TT PREVIEW
Steve Harris – @steveharris84
Match details: Barnet FC versus Torquay United
Venue: The Hive, Harrow
Date: Saturday 20th November 2021
Kick-off: 3pm
Current Form (last six):
Barnet: W, L, L, L, W, L
Torquay: D, L, W, W, D, W
Top scorer:
Barnet: Joe Widdowson, Mason Bloomfield (3 each)
Torquay: Armani Little (7)
Head to Head:
Barnet: 12
Draw: 11
Torquay: 12
Barnet FC fact file:
Year founded: 1888
Nickname: The Bees
Last season’s league finish: 22nd in the National League
Notable honours:
Football Conference/Blue Square Premier/National League:
Winners: 1990-91, 2004-05, 2014-15
Manager: Dean Brennan
A familiar opponent of United’s from the 2018-19 National League South title winning season, Dean Brennan crossed paths with the Gulls twice during their National League South title winning season. Firstly, as manager of Hemel Hempstead and later while he managed Billericay Town.
Dublin-born Brennan first came to England with Sheffield Wednesday in 1999, where he impressed at youth and reserve team level but failed to break into the first team with the Owls. He then went on to make a handful of appearances for Luton Town before dropping down into the non-league scene. He had spells with a number of clubs, including Stevenage, Grays Athletic, Lewes, AFC Wimbledon, Cambridge City, Chesham United and Hemel Hempstead. While at Grays, he helped them to win the FA Trophy in 2005.
As a manager, Brennan took charge of Hemel Hempstead in 2012 – he had a brief caretaker spell in charge of the Tudors in 2010 – and led them to the Southern League title in the 2013-14 campaign.
After establishing Hemel Hempstead in National League South, Brennan was appointed as manager of Billericay Town by their then owner Glenn Tamplin in September 2018. He was later sacked after four months in charge. A brief stint as manager of Kingstonian followed before he took charge of the Stones, who he led to the National League South title in the 2019-20 season.
After leaving Wealdstone midway through the 2020-21 season, Brennan joined Barnet as Head of Football in the summer of 2021 and took over the managerial reins following the departure of Harry Kewell as manager.
Player to watch: Adam Marriott
One of the most experienced strikers in non-league football, Adam Marriott joined Barnet in the summer after leaving Eastleigh at the end of the 2020-21 season.
After starting out with Cambridge United, Marriott re-ignited his career with their city neighbours Cambridge City, where he scored 45 times in 42 appearances in all competitions in the 2013-14 season. His exploits earned him a move into the Football League with Stevenage in 2014, where he stayed for two years before joining Lincoln City in 2016.
Spells with Royston Town and Boston United followed before he signed for King’s Lynn Town, who he helped to win two successive promotions from the Southern League Premier Central to the National League.
He left the Linnets to join Eastleigh, after cost-cutting measures during the coronavirus pandemic saw him furloughed by the Norfolk side.
STATS
Position: Centre Forward
Height: 1.75m
Date of Birth: 14th April 1991 – 30 years-old
Birthplace: Brandon
Former Clubs: Cambridge Utd, Cambridge City, Bishop’s Stortford, Stevenage, Lincoln, Royston Town, Boston, King’s Lynn, Eastleigh
National League Stats 21-22: Played 10, Goals 1, Yellow/Red Cards 0/0
Old boys:
Barnet: None
Torquay: None
Last meeting: Torquay United 2 Barnet 2 – 22nd May 2021
Torquay’s automatic promotion hopes suffered a fatal setback as they were held to a draw at home by Barnet.
First half goals from Jake Andrews and Connor Lemonheigh-Evans set United on their way, before the Bees came from behind to seal a point thanks to a Michael Petrasso penalty and a second half header from Themis Kefalas.
Torquay (4-4-1-1): Covolan; Wynter, Sherring (Cameron 40), Lewis, Moxey; Randell, Hall, Little (Kimpioka 66), Andrews; Lemonheigh-Evans; Boden (Waters 55)
Subs not used: MacDonald, Umerah
Barnet (3-5-2): Parkes; Nugent, Richards-Everton, Kefalas; Vaughan, Skeffington, Taylor, Petrasso (Walker 74), Beard; Mason-Clark (McBurnie 82), Adeloye
Subs not used: Callan, Vaisiliou
Possible line-ups:
Barnet (4-3-3):
Aston Oxborough
Sam Woods – Reiss Greenidge – Jamie Turley – Sam Beard
Kian Flanagan – Mitch Brundle – Harry Taylor
Ephron Mason-Clark – Adam Marriott – Robert Hall
Torquay United (4-4-1-1):
Shaun MacDonald
Ben Wynter – Joe Lewis – Harry Perritt – Dean Moxey
Byron Moore – Armani Little – Tom Lapslie – Keelan O’Connell
Connor Lemonheigh-Evans
Sinclair Armstrong
TT Pre-Match Talking Points:
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Can the returning Sinclair Armstrong galvanise this TUFC attack?
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Who will CLE replace in the Gulls line-up?
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Can Gary Johnson’s team finally win their second away game of the season?
TORQUAYTALK 