PREVIEW

Steve Harris

@steveharris84

MATCH DETAILS

Taunton Town versus Torquay United – National League South

Venue: Wordsworth Drive

Date: Tuesday 13th February 2024

Kick-off: 7.45pm

HEAD TO HEAD

Torquay: 1

Draw: 0

Taunton: 0

FORM GUIDE

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

Taunton: D, L, D, D, D, L

TOP SCORERS

Torquay: Aaron Jarvis/Brad Ash (9 each)

Taunton: Ross Stearn (7)

TAUNTON FACTFILE

Year founded: 1947

Nickname: The Peacocks

Last season’s league finish: 14th in National League South

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.

DRAY STATS

Date of Birth: 11/09/1969 (54)

Date Appointed: 04/09/2018

Previous Clubs Managed: Bridgwater, Yate Town

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: Midfielder

Date of Birth: 16/02/88 (35)

Birthplace: Bristol

Height: 1.80m

Former Clubs: Southampton, Colchester, Crawley, Leyton Orient, Exeter City, Forest Green, Torquay, Bath City

OLD BOYS

Torquay: Austen Booth

Taunton: Dan Lavercombe, Louis Slough, Lloyd James

POSSIBLE LINE-UPS

Torquay

Mark Halstead

Austen Booth – Ronny Nelson – Dean Moxey

Arkell Jude-Boyd – Will Jenkins Davies – Brett McGavin – Ethon Archer – Dan Martin

Tom Lapslie

Duane Ofori-Acheampong

Taunton

Dan Lavercombe

Nick Grimes – Dan Ball – Louis Slough

Zac Bell – Lloyd James – Callum Dolman – Rabby Tabu Minzamba – Cameron Evans

Marley Rose – Ross Stearn

LAST MEETING

Tuesday 17th January 2023 – Torquay United 4 Taunton Town 2, FA Trophy

Torquay United made it through to the Last 16 of the FA Trophy after seeing off ten man Taunton Town at Plainmoor.

Goals from Dillon De Silva and Ali Omar put the Gulls two goals up inside the first 21 minutes before efforts from Nick McCootie and Jake Wannell brought the Peacocks level.

However, Wannell was dismissed just before half time for a lunge on United midfielder Kieron Evans. The second half saw the Gulls make their numerical advantage count as Aaron Jarvis netted a brace – with his second goal coming from the penalty spot.