English League Two

Gulls end sorry run with stalemate

Torquay avoided equalling an unwanted club record of eight straight defeats with a goalless draw in their relegation clash at Accrington.

Gulls boss Alan Knill will be glad to stop the seven-match rot, with Torquay facing the prospect of eight successive league losses for the first time since 1995, although both sides really needed a win in their battle to avoid the drop.

Stanley's Lee Molyneux, who scored two goals in a 3-0 midweek win at Rochdale, was the main threat in the first half.

The winger's stunning 25th-minute free-kick was seen late by `keeper Michael Poke, who managed to get a vital hand to it, and six minutes later Molyneux enjoyed another set-piece which Poke again managed to push away.

Torquay's best first-half chance was a Ryan Jarvis header which was well over the bar just before the interval.

Both sides upped their game after the break and Billy Bodin was unlucky not to open the Gulls' account after 46 minutes when his 25-yard effort whistled just over the bar.

Stanley subsequently forced a spell of pressure with Luke Joyce firing wide, Rommy Boco's strike deflected and defender Tom Aldred heading over.

However, Stanley had to defend bravely when Boco cleared an Elliot Benyon header off the line after 64 minutes and Lee Mansell's follow-up was blocked.

Will Hatfield had the ball in the net for Stanley in the final minutes but it was ruled out for offside, while Poke kept out James Gray's injury-time effort and Stanley's Paul Rachubka denied Kevin Nicholson with the last effort of the match.