TALKING POINTS

Dom Roman – @DomRoman

Dom looks ahead to the game at Plainmoor

A BIG GAME AWAITS

I’m not sure many Torquay United supporters would have pinpointed Weston-super-Mare (h) in November as a big game on the fixture list, but here we are! The Seagulls come to town flying high at the top of the National League South and knowing that a win would lift them 9 points above the Gulls with a game in hand, and even at this stage in the season that’s a large gap to deal with. Torquay’s recent fixtures have followed a similar pattern, solid defensively but not creating nearly enough going forward, and whilst being ‘hard to beat’ is a feather in Paul Wotton’s cap, too many draws are hampering our progress. The Yellow Army will push their team forward on Tuesday night I’m sure, let’s hope the team respond.

THE LINE-UP

Will Paul Wotton stick to 4-3-3 or revert back to the familiar 3-5-2? There may well be a couple of changes to the line-up, with Hasani, Jenkins Davies and Mussa seemingly rotated on a regular basis, and Matt Carson could return if wing backs are preferred. In attack Jordan Young has had a frustrating time, so one of our priorities must be feeding him and Cody Cooke with decent service, whilst also getting players like Hayfield and WJD up in support. Forming patterns of play and working intricate passes around the box is proving very tough for this Gulls team, but we can at least make our own luck by committing bodies forward and giving the visitors more to think about. Here’s hoping for an attacking performance to have Plainmoor rocking!

JAY FOULSTON

Jay Foulston earned a place in the Vanarama Team of the Week, and his stoic display at Boreham Wood continued a fine run of form for TT’s sponsored player. Jay reads the game well and makes good decisions, and that marks him out as someone who could step up into the National League. I’d like to see him get further up the pitch at times as the opposition retreat (this goes for most of the team) but overall he’s doing us proud. WSM will pose more problems than most, so the Dyer/Dreyer/Foulston combination will have to be at their best.

THE OPPOSITION

The Seagulls come to Plainmoor after a 4-3 thriller against Farnborough, and with two goals to win it in the 85th and 90th minutes their confidence will be very high indeed. In attack they include top scorer Luke Coulson, familiar foe Reuben Reid (a player who seems like he’s been around forever!) and Sam Pearson, a striker who Paul Wotton expected to sign for United in October. Pearson has fitted in very well at WSM and has bagged 4 league goals in 7 games since arriving from Yeovil, and let’s be honest it would not be unexpected if he makes it 5 at Plainmoor! Meanwhile manager Scott Bartlett has been in charge since 2019 and is building a very good reputation at the Optima Stadium. A win at United would only reinforce their title credentials, but let’s hope it’s Paul Wotton who is celebrating come 9.45ish tonight!