TALKING POINTS

Dom Roman – @DomRoman

Dom looks ahead to the NYD game

STEPPING INTO 2025

Personally I always feel a little melancholy as the new year dawns. Looking back at a year, it’s always case of thinking what could have been, or what could I have achieved during the year that didn’t quite come to fruition. If Torquay United were to do the same, I think the club can be very proud of 2024. It’s been a year when huge change has swept across the club. Change that needed to happen, but change that looked more unlikely by each passing Hootenanny! But the Bryn Consortium have galvanised everything about TUFC since their takeover, and even better than that, invited us along for the ride. Clubs like Torquay can achieve so much more with togetherness at all levels, and we should all feel a huge amount of pride in what is happening right in front of our eyes. The most important objectives revolve around winning football matches of course (something we’ve also been doing well at!), and that takes us onto Truro City (h) in front of a whopping big crowd on NYD.

THE LINE-UP

We could see a few changes from the side that struggled at Weymouth on Boxing Day. Ideally Paul Wotton would like to recall Jay Foulston into the XI for Matt Carson, but I’m not sure if that will be possible after Jay’s recent injury, whilst in the midfield/attacking areas you’ve got Dylan Morgan and Lirak Hasani both pushing for a chance to face the White Tigers. Morgan has shown glimpses of what he’s about on his two appearances, and provides busier movement off the ball than some. Hasani was keeping Threkeld out of the team before his suspension, and could replace the captain again.

WEATHER

The wind swirled during the Hemel game and it certainly affected the game, unfortunately it looks like we’ll get much more of that on NYD, alongside heavy rain as well…Happy New Year! This could make the 90 minutes more of a scrap, and the Gulls will need to try to keep the ball on the deck, defend resolutely and look to control the territorial advantage by being the aggressor. We face a team that has shown a lot of fight this season, so earning the upper hand will not be easy, but on a big occasion in front of a big crowd, United need to respond with a suitably strong performance that keeps us top of the NLS table.

THE OPPOSITION

Mention Truro City to the Yellow Army and the words Tyler and Harvey will most probably come to mind! And with good reason, as the striker has 15 goals from 22 NLS games this season, and will no doubt be ready to try and ruffle the feathers of cbs Dreyer and Dyer. Harvey is ably supported by Jaze Kabia who has 10 league goals to his name, so our defenders have to be on their guard from the off. Much credit must go to experienced manager John Askey who took the reins from Paul Wotton in the summer. Askey recruited well and made the team into play-off contenders who are well drilled, tough to beat and have the cutting edge to hurt the opposition. The tactical battle between Askey and Wotton will be an interesting sub-plot, though with the weather conditions looking extreme, it could be a test of who finds composure in that final third when it matters.

THE YELLOW ARMY

I have no idea what the final attendance is likely to be, but it’s going to be a large one! As ever we can be a difference maker for our team, by making noise and willing them on from the first whistle to the last. Time to launch into 2025 with all the energy we can muster, and maybe, just maybe we can all be enjoying our football in a different league by the end of it. A big game (and year) awaits.