.
And in the 69th minute Brown crosses for Williams, but Bevan takes the ball bravely under Williams' challenge.

We think the header back across goal was Benyon's first touch in the game. Almost always a substitute, but almost always a match-changing substitute.
It's another corner out on the left, which Carlisle will take.
But it curls over for a goal kick on the opposite side.

GOAL - GULLS 1 WREXHAM 1

Corner to the Gulls on the right in the 60th minute. Wroe takes it short to Nicholson who crosses, Benyon heads it back across goal and Dsane drives it in from close range.

Nicko takes a long throw on the left in the 53rd minute, Roscoe helps it into the box but Ward comes out to gather.
Benyon is warming up now, so a change is imminent, surely?
Dsane has given possession away cheaply again. He looks to be struggling. And here comes Benyon, replacing Green after 57 minutes. A no-brainer, that.

Green is down injured after a foul which earns Westwood the game's second yellow card in the 49th minute.
He's up on his feet quickly, and the free kick brings us nothing.
Now Roscoe is felled by Spender, and he gets a yellow too.
Three of their back four are on yellows now.

Coffee and biscuits here. Hope your half-time refreshments were good, wherever you are.
The Gulls are first out, looking up for the fight.
It doesn't look as if either side has made a change, and we're under way again.

...or is this young Tristan Plummer's big chance to shine?
How come we never do well on live TV, anyhow? Have we ever turned it on when Setanta have been here? Without going back through all the stats like some kind of anorak, we'll say no.

So what do we make of that? Weve been on top for long periods and have had more corners and shots, but poor marking for one crucial moment has cost us dearly.
Do we make changes? Benyon has got to be a candidate for an early call. Green hasn't given us much so far.

HALF TIME - GULLS 0 WREXHAM 1

One minute to be added, and Carlisle has a shot from 12 yards which Ward does well to hold.
There's the whistle for half time.

Four minutes to go to the break and the ref is having a long chat with Westwood after the Wrexham skipper disagrees strongly with the award of a throw against him. No cards though.
We're in the 42nd minute.
Nicholson finds Sills, but Wrexham clear again, this time at the expense of another corner.
It's Nicko from the right again, and Carlisle meets it on the six yard line. His header is powerful but six inches over the bar.
We've had seven corners so far and while we've looked dangerous, we haven't really made Ward work.
Into the last minute of the half and Jefferson Louis has missed a great chance to head Wrexham further in front.

There will be some discussions about what was going on at the back there.
We didn't pick Flynn up at all.
Now we have a free kick on the edge of the box after Mike Williams blocks Tim Sills. Williams gets a yellow card.
The ref has now walked Torquay back 10 yards so it's no longer a kick on the edge of the box, even though that's where the foul was.
Wroe chips it into the box but Flynn clears.

GOAL - GULLS 0 WREXHAM 1

Wrexham take the lead through Ryan Flynn. Bevan concedes a throw in, the cross comes in from the right from Brown and Flynn is there ahead of anyone to volley low into the bottom right corner.
The goal is timed at 31 minutes.

Wrexham win a free kick 30 yards out on the half-hour. Jon Brown takes it right-footed but it curls past Bevan's right post.
Bevan is taking his own kicks tonight, so whatever was ailing him on Saturday has clearly got better.

Into the 27th minute and we have another corner. Nicholson swings it in from the right, Woods gets his head to it at the far post but it's an easy catch for Ward.
Carlisle makes ground down the right but overhits his cross. Sills keeps it alive but we can't capitalise.
Nicko crosses from the left in the 29th minute, and Carlisle heads over.

Wrexham are putting us under some pressure as we go into the 19th minute, but we break to the Ministand end and Carlisle has a shot from the edge of the box saved.
It's another corner from the left and again Hodges is first to it, but his header is off target.
Nice work by Dsane on the left sets up a chance for Nicko to cross, but the visitors clear the ball.
Much laughter here as a ball up the line by Nicko goes off course and lands on top of the grandstand, dislodging a gallon or so of water onto the heads of those beneath.
'That doesn't happen at the Emirates,' says Mr Uzzell.

Another corner in the 15th minute but this time Mike Williams clears at the near post.
It's hammering down here now, and Wrexham have just put Marc Williams in but his cross is deflected behind for a corner.
Westwood shoots at the near post and it's a great save by Bevan.

Corner to the Gulls in the 11th minute and Wrexham scramble it clear when Roscoe might have done better at the far post.
Another corner breaks for Nicky Wroe and his shot is deflected just wide of the post.
Another corner from the left and Hodges glances a header just over the bar.
That's good pressure but Wrexham survive.

