PREVIEW
Steve Harris
@steveharris84
MATCH DETAILS
Torquay United versus Maidstone United, National League South
Venue: Plainmoor
Date: Saturday 7th October 2023
Kick-off: 3pm
HEAD TO HEAD
Torquay: 2
Draws: 2
Maidstone: 9
FORM GUIDE
Torquay: L, W, W, W, L, W
Maidstone: W, W, L, W, W, W
TOP SCORERS
Torquay: Aaron Jarvis (6)
Maidstone: Levi Amantchi (6)
MAIDSTONE FACTFILE
Year founded: 1992 (reformed as Maidstone Invicta)
Nickname: The Stones
Last season’s league finish: 24th in the National League
Notable Honours:
National League South:
Winners: 2021-22
Isthmian League:
Winners 2014-15
MANAGER – GEORGE ELOKOBI
Cameroon-born George Elokobi initially took charge of Maidstone on a caretaker basis following the dismissal of Hakan Hayrettin, before he was handed the reins on a permanent basis.
As a player, Elokobi was given his big break in the professional game by Colchester United in 2004, after he was spotted playing for Dulwich Hamlet.
He made his professional debut whilst on loan at Chester City in 2005 and on returning to Colchester Elokobi helped the U’s to win promotion to the Championship under Phil Parkinson in the 2005-06 season.
His displays for Colchester earned him a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2008 and he won two promotions: one from the Championship in 2008-09 and the second from League One in 2013-14. During his time at Molineux, he was loaned out to Nottingham Forest and Bristol City.
Ellokobi was released by Wolves at the end of the 2013-14 campaign and joined Oldham Athletic, where he played under Lee Johnson, son of Gary.
A second spell at Colchester United followed when he re-joined the U’s in 2015, and he later returned to the non-league game with spells in the National League with Leyton Orient and Aldershot Town.
He later joined the Stones in 2019 and helped them to win the National League South title in his final season as a player in the 2021-22 campaign. In addition to this, Elokobi scored in the final game of his career, which saw Maidstone defeat Hampton and Richmond Borough 2-1, to give him the distinction of having scored in every division from the Premier League right down to National League South.
ELOKOBI STATS
Date of Birth: 31/01/86 (37)
Appointed: 24th March 2023
Other Clubs Managed: None
PLAYER TO WATCH – LUCAS COVOLAN
Former United keeper Lucas Covolan wrote his name into Torquay United folklore when he headed home the Gulls’ equaliser in their 2021 National League Play-off final against Hartlepool United – emulating his compatriot Allison, who scored for Liverpool several weeks earlier. He also saved two penalties in the penalty shoot-out, which United lost 5-4.
It proved to be Covolan’s final appearance in a Gulls’ shirt as he headed to the EFL with a move to Port Vale in the summer of 2021. After failing to hold down a regular first team spot at Vale Park, he joined Chesterfield on a season-long loan deal in the 2022-23 campaign and signed for the Stones in the close season.
COVOLAN STATS
Position: Goalkeeper
Date of Birth: 06/06/91 (32)
Place of Birth: Curitiba (Brazil)
Height: 1.93m
Former Clubs: Atletico Paranaense, Esportivo, Toledo, Rio Branco, Atletico Rafal, Alaro, Whitehawk, Lewes, Worthing, Torquay, Port Vale, Chesterfield
OLD BOYS
Torquay United: Shaun Donnellan, Ross Marshall
Maidstone: Lucas Covolan
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Torquay United (4-1-3-2):
Mark Halstead
Shaun Donnellan – Ross Marshall – Ollie Tomlinson – Dean Moxey
Brett McGavin
Jack Stobbs – Tom Lapslie – Lewis Collins
Brad Ash – Aaron Jarvis
Maidstone (3-5-2):
Lucas Covolan
Raphe Brown – George Fowler – Sam Bone
Lamar Reynolds – Harry Kyprianou – Conor Kelly – Devonte Aransibia – Chi Ezennolim
Sol Wanjui-Smith – Levi Amantchi
LAST MEETING
28th January 2023: Torquay United 1-0 Maidstone United – NL
Aaron Jarvis’ tenth goal of the season earned Torquay United a priceless three points in their battle against avoiding the drop against relegation rivals Maidstone United.
The former Luton Town striker found the back of the net with 11 minutes to go to earn the Gulls only their second ever win over the Stones, and their first since December 1989.
Arguably the pick of the early chances fell to the Gulls’ Dean Moxey on 19 minutes when he nodded a Kieron Evans corner straight into the arms of Maidstone keeper Daniel Barden.
In the 28th minute, Torquay went close again as Tom Lapslie had an angled shot blocked before Moxey blasted over from the rebound.
Four minutes later, a curling free-kick from Moxey almost had the beating of Barden. However, he managed to react quickly enough to parry it away.
Maidstone went close two minutes before the half-time break as Sha’mar Lawson made a bursting run from midfield, but missed the target.
Three minutes after the restart, a free-kick from Moxey picked out Shaun Donellan who saw his header tipped over by Barden.
On 68 minutes, Torquay’s QPR loanee Dillon De Silva cut inside onto his left foot and beat two Maidstone defenders before he curled his eventual shot wide.
The Gulls made the breakthrough in the 79th minute when debutant Tope Fadahunsi combined with strike partner Jarvis, who raced clear of the Maidstone defence before finding the top corner.
With four minutes to go Maidstone threatened an equaliser as Roarie Deacon had an effort turned over the bar by United keeper Mark Halstead, but Torquay held on to win.
XI: 1. Mark Halstead, 4. Tom Lapslie, 9. Aaron Jarvis, 10. Tope Fadahunsi (2. Dylan Crowe 82′), 11. Kieron Evans, 15. Ben Wyatt (6. Ross Marshall 89′), 16. Shaun Donnellan, 17. Ricky Aguiar (7. Ryan Hanson 75′), 19. Nico Lawrence, 21. Dean Moxey (c), 27. Dillon De Silva