TT PREVIEW
Steve Harris – @steveharris84
Steve discusses the two upcoming friendlies
BUCKLAND ATHLETIC V TORQUAY UNITED – 8TH JULY 2022 – HOMER’S HEATH
Torquay United fans will have the chance to get a first glimpse of Gary Johnson’s new summer signings when the Gulls travel to Buckland Athletic for the club’s first pre-season friendly of the 2022-23 campaign on Friday night.
Kieron Evans, Dylan Crowe, James Hanson, Brett McGavin, Aaron Jarvis, and Ross Marshall are all set to play some part for Johnson’s new look Gulls, alongside first year pros Jack Winsor and Lewis Brooks.
It will be the fourth time that United have faced the Newton Abbot-base side in pre-season; the Gulls first visited Homer’s Heath twice under Paul Buckle’s reign as manager in 2007 and 2009, with the second of their visits under Buckle also staged to raise money for Leukaemia Research following Chris Todd’s diagnosis with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia in the 2008-09 campaign.
Their previous visit came at the start of the 2019-20 season which saw United win 3-0.
Buckland themselves are under new management following the arrival of former Plymouth Argyle trainee Dan Hart and will also have several new signings on display for the first time, including Harry Hodges – the son of United player and manager Kevin Hodges.
LAST MEETING: Buckland Athletic 0-3 Torquay United (Kalala, Wynter, Price) – 13th July 2022 – Homers Heath
TUFC Line-up: 1. Shaun MacDonald, 30. Matt Buse, 5. Jean-Yves Koue Niate, 8. Asa Hall (c) (23. Louie Slough, 70′), 16. Ryan Dickson (4. Kyle Cameron, 27′), 7. Ruairi Keating (20. Kalvin Lumbombo-Kalala, HT), 10. Armani Little (22. Jacob Evans, 70′) 14. Frank Vincent (26. Trialist B, 63′), 11. Jake Andrews (24. Josh Baxter, 70′), 19. Jamie Reid (25. Owen Price, 70′) 18. Olaf Koszela (2. Ben Wynter, HT). Sub not used: 21. Andy Collings
EXMOUTH TOWN V TORQUAY UNITED – 12TH JULY 2022 – SOUTHERN ROAD
Next up after that for the Gulls will be a trip to East Devon next Tuesday to face an Exmouth Town side managed by no other than United appearance holder Kevin Hill.
After joining the club from Torrington in 1997, ‘Hilly’ firmly became part of the fixtures and fittings over the next 11 years – and he was a key player in the Gulls’ side in Leroy Rosenior’s side who won automatic promotion from Division Three in 2003-04.
In 2007, he was awarded a well-deserved testimonial against Plymouth Argyle and went onto make a record 474 appearances for United before joining Dorchester Town in the summer of 2008.
Having played under ten different managers during his time at Plainmoor, ‘Hilly’ has taken what he has taken what he has learned from each of them and has led Exmouth to promotion from the South West Peninsula League in 2019-20 and the Western League in 2021-22 during his reign in charge.
Next season will see them enter the Southern League for the first time ever.
It will also be the Gulls’ first visit to Exmouth since the pre-season of 2004-05 when United won 6-0.
LAST MEETING: Exmouth Town 0-6 Torquay United (Owen, D.Canoville, Gritton (pen), Akinfenwa 2 (1 pen), Taylor) – 17th July 2004 – Southern Road
Torquay United’s summer transfer business so far:
In: Kieron Evans (Cardiff City- loan), Dylan Crowe & Brett McGavin (Ipswich Town), James Hanson (Dover Athletic), Aaron Jarvis, Scunthorpe United, Ross Marshall (Stevenage), Lewis Brooks & Jack Winsor (Under-18s)
Out: Armani Little (Forest Green Rovers), Connor Lemonheigh-Evans & Joe Lewis (Stockport County), Ben Wynter (Barnet), Danny Wright & Jake Andrews (Havant & Waterlooville) Louis Slough (Dorchester Town), Marcin Brzozowski (Hayes & Yeading)
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