One of the wise old heads in the press box has just said 'There will be goals in this one'. Damn, I should have taken 0-0 in the sweep....
Wrexham have only brought about 40-50 fans with them. It's live on Setanta and a long way to come on a Friday night so you can't really blame them.

Four minutes gone now and it looks as if the connection could be a bit hit and miss here tonight so bear with me.
We have lost the toss for the first time in living memory, and are playing towards the Ministand in all yellow. Wrexham, in red shirst and white shorts, have the wind and rain at their backs in the first half.
Our first attack sees Green denied by a great tackle by Mike Williams.

Wrexham are Ward; Spender, Mike Williams, Westwood, Williamson; Brown, Fleming, Flynn, Fairhurst; Louis, Marc Williams. Subs are Evans, Spann, Aiston, Suffo and Wolfe.
Referee is Darren Sheldrake from Surrey.

GULLS v WREXHAM (7.45pm FRIDAY)

Techincal problems mean I'm a bit late here, but welcome to a wet and windy Plainmoor.
The last time I tried to post this team news it was dry, but now it's raining hard again.
Both teams are 4-4-2 and we're Bevan; Mansell, Woods, Hodges, Nicholson; Carlisle, Hargreaves, Wroe, Dsane; Sills, Green. on the bench are Robertson, Benyon, Thompson, Plummer, Stevens. The only change is Sills back in after suspension and Plummer dropping to the bench.

FINAL SCORE - GULLS 1-0 R&D

Free kick to Torquay wide on the left. Danny Stevens swings it in but it goes behind.
Rushden break down to the other end there's a horrible scramble. Benyon breaks and slips the ball to stevens, but Hillard robs him.
And that's it. The final whistle goes and it's a thorough job done, if not a terribly convincing one. The next round is on January 31, and the draw's on Monday.
The Rushden officials are arguing the toss with Mr Melin as he leaves the field, presumably about the goal. We'll find out later on when their boss gives his radio interviews.

The attendance is 1,728, which in the circumstances is pretty good.
And the sponsors have selected Scott Bevan as their man of the match. Nominations in the nice warm box here also include Hargreaves, Wroe and Hodges, who has been quietly excellent yet again.
We are in the 90th minute, and the fourth official has indicated five added minutes, presumably for Dsane's injury.
Tyrone Thompson replaces Matt Green in our third and last change.

Bevan saves from Rankine in the 82nd minute, and Tomlin shoots high and wide. How many chances is this man going to have?
The Gulls have a corner on the right in the 84th minute. Nicko takes it and Roberts punches clear.
Roberts saves well from Benyon, although the fans think we should have had a free kick for a foul on Benyon seconds before.
Rankine heads wide at the near post in the 85th minute. That was point-blank range, and he should have scored.

The linesman gives us a free kick right on the edge of the box after a foul on Carlisle.
Plummer is going off after a promising debut to be replaced by Danny Stevens. And the first thing Danny does is to beat his marker and send in another low cross from the left which is cleared off the line.

A great save by Roberts in the 75th minute, tipping a 30-yarder from Lee Mansell over his bar.
And a good save by Bevan at the other end as danger man Tomlin closes in from the right and unleashes a powerful shot from a narrow angle.

Benyone blazes a shot over in the 73rd minute. His speed and awareness have given us a new dimension since he came on.
Hargreaves is having a mighty game again, and if the goal is credited to the skipper, it's a just reward.

GOAL - GULLS 1-0 R&D

Chris Hargreaves claims it, but it's hard to describe how that went in. Better wait for the Captain's Blog!
Wroe found Plummer on the left, Plummer went round his full back and sent in a low cross, and that's where it gets confusing. Hargreaves slid in and seemed to get the ball trapped under him. Then it was in, with Hargreaves and Carlisle both celebrating and a skirmish on the line including a number of disgruntled Rushden players.

The crowd are getting irate at a couple of Mr Melin's decisions. Matt Green hits the deck but the ref waves play-on, and Carlisle is pulled up for fouling his full-back, both decisions which have not gone down well with the tifosi.

Tomlin flashes the ball across the face of our goal on the hour, while we go right back up to the Ministand end and Benyon's cross is plucked off Matt Green's toe by Corcoran.
Rushden are being forced into a change as Wolleaston limps off to be replaced by Lewis Hilliard in the 61st minute.

Sam Smith - seven goals in six games - is on for Rushden, replacing Bolasie. He's their Elliot Benyon, apparently, coming on and scoring vital goals.
Cochrane is in the book in the 58th minute for a foul on Nicky Wroe.

