The 2009–10 Torquay United F.C. season was Torquay United's 74th season in the Football League and their first season in League Two after being promoted from the Conference National. The season runs from 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010.
Overview Despite a 2–0 win over Chesterfield providing an encouraging start to the season, the Gulls soon stumbled upon a run of bad form which saw them play eleven games in League Two without a win. They had slightly more success in the early rounds of the cup competitions; aside from an early exit to Crystal Palace in the Carling Cup, Torquay enjoyed emphatic 3–1 victories over Cheltenham Town in the first rounds of both the FA Cup and Johnstone Paints Trophy. But, while they were beaten on penalties in the second round of the latter competition by eventual winners Southampton, the Gulls were finally knocked out in the third round of the FA Cup by Brighton after achieving a convincing 4–0 win against Stockport County in the second round.
With relegation from League Two still a real threat in late March, Torquay finally found the winning formula at just the right time, winning six and drawing two of their last eight games. The most impressive display during this run was a 5–0 thrashing of league leaders Rochdale at Plainmoor, a result which earned Torquay the F&C Investments Performance Of The Week Award from the League Managers Association. The dramatic upturn in the Gulls' on-field performances meant that their league survival was assured with three games to spare following a 3–0 victory away to relegation rivals Grimsby Town. Remarkably, Torquay managed to keep a clean sheet in all of their last seven games of the season and, in the process, set a new club record of 691 minutes played without conceding a goal.
League statistics
League Two
Results summary
Results by round
Results
League Two
FA Cup
League Cup
League Trophy
Friendlies
Devon St Luke's Bowl
Club statistics
First team appearances
Source: Torquay United
Top scorers PlacePositionNationNumberNameLeague TwoFA CupLeague CupLeague TrophyTotal1 FW 9 Elliot Benyon 11 3 0 1 152 FW 10 Scott Rendell 12 1 0 0 13= MF 11 Nicky Wroe 9 3 0 1 134 FW 29 Chris Zebroski 6 0 0 0 6= MF 18 Mustapha Carayol 6 0 0 0 66 FW 8 Tim Sills 2 0 1 1 47 DF 4 Mark Ellis 3 0 0 0 3= MF 14 Chris Hargreaves 3 0 0 0 3= MF 19 Danny Stevens 1 0 0 2 310 MF 15 Wayne Carlisle 2 0 0 0 2= MF 7 Lee Mansell 2 0 0 0 2= DF 5 Chris Robertson 2 0 0 0 213 MF 32 Eunan O'Kane 1 0 0 0 1= MF 33 Jake Thomson 1 0 0 0 1= DF 6 Chris Todd 1 0 0 0 1 Own goals 2 0 0 0 2 TOTALS 64 7 1 5 77 Source: Torquay United
Disciplinary record NumberNationPositionNameLeague TwoFA CupLeague CupLeague TrophyTotal7 MF Lee Mansell 8 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 011 MF Nicky Wroe 5 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 7 04 DF Mark Ellis 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 014 MF Chris Hargreaves 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 05 DF Chris Robertson 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 022 DF Adam Smith 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 023 DF Kieran Charnock 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 115 MF Wayne Carlisle 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 034 DF Guy Branston 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 19 FW Elliot Benyon 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 06 DF Chris Todd 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 029 FW Chris Zebroski 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 08 FW Tim Sills 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 18 FW Ashley Barnes 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 018 MF Mustapha Carayol 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 010 FW Scott Rendell 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 012 MF Tyrone Thompson 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 033 MF Jake Thomson 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 034 MF Eunan O'Kane 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 019 MF Danny Stevens 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0TOTALS673401020743 Source: Torquay United
Transfers
In DateNat.Pos.NameFromFeeReferences10 July 2009FWBen JoyceSwindon TownFree5 August 2009DFKieran CharnockPeterborough UnitedUndisclosed1 September 2009MFMarvin WilliamsBrentfordUndisclosed6 January 2010FWChris ZebroskiWycombe Wanderers£25,00011 January 2010MFEunan O'KaneColeraineFree1 February 2010DFLathaniel Rowe-TurnerLeicester CityUndisclosed11 February 2010DFMo Camara St MirrenFree24 May 2010DFEd PalmerTraineen/a24 May 2010FWAshley YeomanTraineen/a27 May 2010GKDanny PotterUnattachedn/a3 June 2010FWBilly KeeUnattachedn/a30 June 2010MFLloyd MacklinUnattachedn/a
Out DateNat.Pos.NameFromFeeReferences29 September 2009GKMartin RiceTruro CityFree4 December 2009MFMarvin WilliamsReleasedn/a15 January 2010FWTim SillsStevenage BoroughUndisclosed28 January 2010MFChris HargreavesOxford UnitedFree14 May 2010MFSteve AdamsReleasedn/a14 May 2010DFMichael BroughReleasedn/a14 May 2010DFMo CamaraReleasedn/a14 May 2010DFLee HodgesReleasedn/a14 May 2010FWBen JoyceReleasedn/a14 May 2010MFTyrone ThompsonReleasedn/a14 May 2010DFChris ToddReleasedn/a20 May 2010MFMustapha CarayolLincoln City£35,0002 June 2010FWMatt GreenOxford CityUndisclosed
Loans in DateNat.Pos.NameFromFeeReferences28 July 2009FWScott RendellPeterborough UnitedEnd of season1 September 2009GKMichael PokeSouthamptonEnd of season17 September 2009FWDanny MillsPeterborough United21 October 200927 October 2009MFJake ThomsonSouthamptonEnd of season20 November 2009DFAdam SmithTottenham HotspurEnd of season20 November 2009FWChris ZebroskiWycombe Wanderers6 January 201022 January 2010MFSam CoxTottenham Hotspur11 February 201029 January 2010DFGuy BranstonBurton AlbionEnd of season9 February 2010FWAshley BarnesPlymouth Argyle11 March 201019 February 2010MFLloyd MacklinSwindon Town21 March 20106 May 2010GKSteve CollisBristol City13 May 2010
Loans out DateNat.Pos.NameFromFeeReferences18 August 2009DFMark EllisForest Green Rovers15 September 200918 August 2009MFSteve AdamsForest Green Rovers15 September 200929 August 2009GKMartin RiceTruro City29 September 200917 September 2009MFMustapha CarayolKettering Town10 December 200925 September 2009DFMichael BroughStevenage Borough25 October 20091 October 2009FWBen JoyceWeston-super-MareEnd of season9 October 2009DFLee HodgesTruro CityEnd of season12 October 2009MFSteve AdamsTruro CityEnd of season4 November 2009DFMichael BroughMansfield TownEnd of season26 November 2009DFChris ToddSalisbury City1 January 20109 January 2010DFChris ToddNewport CountyEnd of season
Notes . This match was played at a neutral venue due to the poor state of the pitch at Stockport's Edgeley Park ground.
References