MEMORY LANE
Steve Harris
@steveharris84
Steve looks back 20 years to a glorious afternoon in the Gloucester sunshine
CHELTENHAM TOWN 1-3 TORQUAY UNITED 24/04/2004
When I was writing Torquay United: A History in 50 Matches, there were a number of games which didn’t make the cut – including this one.
As I wasn’t at this game, the memories that I have of it are mainly formed by listening to Richard Green and the late Ken Furphy wax lyrical about the Gulls’ performance on BBC Radio Devon, as United outplayed the Robins to win 3-1.
The Gulls went into their trip to Whaddon Road on the back of successive home wins against Oxford United (3-0) and league leaders Doncaster Rovers (1-0), which kept hot on the heels of Huddersfield Town who occupied Division Three’s third and final automatic promotion spot.
With the Terriers travelling to the KC Stadium to face second placed Hull City, a third win on the trot could put the Gulls within overtaking distance of the West Yorkshire outfit.
After surviving a couple of early scares, United were soon running the show as David Graham was denied by Cheltenham keeper Shane Higgs, before the breakthrough came on 18 minutes.
The Robins failed to fully clear a United free-kick and a ball back into the box from Alex Russell took a touch off skipper Craig Taylor before falling to Jo Kuffour, who took a touch before firing home from 12 yards.
United’s quality on the ball then began to open up Cheltenham’s defence as Graham forced a corner from which Taylor headed inches over.
In the second half, the Gulls appeared to take their foot off the pedal – and Cheltenham’s previously outplayed midfield started to edge their way back into the game.
However, United got themselves back into gear as Graham attempted a 20-yard volley, which Higgs tipped over.
Then in the 65th minute, they scored that all-important second goal as Steve Woods powered home a corner from Russell into the top right hand corner from ten yards.
Then, on 78 minutes, the Gulls effectively ended the match as a contest when Russell teed up Matt Hockley for a shot from 25 yards, which was blocked and fell invitingly to Kuffour, who thumped a low right-footed strike past Higgs from 16 yards.
Three minutes later, Damian Spencer headed home what was a mere consolation for the Robins following a long ball down the middle from Higgs.
Meanwhile, at the KC Stadium, Huddersfield had been held to a goalless draw by Hull – a result which meant that United trailed the Terriers by three points going into their final two games of the 2003-04 campaign.
However, Cheltenham would still have a part to play in the promotion race as their final day 1-1 draw with Huddersfield meant that the Gulls’ 2-1 win against Southend United at Roots Hall was enough to secure a first automatic promotion for United since the 1965-66 campaign.
Torquay United (4-4-2): Arjan Van Heusden; Reuben Hazell, Steve Woods, Craig Taylor, Brian McGlinchey; Liam Rosenior (Jason Fowler 71), Matt Hockley, Alex Russell, Kevin Hill; David Graham (Tony Bedeau 90), Jo Kuffour (Martin Gritton 85)
Subs not used: David Woozley, Kevin Wills
COYY – STEVE
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TORQUAYTALK 
I was at that Cheltenham match and we did indeed play them off the park. I can still remember their only goal which came from a mistake in our defence and then thinking that we were about to mess it up, but we didn’t did we! I was left rather red faced at the end as at the away end we’d all had to endure an afternoon of merciless sunshine.
You fail to mention that Cheltenham were down to ten men when they equalised in that final game against Huddersfield. We had gone through agony in the second half at Roots Hall clinging on to our narrow lead while Huddersfield were ahead for most of that half. Then came the news that Cheltenham had equalised and we were all jumping around as if we’d scored.
The rest is history.
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