Ah, Torquay. What does that remind me of again?

“What did you expect to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House perhaps? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically across the plain?”

Or was it Walsall 8 Torquay United 4?

It doesn’t really matter, though, as it’s home League action again tomorrow, and an opportunity to widen those all important gaps between us and fourth place and us and eighth place.

Manager Richard Money has lost the services of Anthony Gerrard through injury this week, so changes will take place in the back four. Given Ince will start in goal and Allan Picken is expected to make a reserve appearance instead this week, we should look like this at the back:-

Ince, Pead or Westwood, Westwood or Dann, Roper and Taylor.

The rest of the squad are all available, so the midfield and attack should come from the ranks of Wright, Wrack, Bedeau, Dobson, Kinsella, Keates, Fox, Demontagnac, Butler, Sam, Constable and Nicholls.

Torquay Manager Ian Atkins has a few problems to sort out. They have several players struggling with injury, including defender Craig Taylor and experienced strikers Kevin Hill and former Baggie Micky Evans. They do also have Wolverhampton born danger man Lee Thorpe in the squad, but he has been playing at centre back, rather than up front!

Ex Rotherham midfielder Darren Gardner has been freed by them this week, despite having played no less than 10 times for them this season.

Atkins has monster Leo Fortune-West playing the last game of his loan period up front and he’s likely to partner our former trialist Jamie Ward, their top scorer with 6 goals.

They have also bought in a loan player this week from Southampton, Welsh under 17 International Kyle Critchell, variously described as a midfielder and a left back, so I’ve no idea where he’s likely to feature!

Predictions?

Richard Money has publically told his players not to get over protective of the clean sheet record at home and that teams are there to be beaten, following last week’s goalless draw against the Franchise. Torquay might be the team to carry that pledge out on.

Despite their 0 – 0 aagainst Shrewsbury last time out, they are in a bad run of form and have failed to score in the last six games, the last win being on 16th September.

They are 18th in the table and struggling. This should be a comfortable home win, although one word of caution should be added. They are actually in a better position away than at home. They are 13th in the “away” table, with two wins and three draws, yet they are 20th in the “home” table, with an identical record.