Nicky Wroe volleys wide in the 51st minute from the edge of the box after being set up by Hargreaves.
Mistakes and chances at either end in the 53rd minute. Plummer just fails to get a shot in for us, while down the Babbacombe end Woods makes a rare error and lets Rankine in behind him, but the Rushden striker's shot is way over the top.
Now we have a free kick on the left, much like a corner, with Nicko over the ball. It hits Tomlin and goes behind for a corner which is just like a corner. Benyon goes down in the box under a challenge from Robinson. Worth a shout, but nothing doing.

In the 48th minute Benyon comes on to replace him. Plummer will come out to the left wing with Benyon joining Green in the middle.

And in the first minute of thre half Roscoe is down in the box with an injury after falling heavily.
It wasn't a foul, but they're calling for a stretcher. Has he popped his dislocated shoulder out again, the same injury he did at Wembley?
It looks that way, as he's making his painful way off the field.

And we're off again, playing towards the Ministand in the second half. The lights are on, but not even the glow of a few thousand candlepower can make this seem any warmer.
It's bitter out there. Nice in the press box under the one-bar electric wall heater, though...

It's so cold here that none of the Rushden subs are still on the field kicking in. Presumably they are down below in the dressing room cradling mugs of beefy Bovril. All five of ours are out in the middle, though. No mercy for Danny and his fellow bench-sitters.
Should this game end in a draw - perish the thought - there will be a replay up at Nene Park, presumably a week on Tuesday or thereabouts.

HALF TIME - GULLS 0-0 R&D

That's half time. Nicky Wroe has the last chance of the half but his sidefoot effort from the edge of the box is blocked.

A good game this, for a 0-0. There's plenty going on at both ends, and you wonder if our mistakes are going to cost us. Another Mansell mistake lets in Rankine, but Hargreaves clears.
There are 39 minutes on the clock.

Mansell reacts furiously after the ref judges him to have fouled. He's lucky not to get a card for dissent there, but Mr Melin is happy just to have a word.
In the 32nd minute there's another save from Bevan, this time going down to his left to gather from that man Tomlin after another shot from 20 yards.
And Bevan is now throwing the ball out rather than kicking it out.
In the 33rd minute Green is in on the keft just like he was against blackpool last week, but he carries the ball a bit further and Osano gets to him before he can shoot.
Straight up the other end and a mistake by Mansell lets Tomlin in but his flick goes just over the bar.

And Tomlin shoots a great chance wide for R&D after another mistake at the back for us which allows a long Osano free kick to find its way through to him.
Tomlin - yes, him again - now tries his luck from 25 yards but the shot this time goes wide of Bevan's left post.
Seconds later Marcus Kelly screws a shot over the bar for the visitors after another break.
Our problem here is that Nicko is taking the goal kicks for Bevan for some reason, and when R&D return the ball, Nicko is back there playing them onside. It has happened twice in the last two minutes.
There are 29 minutes gone now and no score.

In the 21st minute a mistake by Carlisle lets in Lee Tomlin for R&D. It's a good shot but Bevan is down to his right and holds it at the second attempt.
Dsane jinks into the box and goes down under a challenge inside the box. However, despite the Pop side's protests, that was as much not a penalty as any challenge I have ever seen. Get up, Roscoe!

Plummer plays a nice through ball for Green to chase in the 17th minute but Roberts is quick enough off his line to snuff out the danger.
Wayne Carlisle is getting a lecture from Mr Melin after a high-ish challenge on Kurt Robinson, and the free-kick whipped in from the left is glanced behind by Rankine.

Free kick to Torquay right on the edge of the box. This is Lee Hodges territory.
He curls it and Roberts has to fling himself to his right to push it around for a corner.

A good corner from Kevin Nicholson in the 11th minute but the defender on the near post beats Matt Green to the ball.
Corcoran crosses again from the right for the visitors, but Mansell is coollness personified and guides it back to Bevan off his chest.

A nice run from Roscoe Dsane down the left in the fifth minute, but after beating the full back he can't keep the ball in play.
A corner for R&D in the seventh after Bevan tips a Corcoran cross over his bar, and they have another as we fail to clear the loose ball.
Lee Tomlin takes it but it is cleared.

My mistake, the visitors' shirts have red trim on the right-hand side and blue on the left, giving them a sort of French rugby shirt look.
In the 3rd minute the visitors spring the offside trap with a smart cross ball by Marcus Kelly which finds Yannick Bolasie inside the box. Fortunately his shot is half-hearted and Bevan gathers it easily.

And we will play towards the Babbacombe End in the first half. So far, all is well with the world...
And the game is under way.

And the teams are out.
R&D play in all white with red trim. We are in all yellow of course.

