Saturday, January 3, 2009

Torquay 1-0 Blackpool


A first-half Matt Green goal saw non-league Torquay inflict a third-round FA Cup upset against Championship side Blackpool at Plainmoor.

Green collected Steve Wood's long ball on 32 minutes and outpaced his marker to beat keeper Paul Rachubka with a fine left-footed strike from 20 yards.

Shaun Barker came close to equalising for the visitors after the interval.

But Torquay's Nicky Wroe wasted the best chance of the half when he fired over after Wayne Carlisle's corner.

The defeat leaves managerless Blackpool without a victory in their last six matches.

Caretaker boss Tony Parkes' task was not made any easier with the absence of six loan players, who returned to their parent clubs in the January transfer window.

David Fox wasted their best chance of the first half on 18 minutes when he fired wide of keeper Scott Bevan's right-hand post from 12 yards.

And the visitors were made to pay for the miss when Green swept drilled the winner 13 minutes before the half-time break.

Blackpool began the second half with more vigour than the first, but striker Stuart Green was particularly ineffective up front.

Defender Kevin Nicholson came to the home side's rescue when he blocked Dominic Merella's late shot in the last 10 minutes to ensure Torquay clinched their place in the fourth-round draw.


Torquay: Bevan, Mansell, Woods, Hodges, Nicholson, Carlisle, Wroe, Hargreaves, DSane, Sills, Green. Subs: Robertson, Benyon, Thompson, Stevens, Adams, Ellis, Plummer.

Blackpool: Rachubka, Coid, Evatt, Barker, Harte, Green, Southern, Fox, Vaughan, Nardiello, Burgess. Subs: Crainey, Broomes, Jorgensen, Martin, Gilks, Edwards, Merella.

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