TT PREVIEW
Steve Harris – @steveharris84
Steve Harris previews the game at Plainmoor
TORQUAY UNITED VS TAUNTON TOWN – FA TROPHY 4TH ROUND
Venue: Plainmoor
Date: Tuesday, 17th January, 2023
Kick-off: 3pm
CURRENT FORM
Torquay: W, L, W, D, L, W
Taunton: W, D, D, W, W, L
TOP SCORERS
Torquay: Will Goodwin (8)
Taunton: Dave Sims-Burgess (3)
TAUNTON TOWN FACTFILE
Year founded: 1947
Nickname: The Peacocks
Last season’s league finish: 1st in Southern League Premier South (Champions)
Taunton Town notable honours:
Southern League Premier:
Champions: 2021-22
Southern League Division One West:
Champions: 2017-18
FA Vase Winners: 2001
MANAGER: ROB DRAY
Rob joined the club in the summer of 2016, being appointed to the backroom team as coach. He has a wealth of experience in the non-league game, originally being a player and manager of Bridgwater Town Reserves in the Somerset County League. He stepped up to manage the Bridgwater Town first team at the start of the 2010-11 season, but a poor run of results saw his departure from Fairfax Park in March 2012 before he became assistant manager to Sean Joyce at Bideford in the summer of that year. After three seasons in North Devon, he left for a short spell at Yate Town in 2015 but took a break from the game for the majority of the 2015-16 season.
Upon joining the Peacocks, he became part of the successful management team that guided the team to the FA Cup 1st Round Proper and the Southern League West Division title in consecutive seasons. He then assumed the role of interim manager in September 2018 following the departure of Leigh Robinson before being appointed Head of Football a month later, leading the Peacocks to a tremendous second place finish in their first ever season at Southern Premier level.
PLAYER TO WATCH: LLOYD JAMES
A well-known figure to both Gary Johnson and Torquay United from his loan spell at Plainmoor in the 2019-20 season, Lloyd James is a veteran of more than 350 Football League games. Lloyd joined the Peacocks on loan from Bath City in December 2021. He spent his early career at Southampton, being a member of their team that reached the FA Youth Cup Final in 2005 and went on to make more than 70 first team appearances until his release at the end of the 2009-10 season. He then signed for Colchester United where he racked up more than 50 senior displays over two seasons as well as a short loan spell at Crawley Town in March 2012. After rejecting a new contract at Colchester, he joined Leyton Orient in July 2012 and spent the next four seasons with the East London club, making over 100 appearances.
After his departure from Orient in the summer of 2016 he spent the next two campaigns at Exeter City before joining Forest Green Rovers in July 2018. He spent a month on loan with the Gulls in December 2019 before he left Forest Green in February 2020 and signed for Bath City. Internationally he has represented Wales at U17, U19 and U21 level.
JAMES STATS:
Position: Midfield
Date of Birth: 16th February 1988 (34 years old)
Birthplace: Bristol
Height: 1.80m
Former Clubs: Southampton, Colchester, Crawley, Leyton Orient, Exeter City, Forest Green, Torquay, Bath City
NL Stats 22-23: Played 18, Goals 0, Yellow/Red Cards 3/0
OLD BOYS
Torquay: None
Taunton: Lloyd James
TUFC FA TROPHY RECORD
2007-08 Runners-up L Ebbsfleet United N
2008-09 Round two L Southport A
2014-15 Semi-finals L Wrexham H
2015-16 Quarter finals L Bognor Regis A
2016-17 Round one L Braintree Town A
2017-18 Round one L Maidstone United H
2018-19 Round one L Boreham Wood A
2019-20 Round two L FC Halifax Town H
2020-21 Quarter finals L Woking A
2021-22 Round three L Tonbridge Angels A
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Torquay United (3-4-2-1):
Mark Halstead
Shaun Donnellan – Ali Omar – Dean Moxey
Dillon De Silva – Asa Hall – Tom Lapslie – Ben Wyatt
Kieron Evans – Ricky Aguiar
Aaron Jarvis
Taunton Town (3-5-2):
Jack Bycroft
Nick Grimes – Dan Ball – Jay Foulston
Ollie Chamberlain – Lee Lucas – Lloyd James – Joe Guest – Zac Smith
Nat Jarvis – Dave Sims-Burgess
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