PREVIEW

Steve Harris

@steveharris84

MATCH DETAILS

Match details: Torquay United vs Hampton & Richmond Borough

Venue: Plainmoor

Date: Saturday 23rd March 2024

Kick-off: 3pm

HEAD TO HEAD

Torquay: 2

Draw: 1

Hampton: 2

FORM GUIDE

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

Hampton: D, W, W, W, W, D

TOP SCORERS

Torquay: Brad Ash (12)

Hampton: Ben Seymour (12)

HAMPTON FACTFILE

Year founded: 1887

Nickname: The Beavers

Last season’s league finish: 17th in National League South

Notable Honours:

Isthmian League:

Winners: 2006-07, 2015-16

MANAGER – MEL GWINNETT

As a teenager Mel joined Peterborough United from Stourbridge in May 1981, but, after failing to make the first-team, he moved to Hereford United in September 1982 – where he made a solitary league appearance. He then had a spell at Gloucester City before returning to the professional ranks with Bradford City.

In August 1985, at the age of 22, he joined Exeter City as understudy to John Shaw and made just two league appearances during his first season. Three more league appearances followed in 1986-87, but he would have a run of games towards the end of the 1987-88 season and into the 1988-89 campaign before losing his place in December 1988 to Dave Walter.

Mel briefly joined Yeovil Town on loan ahead of signing permanently for Weymouth in March 1989. Moving to Dorset as part of a £10,000 package with Richard Cooper, Mel found himself under the management of former Bristol City, Manchester City and Scotland midfielder Gerry Gow.

Playing out his career in non-league, Mel eventually moved into coaching and was to return to Exeter City initially as youth football director and then goalkeeping coach before becoming a first-team

coach. Following Paul Tisdale to MK Dons in 2018 – and later on to Bristol Rovers (as football operations manager) and Stevenage – Mel was briefly first-team coach at Barnet prior to his appointment as manager and head of football operations at Hampton & Richmond Borough in January 2023.

GWINNETT STATS

Appointed: 13th Jan 2023

Date of Birth: 14/05/1963 (60)

Other Clubs Managed: None

PLAYER TO WATCH – JAKE GRAY

After starting his career with Crystal Palace, Jake Gray went on to make over 100 appearances in the EFL with Yeovil Town and Luton Town. Whilst with the Glovers, he featured against Manchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup in the 2017-18 season. Gray then joined Woking in 2019 before joining the Beavers a year later.

An ever present for Hampton and Richmond in the shortened 2020-21 season – he has remained an important figure for the Beavers, winning the club’s player of the year award in 2023.

GRAY STATS

Position: Midfielder

Date of Birth: 25/12/95 (28)

Birthplace: Aylesbury

Height: 1.80m

Former Clubs: Wycombe, Crystal Palace, Cheltenham, Hartlepool, Luton, Yeovil, Woking

OLD BOYS

Torquay United: None

Hampton: Tope Fadahunsi

POSSIBLE LINE-UPS

Torquay United:

Mark Halstead

Ross Marshall – Ollie Tomlinson – Dean Moxey

Jack Stobbs – Tom Lapslie – Kevin Dawson – Arkell Jude-Boyd

Lewis Collins

Brad Ash – Aaron Jarvis

Hampton:

Adam Debois

Isaac Pitblado – Dean Inman – Luis Fernandez – Dominic Revan

Sam Deadfield – Joshua Anifowose – Jake Gray – Ruaridh Donaldson

Ben Seymour – Tope Fadahunsi

LAST MEETING

Last meeting: Saturday 28th October 2023, Hampton and Richmond 3 Torquay United 1, NLS

Toothless upfront without the injured Aaron Jarvis, Torquay United were dealt another blow as they fell to defeat against in-form Hampton and Richmond.

A Mason Bloomfield goal, followed by a Ben Seymour penalty, saw the Gulls left with a mountain to climb at the break, and despite throwing everything at the hosts in the second period, a second strike from Bloomfield sealed all three points for Hampton, before Asa Hall replied with a very late consolation strike.