PREVIEW
Steve Harris
@steveharris84
MATCH DETAILS
Match details: Truro City versus Torquay United
Venue: TigerTurf Stadium, Gloucester
Date: Monday 8th April 2024
Kick-off: 7.45pm
HEAD TO HEAD
Torquay: 2
Draw: 0
Truro: 1
FORM GUIDE
Torquay: L, L, W, L, D, L
Truro: L, D, W, D, L, D
TOP SCORERS
Torquay: Brad Ash (12)
Truro: Andrew Neal (12)
TRURO FACTFILE
Year founded: 1889
Nickname: The White Tigers
Last season’s league finish:
Notable honours:
FA Vase winners: 2006-07
Southern League Premier Champions: 2010-11
Southern League Division South and West Champions: 2008-09
MANAGER – PAUL WOTTON
After making his debut for his hometown Plymouth Argyle as a teenager in the 1994-95 campaign, Paul Wotton went on to captain the Pilgrims to their Third Division championship under Paul Sturrock in the 2001-02 season. Two years later, he also captained Argyle to the Second Division title in the 2003-04 campaign and remained a regular at Home Park until his release at the end of the 2008-09 season.
Spells with Southampton and Yeovil Town followed before Wotton returned to Home Park midway through the 2011-12 season. When he returned to Home Park, the Pilgrims had just exited Administration and were fighting to avoid being relegated from the Football League. He played a key role in helping the Pilgrims retain their place in League Two under Carl Fletcher. Wotton then remained at Home Park for the remainder of his playing career before joining the Argyle coaching staff in 2014. Wotton worked as first team coach under both John Sheridan and Derek Adams. He rose to the position of assistant manager, which he held until him and Adams were dismissed from their respective roles towards the end of the 2018-19 season, before becoming Truro manager in the summer of 2019.
In the 2022-23 season, he led the White Tigers back to the National League South through the Southern Premier Division South play-offs.
WOTTON STATS
Appointed: 4th July 2019
Date of Birth: 17/08/1977 (46)
Other Clubs Managed: None
PLAYER TO WATCH – TYLER HARVEY
Former Plymouth Argyle starlet Tyler Harvey is currently in his second spell with the White Tigers after re-joining the club from Bath City in 2019. Harvey broke into the Argyle side as a 17-year-old and scored his first goal for the Pilgrims against the Gulls in a 1-1 draw on Boxing Day 2012.
Harvey left Home Park in 2016 to sign for Wrexham– but would return to the South West midway through the 2016-17 season when he was loaned to Bath City. His next move would see him sign for Truro City, where he stayed until 2019 when he signed for Bath on a permanent basis. He soon re-joined the White Tigers and has been the club’s top scorer in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
HARVEY STATS
Position: Striker
Date of Birth: 29/07/95 (28)
Birthplace: Plymouth
Height: 1.85m
Former Clubs: Plymouth, Salisbury, Bath, Wrexham
OLD BOYS
Torquay United: None
Truro: Hamon, Law, Palmer, Palfrey, Buse, Sullivan
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Torquay United:
Mark Halstead
Ollie Tomlinson – Asa Hall – Dean Moxey
Jack Stobbs – Tom Lapslie – Brett McGavin – Ethon Archer – Arkell Jude-Boyd
Will Jenkins Davies
Duane Ofori-Acheampong
Truro:
James Hamon
Connor Riley-Lowe – Ed Palmer – Tom Harrison – Sam Sanders – Ryan Law
Will Dean – Ryan Brett – Adam Porter
Tyler Harvey – Andrew Neal
LAST MEETING
Last meeting: Tuesday 26th December 2023, Torquay United 0 Truro City 1
Torquay United suffered a second straight defeat as they lost to Truro City in front of a near-4,000 Boxing Day crowd at Plainmoor.
Ben Adelsbury gave the White Tigers the lead in the 19th minute when he connected with a corner from Will Dean, which proved to be the game’s deciding moment.
United did then start to rouse themselves following the goal, although it did take them a little while to seriously threaten.
When they did, they couldn’t have come much closer, as superb work from Jenkins Davies on the left flank saw the ball played out to McGavin on the edge of the D, with the midfielder desperately unlucky to see his curling effort not only cannon off Jamon Hamon’s left-hand post, but also rebound straight back to the former Gulls stopper.
As the match headed towards the interval, Torquay maintained the territorial advantage, and chances started to come their way as a result of it.
A perfectly-timed through ball saw Theo Williams force the advancing Hamon into a brave stop, and the ‘keeper had to swiftly get back between the sticks, as McGavin again took aim from just outside the box – this time Hamon steered his low strike past his left-hand post.
United dominated the second half, as they had to do, but they came up against a determined and disciplined Truro defence, and notably Hamon, who made a string of saves to deny Lewis Collins, sub Ryan Hanson and Ethon Archer.
At full time, United left the field to a chorus boos and jeers.
COYY – STEVE
OTHER ARTICLES
TT BLOG – Top 50 TUFC Players 2014-24 (10-1) by Steve Harris
Steve picks his top Gulls from the last 10 years
Read MoreTRANSFER SPECULATION 2024 by Joe Uglow
Joe discusses players who could join Torquay United
Read More