FL2: Morecambe v Torquay Utd - 10 August 13, 3pm.

Typical, hardly ever scored for us, can only recall one goal in two and a half years for us!

Options:

1. Mansell at RB, Lathrope in midfield
2. Sign Deaman up quick
3. Sign someone else quick
4. Jake Hutchings
5. Tom Cruise
6. Niall Thompson
7. Me

sam99 
 It could have been an option Knill weighed up Sam, but I think the odds were stacked against it. Joe had been a first team regular for the last couple of seasons and was probably on a fairly decent wage. I doubt he'd have wanted to take a big pay cut to stay, and therefore the budget probably wouldn't have stretched to bringing in Pearce and Hawley, who will both be nearer the top of the pay scale, if we'd also paid out to keep Joe.

Besides that, I'm not sure the option of a Season spent on the bench as 'back-up would have appealed to Joe. I think he's at an age when he wants to be playing first team football, and should have enough belief in his ability to think he should be somewhere playing. Far better to go and play for a Manager that rates you, it does wonders for your confidence and your goal scoring attempts may quickly reflect that .

If we'd lost Tonge today with a broken leg, then we would be looking at a tough problem to solve. As it is we just need a sticking plaster for one match. There are a few viable options, and with Jon now declaring his availability my worries are melting away.

Knills got all week to work on the problem, so we'll see what happens. 

We have a friendly against Cheltenham this week so maybe the answer will be there?

I think the most logical solution is putting Mansell at full back as he has a lot of experience in that position. I haven't see Shaun Cooper sign for anyone and Knill has a good relationship with his agent but probably not an economical solution however we shall see....

Ouch indeed, and at a time of year when crowds are usually bigger than the winter. Makes you wonder how they can stay viable on those crowds..

A fair score this afternoon at the Globe. It's been said once and it'll be said again: they were better in the first half; we in the second. Both goals were sweet strikes but each defence will curse the space offered and the two 'keepers may have been somewhat reflective afterwards.

An orthodox 4-4-2 line up for Torquay which seems to be the Knill way. The back four did well and Tonge running the line in front of us in the second-half looked a rather better proposition than a back-pedalling Nicholson in the first. Tonge's sending off, following a second red card, was greeted in "it's a fair cop" fashion with a prompt exit down the adjacent tunnel. One assumes Mansell will move over to plug the hole next week.

Mansell was pretty typical in midfield and, as Torquay blossomed in the second half, so did Harding's contribution after a quiet start. Bodin, at his best, was excellent but that level of ability and involvement was not displayed as frequently as one may have hoped. A solid performance from Chappell and likewise from Cameron, his replacement. You suspect they'll be passing the baton throughout the season with a series of adequate but not earth-shattering performances. Put together and they'll hopefully "do a job".

Up front Ball did reasonably well but I'd like to see more of him before really passing judgement. He could prove to be a decent signing and there were times when he vaguely reminded me of Duane Darby. And, yes, Hawley looked the business today. The sort of experienced striker that we've been poor at acquiring over the years and a player who appears to possess a bit of good old-fashioned "nous".

A late debut too for Danny Sullivan and I was almost transported back to early sightings of other Plymothians such and Dave Pook and Fred Binney who had such conflicting careers in the game. Well done to Jon for recording the fact that Sullivan is Torquay United's 999th first team player.

By way of an overall comment I'd say it was a decent performance and an entertaining game. Maybe not between the two best sides in the division but, put alongside many of last season's away matches, it was altogether more interesting, eventful and engrossing.

Plenty of comment already about the poor crowd of just over 1500. Clearly rather fewer of us compared with last season and most likely a predominantly Northern-domiciled group of away supporters in addition to those who had travelled all the way from South Devon. Morecambe's crowds, you assume, will forever be low. That is the nature of the beast. They do well to do what they do so well.













A good game to watch and an excellent day out. The Sheffield Gulls Brake Club left home around 9.30 and we were soon heading over the tops. For those of you who would imagine there to be a motorway and continuous sprawl between Sheffield and Manchester you may be surprised by this picture of the A57 midway between the two cities:



Progress quickens after hitting the M67 after Glossop, a stretch of road that could justifiably be known as the Ricky Hatton Parkway. Thereafter it was a quick whizz up the motorways for a cuppa and a scone at the "refreshment rooms" on Carnforth station that evoke the spirit of the wartime film Brief Encounter which was filmed on the station. Thence to Morecambe itself and the obligatory visit to the Eric Morecambe statute next to which is a listing of the many guests on the Morecambe and Wise Show. It was gratifying to see the names of two of Alpine Joe's favourites side-by-side:



Eric himself appeared to be helping the Lancashire Constabulary with their enquiries. At least some clown hadn't draped the poor old boy with a Torquay United scarf this time:



A vegan pub in Glossop is the preferred homeward-bound stop for the Sheffield Gulls on their trips to Morecambe. The cheapness of it always amazes. Like Morecambe's football ground it's called the Globe and can be found on the main A57 through the town:

Many thanks for your match reports which give a good flavour of how we got on. I suppose a common theme emerging is that we are playing well in fits and starts, generally when we can introduce a high tempo to our game. Of course this is to be expected as the new players integrate into the side and strive for that match fitness. Taking Hawley as an example, came on for 30 minutes last week, 60 minutes midweek and 85 minutes yesterday so progress being made.