At the risk of sounding repetitive, the weather is grey and perishing cold, just as it has been for the past few afternoon kick-offs here.
We can't expect a big crowd forn the FA Trophy. It's one of those competitions that no-one gives much of a hoot about until it gets to the later stages and a scorching May day at Wembley. Wouldn't that be nice....
There are 21 R&D fans in the away end so far.

Rushden have Roberts in goal; Cochrane, Hope, Osano and Robinson across the back; Kelly, Wolleaston, Corcoran and Bolasie across the middle and Rankine and Tomlin up front.
On the bench are Day, McGuinness, Smith, Hilliard and Cox.
Osano is Dave Thomas' official Player to Watch today, and Rob Wolleaston scored against us for Cambridge last season. He always seems to play well against us.
Referee is Paul Melin from Surrey.

GULLS V RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS

With Tim Sills suspended, who will come in up front for us?
It's Tristan Plummer, the 18-year-old loan signing from Bristol City making his first appearance for us. Apart from that we're unchanged. Bevan in goal, then Mansell, Hodges, Woods, Nicholson; Carlisle, Hargreaves, Wroe and Dsane; Green and Plummer. On the bench are Robertson, Benyon, Thompson, Stevens and Adams.
Hello to bloggers everywhere, by the way. We're being avidly read in Bristol, I believe...

FINAL SCORE - GULLS 1 BLACKPOOL 0

Corner to Blackpool in the last seconds......it's cleared.
And that's it! Fantastic! Bring on the big guns in the next round.
That was a superb performance in all areas, with Hargreaves and Sills absolutely outstanding. Green's goal was a worthy match-winner, and he was named Man of the Match by the sponsors.

There were some boos at that. Where has he got four minutes from?
We're into the last minute of the added time now.
Thompson comes on for Dsane.

Benyon is on for Green, who takes his time coming off. It's gone past the 90 minutes now.
And there are four minutes added.

Barker makes his first mistake of the game, slicing the ball over his own bar to give us a corner.
Carlisle to take from the left.
We try to keep possession without success.
One to go.

Two minutes to go.....

We're inside the last five minutes.
It's 18 years since we got into the fourth round of the cup. That day we beat West Ham in the third round and then lost in the fourth....to Blackpool.
Ian Evatt has been booked for handball.

Sills isn't missing a thing up front. He's really keeping the Blackpool centre backs busy.
Now the visitors are turning the screw but we're holding on.
Ian Harte, who once played in a European Cup semi for Leeds, gets a booking for fouling Matt Green.
And Hodges hits a wonderful free kick around the wall and way out of Rachubka's reach, but it comes back off the post just as we were starting to celebrate.

The attendance is 3,654.
Wroe curls a free kick from 30 yards in the 81st minute but the Blackpool keeper saves. It's straight down to the other end and Nicko throws himself into the firing line to block a shot. Gripping stuff.

And from 60 yards out, Wroe spots Rachubka off his line and tries his luck, just as he did against Cambridge.
Rachubka scurries back to gather, but full marks to Nicky for having a go.

We're in the 73rd minute and a big throw by Nicko wins us a corner. Carlisle will take it from the left.
Sills forces another, this time for Nicko on the right, and a Carlisle header is cleared off the line by Barker.
Blackpool make another change, with Dominic Merella replacing Nardiello in the 76th minute.

Blackpool are beginning to look a bit ragged, and they're giving silly fouls away.
They are bringing on Claus Jorgensen for Stuart Green after 71 minutes.

More delays, I'm afraid, but we're back on line now.
You've missed a wild shot over the bar by Dsane, a heroic tackle to deny Ian Evatt by our man of the match by a clear margin, chris Hargreaves, and an effort glanced just wide by Sills.
Tim has got himself booked for dissent in the 65th minute, while Blackpool's best player Shaun Barker has gone into the book for a foul on Matt Green.

Technical problems continue, with the last two posts appearing the wrong way round....
We like to keep you on your toes.

And the second half begins with the Gulls playing towards the Ministand End. Can we really hang onto this and get a crack at a top team in the next round? We can dream.
Of course we might go out and score another.....
There are no changes on either side. This first 10 minutes is going to be interesting, and maybe busy for Scott Bevan.

We have a corner in the 48th minute.
Nicko swings it in from the right and it's a good 'un, the bleached blonde head of Barker clearing it away from trouble.
And at the other end Barker has a shot from wide on the right which Sills blocks. Nicky Wroe bursts clear but has the ball taken off him before he can feed the onrushing Carlisle.

