PREVIEW

Steve Harris

@steveharris84

MATCH DETAILS

Hampton and Richmond Borough versus Torquay United

Venue: The Beveree, Hampton

Date: Saturday 28th October 2023

Kick-off: 3pm

HEAD TO HEAD

H & R B: 1

Draw: 1

Torquay: 2

FORM GUIDE

Hampton and Richmond: L, L, W, W, W, W

Torquay: L, W, L, L, W, L

TOP SCORERS

Hampton and Richmond: Ben Seymour (5)

Torquay: Aaron Jarvis (9)

HAMPTON AND RICHMOND FACTFILE

Year founded: 1887

Nickname: The Beavers

Last season’s league finish: 17^TH in National League South

Notable Honours:

Isthmian League:

Winners: 2006-07, 2015-16

MANAGER – MEL GWINNETT

A former Exeter City goalkeeping coach, Mel joined Peterborough United as a teenager from Stourbridge in May 1981 but, after failing to make the first-team, moved to Hereford United in September 1982 where he made a solitary league appearance. He then had a spell at Gloucester City before returning to the professional ranks with Bradford City.

At the age of 22, Mel arrived at St James’ Park in August 1985 as understudy to John Shaw and made just two league appearances during his first season. Three more league appearances in 1986-87, but he would have a run of games towards the end of the 1987-88 season and into the 1988-89 campaign before losing his place in December 1988 to Dave Walter.

Mel briefly joined Yeovil Town on loan ahead of signing permanently for Weymouth in March 1989. Moving to Dorset as part of a £10,000 package with Richard Cooper, Mel found himself under the management of former Bristol City, Manchester City and Scotland midfielder Gerry Gow.

Playing out his career in non-league, Mel eventually moved into coaching and was to return to Exeter City initially as youth football director and then goalkeeping coach before becoming a first-team coach. Following Paul Tisdale to MK Dons in 2018 – and later on to Bristol Rovers (as football operations manager) and Stevenage – Mel was briefly first-team coach at Barnet prior to his appointment as manager and head of football operations at Hampton & Richmond Borough in January 2023.

GWINNETT STATS

Date of Birth: 14/05/63 (60)

Appointed: 13th Jan 2023

Other Clubs Managed: N/A

PLAYER TO WATCH – JAKE GRAY

After starting his career with Crystal Palace, Jake Gray went on to make over 100 appearances in the EFL with Yeovil Town and Luton Town. Whilst with the Glovers, he featured against Manchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup in the 2017-18 season – alongside United’s Under-18’s boss Ryan Dickson. Gray then joined Woking in 2019 before joining the Beavers a year later.

He was an ever present for Hampton and Richmond in the shortened 2020-21 season – and has remained an important figure for the Beavers, winning the club’s player of the year award in 2023.

GRAY STATS

Position: Central Midfield

Date of Birth: 25/12/95 (27)

Place of Birth: Aylesbury

Height: 1.80m

Former Clubs: Wycombe, Crystal Palace, Cheltenham, Hartlepool, Luton, Yeovil, Woking

NLS 23/24 Stats: Appearances 10, Goals 1, Yellow/Red Cards 1/0

OLD BOYS

Hampton and Richmond: N/A

Torquay United: N/A

POSSIBLE LINE-UPS

Hampton and Richmond (4-4-2):

Adam Debois

Jordan Thomas – Dean Inman – Luis Fernandez – Ruaridh Donaldson

Sam Deadfield, – Jake Gray – George Hunt – Dan Wishart

Ben Seymour – Mason Bloomfield

Torquay United (3-1-4-2):

Mark Halstead

Shaun Donnellan – Ollie Tomlinson – Dean Moxey

Brett McGavin

Jack Stobbs – Tom Lapslie – Lewis Collins – Finley Craske

Brad Ash – Aaron Jarvis

LAST MEETING

Tuesday 18th October 2022, Hampton Richmond 1 – 2 Torquay United – FA Cup

Ten-man Torquay United came from behind once again to beat Hampton & Richmond Borough with second-half goals by Dean Moxey and Aaron Jarvis, and clinch a home FA Cup First Round tie against Derby County, after a nerve-shredding replay at The Beveree Ground.

Gary Johnson’s injury-ravaged Gulls, who had hauled themselves back from a 2-0 deficit at Plainmoor last Saturday, were up against it once more when Hampton deservedly led at half-time through Tommy Wood’s opportunist tap-in.

United equalised with a brilliant Moxey free-kick early in the second half, only for on-loan Queen’s Park Rangers winger Dillon De Silva to be sent off for two bookings in the space of four minutes.

But, just when it looked as Torquay, bottom of the National League, might crash out of the Cup to NL South opposition for the second successive season, Jarvis headed them in front in the 67th minute.