http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk
PRISO CLEARED TO BOOST UNITED
Torquay United have received a welcome boost ahead of tomorrow's League Two away game at Mansfield Town (3pm), with new French striker Carl Priso receiving his international clearance last night.
With centre-forward Leon Constantine almost definitely ruled out with a hip injury, the Priso announcement could not have come at a more convenient time, allowing the former Paris St-Germain forward to take Constantine's place in the squad. However, the United squad is still depleted by several injuries ahead of tomorrow's match, while Tony Bedeau will serve the second game of a three-match suspension.
Summing up the pros and cons of his present predicament, head coach Leroy Rosenior said: "The clearance for Priso has come through today. It is a boost for us and to have him available is good news.
"Leon Constantine is very doubtful for Saturday and is still struggling after his knock on Wednesday.
"Matt Hewlett got a knock on his knee on Wednesday and is a bit of a doubt. (Morike) Sako definitely won't be available and Martin Phillips is still struggling with his ankle.
"With Leon injured, having Priso available gives us an option though."
It is unlikely that Priso will start the match, with Rosenior likely to go with Alan Connell and Jo Kuffour in a 4-4-2 formation.
PALMER GOES FOR EXTRA FIREPOWER
Quite a few midweek soccer bets went down when Mansfield Town lost 0-1 at home to Rushden & Diamonds on Tuesday night. It had looked like a home banker.
Former England star favours three strikers for now
So the pressure will be on Carlton Palmer's Stags when they take on Torquay United at Field Mill tomorrow.
It wasn't long ago that Mansfield under Keith Curle and Torquay under Leroy Rosenior vied for the title of the best pure football team in this division.
Town's 2-1 home win over promotion-bound United in a rearranged match in March 2004 was as near to a classic as you'll get at this level. Neither side deserved to lose, and both teams were given a standing ovation at the end.
But midway through last season Curle was controversially sacked for disciplinary reasons - it surrounded his alleged treatment of a young player and he unsuccessfully challenged the decision in an industrial tribunal - and former England international Carlton Palmer took over.
Town's style has changed from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3 under 39-year-old Palmer, who is now operating as a defensive midfield player.
Palmer's ex-Sheffield Wednesday teammate Kevin Pressman is in goal, but Town will stand or fall this season on their strikers.
Palmer is playing three up front - Matt Tipton (above), former Brighton, Macclesfield and Rotherham centre-forward Richard Barker and 5ft 7in tall former Arsenal starlet Adam Birchall, 20.
They were 2-0 up at Stockport on the opening day of the season before being pulled back to 2-2, and it will be interesting to see if Palmer is soon forced to play a striker less in search of more resilience in midfield.
PLAYER TO WATCH
The lower divisions often throw up strikers who appear to score goals without ever earning the confidence of their managers.
History says: United have won only four times in 30 visits to Mansfield's Field Mill ground and only once (2-1 Hathaway, Nelson Oct 29, 1996) in the last 20 years. THE FORMBOOK SAYS: Mansfield have opened the season with a 2-2 draw at Stockport and a surprise 0-1 home defeat by Rushden, while United drew 0-0 with Notts County on Saturday and then lost 1-0 at Oxford United on Tuesday. It took Hartlepool's Adam Boyd the best part of three years and a brilliant strike-rate before he held down a regular place at Victoria Park.
A few years back ex-Torquay marksman Duane Darby had to move away from Plainmoor before he could be sure of first-team football.
Matt Tipton is another case in point. A trainee at Oldham, where he won Wales Youth and Under-21 honours, Bangor-born Tipton spent four years at Boundary Park before moving to Macclesfield Town.
In three and a half seasons at the Moss Rose Ground, he scored 50 goals in 131 starts, including 19 in 2003-2004 - on a par with the best strikers at this level - and still successive managers of the Silkmen tried to do without him.
He was also sent off during Torquay's 4-1 win over Macclesfield at Plainmoor in January 2004.
Tipton looked nailed on for a new contract until Town lost to Lincoln in the League Two Play-Offs last season, when Brian Horton surprisingly told him he was surplus to requirements.
Mansfield snapped him up and, if 5ft 10in tall Tipton doesn't make double-figures at least this season, something will have gone very wrong.