TT MATCH PREVIEW – NOTTS COUNTY (H) BY STEVE HARRIS

TT PREVIEW

Steve Harris – @steveharris84

Match details: Torquay United vs Notts County

Venue: Plainmoor, Torquay

Date: Saturday 9th April 2022

Kick-off: 3pm

Current Form (last six):

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

Notts County: L, L, W, W, D, W

Top scorer:

Torquay: Armani Little (11)

Notts County: Kyle Wootton (16)

Head-to-Head:

Torquay: 8

Draw: 20

Notts County: 20

Notts County fact file:

Year founded: 1862

Nickname: The Magpies

Last season’s league finish: 5^th National League

Notable honours:

FA Cup:

Winners: 1894

Anglo Italian Cup:

Winners: 1995

Second Division/First Division/Championship:

Winners: 1896-97, 1913-14, 1922-23

Play-off winners: 1990-91

Manager: Ian Burchnall

After spending the bulk of his coaching and managerial career in Scandinavia, with Sarpsborg 08 and Viking in Norway and Ostersund in Sweden, Ian Burchnall was appointed Notts County manager on March 25, 2021, as successor to Neal Ardley. While at Sarpsborg 08 he was assistant manager to former Sheffield United, Leeds United, Benfica and Middlesbrough striker Brian Deane. Burchnall then went on to manage Norwegian side Viking before succeeding Brighton and Hove Albion manager Graham Potter as manager of Swedish Ostersund; In the 2018 Allsvenskan season he led Ostersund to a sixth-place finish with 49 points – one place below their highest ever league finish and one point below their record points haul set during Potter’s reign.

In his first season in charge at Meadow Lane, Burchnall guided the Magpies to the National League Play-offs for the second year in a row and is once again aiming high in the 2020-21 campaign.

Player to watch: Ruben Rodrigues

Portuguese attacker Ruben Rodrigues enjoyed a successful debut campaign with Notts County in the 2020-21 season after joining the Magpies from Den Bosch in Holland.

Rodrigues played a key role in helping County secure a place in the National League Play-offs, as he netted six times during May 2021 – which helped to earn him the National League player of the month award. He was also on target in the Magpies’ 4-2 National League Play-off semi-final defeat against Torquay United at Plainmoor last June.

The Portuguese made a flying start to the 2021-22 campaign and has gone on to find the back of the net 15 times for the Magpies.

RODRIGUES STATS:

Position: Centre-Forward

Date of Birth: 2nd Aug 1996 – 25 Years Old

Birthplace: Oliveira de Azeméis, Portugal

Former Clubs: Den Bosch, Wilhelmina, VV Gemert, De Treffers

National League Stats 21-22: Played 34, Goals 12, Yellow 8, Red 0

Old boys:

Torquay: None

Notts County: Kyle Cameron, Aaron Nemane, Frank Vincent

Last meeting: Notts County 1 – 1 Torquay United, Saturday 28^th August 2021

Kyle Wootton’s second-half header rescued Notts County a point in a 1-1 home draw against 10-man Torquay.

Wootton headed home Adam Chicksen’s cross in the 69th minute to cancel out Danny Wright’s first-half header for the visitors.

County made a bright start as Ruben Rodrigues struck a post in the 10^th minute.

Torquay were reduced to 10 men midway through the first half when Ali Omar was shown a straight red card for hauling down Wootton.

The visitors edged ahead through Wright’s header eight minutes before the break before Wootton got ahead of his marker to nod home a 69th-minute equaliser.

Notts County (3-5-2): Slocombe; Brindley, Rawlinson, Cameron; Kelly-Evans (Nemane 46), Palmer, Francis (O’Brien 46), Chicksen; Roberts, Wootton, Rodrigues (Mitchell 84)

Torquay United (4-4-2): Halstead; Wynter, Lewis, Omar, Moxey; Johnson (Lemonheigh-Evans 59), Lapslie, Little, O’Connell (Hall 78); Holman (Martin 26), Wright