TORQUAY United boss Martin Ling has been nominated for the npower League 2 Manager of the Month award for January.

The month began with a memorable 2-1 victory at Plymouth Argyle, where goals from Billy Bodin and Lee Mansell secured a second Devon derby success in the space of six weeks.

Two more testing away games followed, but the Gulls showed character and class to earn successive 2-1 victories at Macclesfield and Morecambe.

January ended with a return to Plainmoor, where Dagenham & Redbridge were defeated in a battling 1-0 win for United and then Northampton suffered the same fate four days later.

A Gulls spokesman said: "Five games, five wins and 15 points is a compelling argument to Martin's case, but he will have to overcome stiff competition from Swindon boss Paolo Di Canio and Lawrie Sanchez from Barnet."

The winner will be announced on Friday.

Meanwhile, Gulls defender Mark Ellis, who is currently talking over a new deal at Plainmoor, has been nominated for the npower League 2 Player of the Month for January.

Ellis has enjoyed a superb start to the year, scoring three goals and playing a talismanic role at the heart of the Torquay defence.

His cause is helped by the fact the Gulls have only conceded three times in that fabulous sequence.

Ellis will be up against Swindon Town's Paul Caddis and Ricky Holmes from Barnet, and the winner of that competition will also be announced on Friday.