HALF TIME - GULLS 1 BLACKPOOL 0

Deep in injury time Bevan is off his line quickly again to grab the ball at the feet of Nardiello.
And that's half time. No-one could say the Gulls don't deserve to lead at this stage. Blackpool look technically more accomplished, but the scores on the doors say 1-0 and Green's finish was as good as any you'll see in the FA Cup today anywhere in the country.

There are three minutes of added time.

There are three minutes of the half remaining and Blackpool are not making any headway against us at the moment.
Burgess still looks the business up front for them, but Woods and Hodges are working well against him and Daniel Nardiello, who we don't think is any relation of Gerry the ex-Gull.

That really was some goal, and maybe vindicates the manager's decision to stick with Matt Green.
It was a confident finish and gave Paul Rachubka absolutely no chance.

GOAL - GULLS 1 BLACKPOOL 0

And there's exactly what we wanted from Matt Green! In the 32nd minute Nicko lifts a pass over the Blackpool right back and Green sprints in to drive the ball across the keeper and into the far corner.
Great goal, Matt!

We're in the 27th minute here, and so far, so good.
Blackpool are clearly a very good side, but we're holding them so far and have created a chance or two ourselves. The long crosses to Sills at the far post are causing problems, and Roscoe is busy chasing and harrying.

Sorry for the delay - no signal to the modem or something like that.
There's still no score but plenty of action. In short....Woodsy working hard to contain Blackpool striker Ben Burgess....Evatt clears off the line as Tim Sills heads for goal...Nardiello almost punishes Mansell but shoots wide....Hargreaves tries his luck from distance....Burgess misses a great chance with a header across goal....Wayne Carlisle comes the closest yet in the 17th minute, volleying from a Hargreaves cross but Barker clears off the line....Southern misses a great chance for Blackpool, volleying wide from 15 yards and in the 20th minute Bevan is quickly off his line to deny Nardiello.
Hopefully Vodafone are back on line and we should be able to blog as normal.

Blackpool have come at us three times in the first minute - once being caught offside, once being thwarted by Steve Woods and once lofting a cross over the bar.
We can expect to be under some pressure in the early stages.
Steve Woods is having treatment for a knock on the head in the third minute, but he's OK.

And we're off, kicking the way we like it, towards the Babbacombe End in the first half.

The kits are enough to put some brightness into the afternoon, though.
We are, of course, in all yellow. Blackpool are in all black with orange trim and orange socks. Their numbers are white on black so we've got no excuses for mistaken identities.
Glove wearers today are......none at all. Hard men, these, all of them.

Today's match sponsor has a touch of the Carry On about it, too. Today's generous backer is Robin Cleverdon - Erection Services. Cue Sid James cackle....

The ground is filling up nicely with 10 minutes to go to kick-off. The Pop Side and Family Stand have some spaces left, but the Grandstand looks full.
The giant TUFC banner is being unfurled and carried along the length of the Pop Side. It's not exactly the San Siro, but the idea is right.

Blackpool have had a lot of changes forced on them with loan players being recalled by their clubs. There are also some big players injured including key defender and skipper Rob Edwards, who is fit to take a seat on the bench but not fit to start.
Blackpool are under temporary management after the departure of Simon Grayson to Leeds. Tony Parkes and Steve Thompson are in charge for the time being.

The inclusion of Green is the big talking point. He certainly owes the fans a performance after last week when he was anonymous at best. We know he's got it in him, so now's the time to turn it on.

Blackpool are Rachubka; Coid, Evatt, Barker, Harte; Fox, Southern, Green, Vaughan; Nardiello, Burgess. On their bench are Crainey, Brooms, Jorgensen, Martin, Gilks, Edwards and Merella.

Team news for us is that Matt Green keeps his place up front with Benyon on the bench. Dsane is in for Danny Stevens and loan signing Tristan Plummer from Bristol City starts on the bench.
So we are Bevan; Mansell, Woods, Hodges, Nicholson; Carlisle, Hargreaves, Wroe, Dsane; Sills, Green. On the seven-man cup-tastic bench are Robertson, Benyon, Thompson, Stevens, Adams, Ellis and Plummer.
Referee is Andy Penn from the West Midlands.

GULLS v BLACKPOOL (FA CUP 3rd ROUND)

JUST 22 miles up the road the Exeter game is off due to a frozen pitch, but here it's balmy and tropical and the game has never been in doubt.
Well, maybe not balmy and tropical. It's grey and cold again here. Haytor has disappeared in the grey and the Bevanator is the first one out training with Kenny Veysey.
The crowd is filtering in, but one super-fan won't be among them. Anna is stuck at home with a hefty cold which is bordering on man-flu, so it's hello from all in the press box to you!