PREVIEW

Steve Harris

@steveharris84

MATCH DETAILS

Match details: Torquay United versus Hungerford Town, FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round

Venue: Plainmoor

Date: Saturday 30th September 2023

Kick-off: 3pm

HEAD TO HEAD

Torquay: 1

Draws: 0

Hungerford: 1

FORM GUIDE

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

Hungerford: W, L, D, W, D, W

TOP SCORERS

Torquay: Brad Ash/Aaron Jarvis (4 each)

Hungerford: Conor McDonagh (6)

HUNGERFORD FACTFILE

Year founded: 1886

Nickname: The Crusaders

Last season’s league finish: 24th in the National League South (relegated)

Hungerford notable honours:

Hellenic League Premier Division:

Champions: 1979-80

Best FA Cup run:

First round: 1979-80 L 1-3 Slough Town

Route to the third qualifying round:

First qualifying round W 4-0 Petersfield Town H

Second qualifying round W 4-1 Chippenham Town A

OPPOSITION Q&A – Hungerford Town by Cris Bowden

MANAGER – DANNY ROBINSON

Danny Robinson made the switch to Hungerford Town after five successful years with Thatcham Town, highlights of which included winning the FA Vase at Wembley in 2018. He also won the Hellenic League title and guided the Kingfishers to promotion to the Southern League Division 1 South. Robinson was on the verge of another promotion with Thatcham before the 2019-20 season was declared null and void due to Covid-19. He was appointed as Crusaders manager in early May 2023.

ROBINSON STATS

Date of Birth: 14/04/86 (37)

Appointed: 11th May 2020

Other Clubs Managed: Thatcham, Winchester

PLAYER TO WATCH – RYAN CLARKE

A relatively familiar face to Torquay United from his loan spell at Plainmoor in the 2017-18 season, Ryan Clarke is still keeping goal for the Crusaders at the age of 41.

Clarke, who has also represented Bristol Rovers, Salisbury City and Oxford United amongst others in his career, spent five years at Bath City after leaving Plainmoor in the summer of 2018 before joining Hungerford in the close season.

CLARKE STATS

Position: Goalkeeper

Date of Birth: 30/04/82 (41)

Place of Birth: Bristol

Height: 1.90m

Former Clubs: Bristol Rovers, Southend, Kidderminster, Forest Green, Salisbury, Northwich, Oxford Utd, Northampton, Wimbledon, Eastleigh, Torquay, Bath

OLD BOYS

Torquay United: None

Hungerford: Ryan Clarke, Ramarni Medford-Smit

POSSIBLE LINE-UPS

Torquay United (4-1-3-2):

Rhys Lovett

Ryan Hanson – Ross Marshall – Ollie Tomlinson – Dean Moxey

Brett McGavin

Lewis Collins – Tom Lapslie – Will Jenkins Davies

Brad Ash – Aaron Jarvis

Hungerford (4-4-2):

Ryan Clarke

Rhys Tyler – Matthew Berry-Hargreaves – Luke Carnell – Ramarni Medford-Smith

Nathan Davis – Brad Hooper – Jack Alexander – Elis Watts

Conor McDonagh – Adulai Sambu

LAST MEETING

22nd April 2019: Torquay United 0-1 Hungerford Town – NLS

An injury-time winner for the visitors failed to spoil the party at Plainmoor, as United lifted the National League South championship in front of a record-breaking attendance of 5,351.

TUFC: 1. Shaun MacDonald, 2. Ben Wynter, 3. Liam Davis, 11. Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, 14. Frank Vincent, (12. Opi Edwards 74′) 15. Jean-Yves Koue Niate, 16. Ryan Dickson (7. Olaf Koszela), 17. Kyle Cameron (c), 18. Jake Andrews, 19. Jamie Reid, 20. Kalvin Lumbombo-Kalala. SUBS NOT USED: 6. Jamie Sendles-White, 8. Asa Hall, 13. George Burton.