TT PREVIEW
Steve Harris – @steveharris84
Steve previews the friendly
TORQUAY UNITED V NEWPORT COUNTY
Venue: Plainmoor, Torquay
Date: Saturday 16th July 2022
Kick-off: 3pm
NEWPORT COUNTY FACTFILE
Year founded: 1912 (reformed in 1989)
Nickname: The Exiles
Last season’s league finish: 11th in League Two
Notable honours:
Division Three South champions: 1938/39
National League South champions: 2009/10
Welsh Cup winners: 1980
MANAGER: JAMES ROWBERRY
Lifelong Newport fan James Rowberry succeeded the long serving Mike Flynn as Exiles manager in October 2021 and guided the club to an 11th place finish in League Two in the 2021-22 season.
Rowberry had previously worked in Cardiff City’s academy where he worked alongside Russell Slade, Paul Trollope, Neil Warnock and Mick McCarthy. He also became one of the youngest people ever to obtain the UEFA Pro Licence at the age of 29.
PLAYER TO WATCH: MATTY DOLAN
A player who will be familiar with Gary Johnson, Matty Dolan was signed by the United boss on loan for Yeovil Town from Middlesbrough in the 2012/13 season. Dolan appeared as a second half substitute in the Glovers’ 2-1 League One Play-off final victory over Brentford.
Further loan spells with home town club Hartlepool United and Bradford City followed before he re-joined the Glovers on a permanent basis in the summer of 2015. Dolan remained at Huish Park for two seasons until he joined Newport in the summer of 2017 – and is currently club captain.
OLD BOYS
Torquay: None
Newport: None
PREVIOUS HEAD TO HEAD
Torquay United 0-1 Newport County
22nd March 2014
TUFC Line-Up: Rice, Tonge (O’Connor), Downes, Pearce, Nicholson (Craig), Mansell, Fenelon (s/o 34), Lathrope, Bodin, Showunmi (Yeoman), Benyon. Subs not used: Harding, Stockley, Hawley, Poke
Chris Zebroski’s early goal ended Newport County’s poor run with a much needed win at Torquay United. Zebroski squeezed the ball home from a tight angle after eight minutes to give Newport their first win in nine games.
Torquay were reduced to 10 men when Shamir Goodwin was red carded for an elbow on County captain Michael Flynn. County keeper Ian McLoughlin made a late double save to deny Aaron Downes and Ashley Yeoman.
The defeat left Torquay six points adrift of safety at the bottom of League Two.
TUFC SQUAD
GOALKEEPERS: Mark Halstead, Rhys Lovett
DEFENCE: Dylan Crowe, Ross Marshall, Dan Martin, Dean Moxey, Ali Omar, Ollie Tomlinson
MIDFIELD: Shaun Donnellan, Kieron Evans, Asa Hall, Ryan Hanson, Tom Lapslie, Brett McGavin, Alex Moyse, Keelan O’Connell, Gabby Rogers, Jack Winsor
STRIKERS: Corie Andrews, Lewis Brooks, Olaf Koszela, Aaron Jarvis
TORQUAYTALK 