FAT 3rd Round Southport V Torquay 31st Jan 2009

I suppose the difference this year is that we have players like Thompson, Adams and Robertson who can come in and do the business. Hence, I am more positive about this competition this year although it could still create a fixture congestion come April.

After a somewhat light fixture list in the past month, we have two mid week league games either side of this match and maybe there is some merit in deviating from the preferred policy of playing the same XI. Maybe resting players like Hargreaves, Woods and playing Carayol on the wing may just freshen things up.

A speculative line up:

Poke Bevan ;D (unless injury still giving grief)

Mansell Robertson Hodges Nicholson

Carayol Adams Thompson Dsane

Sills Green

Really like Ellis as a player as well. We just seem to have many quality players at central defence presently. I think both Robertson and Ellis could be good long term prospects at the club but play better when alongside an older head.

I would love to be at that game with those three up front as think there may be a few goals. ;D

Fifty years ago tomorrow, Southport and Torquay United played their first ever competitive match in the newly formed Football League Fourth Division and seven days later I was taken by my father to my first ever Torquay United game at Plainmoor.

So it's the golden anniversary for Southport v Torquay games tomorrow and my golden anniversary next Saturday. The fact that next week's game is the farthest away possible in the BSP matters not, and I will be at Holker Street, Barrow In Furness (weather permitting!) with a select little group of friends for the occasion and we have booked an overnight stop en route to mark the occasion.....................more about that next week, but good luck lads for tomorrow as we hit the Wembley trail again!

Wish I'd gone to Southport myself now, Romford Kev has just phoned and put an old Gulls "legend" on the line who is in the country visiting his son who doesn't live a million miles from Haig Avenue himself.

I'm not allowed to reveal who it is just now as Kev plans to snap them both and put a competition up tomorrow, so until then I'll keep Schtumm; but it's good to hear from ***** and learn that he and the family are all well living in warmer climes than we enjoy in Good Old Blighty!

We will have to wait and see if we get any match reports, as to how this line up works, or not works, not sure I think its the best formation to go and get the game finished off as soon as possible.

Disappointed that Green is not starting,he has been playing better with Sills and more games together can only make their partnership even better. Playing with just one striker is in my view not what is required, but then I don't pick the team or get judged by the decisions I make.

Well one nil down not the start we wanted, lets get Green on ;D

A Woods cross and header by Sills is the closest we have come to scoring, the wind seems to be playing a big part in the game, as we hit balls far to long. I hope we see a change in the line up for the second half.