TT PREVIEW

Steve Harris – @steveharris84

MATCH DETAILS

Match details: Worthing vs Torquay United vs Truro City – FA Trophy 4th Round

Venue: Sussex Transport Community Stadium (Woodside Road)

Date: Saturday 4th January 2025

Kick-off: 3pm

HEAD TO HEAD

Torquay: 1

Draw: 0

Worthing: 2

RECENT FORM (LAST 6)

Torquay – W5 – D1 – L0

W 4-1 Enfield A

W 2-0 Horsham (FA Trophy) H

W 2-0 Farnborough H

W 1-0 Hemel H

D 2-2 Weymouth A

W 1-0 Truro City H

Worthing – W2 – D2 – L2

W 2-0 Salisbury FC A

L 1-1 Gosport Borough H (FA Trophy) – lost 3-2 on penalties, but
re-instated due to Gosport Borough fielding an ineligible player.

D 1-1 St Albans City H

W 1-0 Enfield Town H

L 1-2 Dorking Wanderers A

D 0-0 Eastbourne H

GULLS FA TROPHY RECORD

Gulls’ all-time record in the FA Trophy:

2007-08 Runners-up L Ebbsfleet United N
2008-09 Round two L Southport A
2014-15 Semi-finals L Wrexham H
2015-16 Quarter finals L Bognor Regis A
2016-17 Round one L Braintree Town A
2017-18 Round one L Maidstone United H
2018-19 Round one L Boreham Wood A
2019-20 Round two L FC Halifax Town H
2020-21 Quarter finals L Woking A
2021-22 Round three L Tonbridge Angels A
2022-23 Round five L Barnet H
2023-24 Round four L Hereford FC A

Gulls route to round four:

W 1-0 Truro City H
W 2-0 Horsham H

TOP SCORERS

Torquay: Cody Cooke (10)

Worthing: Danny Cashman (12 each)

WORTHING FACT FILE

Year founded: 1886

Home ground: Sussex Transport Community Stadium (Woodside Road)

Nickname: The Rebels

Last season’s league finish: 3rd in National League South

Notable honours:

Isthmian League:

Premier League winners: 20021-22

THE MANAGER – CHRIS AGUTTER

Chris Agutter joined Worthing in the summer from Hastings United to become the permanent successor to the York City bound Adam Hinshelwood. After starting out as a youth team coach at Brighton and Hove Albion over a decade ago, Agutter had a spell as assistant manager at Eastbourne Borough before returning to the Seagulls to resume his previous role in 2016. A year later, he took charge of Hastings for the first time before going on to serve Stevenage as Under-18, Under-21, assistant manager and interim manager. A further spell with Brighton and his second stint as Hastings manager
followed before he took charge of the Rebels.

PLAYER TO WATCH – GLENN REA

Central defender Glen Rea joined Worthing following his release from Luton Town, where he made nearly 200 appearances in seven years and played a key part of the Hatters’ rapid rise to the top flight. Glen also reached 100 and 200 matches versus Coventry, the latter landmark coming during a season that saw him named Captain and end it with a League One title winner’s medal. Whilst with the Hatters, Rea also had loan spells with Woking, Wigan Athletic and Cheltenham Town.

Prior to his spell in Bedfordshire, Rea started out at his home town club Brighton & Hove Albion and made two appearances in the EFL Cup before being loaned to Southend United and Luton, who he would later join. He would also receive international honours with Republic of Ireland at Under-21, who he would make ten appearances for, scoring once.

He mutually departed Kenilworth Road in September 2023 and made his debut for Worthing against Hampton & Richmond Borough a month later.

REA STATS – Position: Striker – Date of Birth: 03/09/94 – Height: 1.84m – Previous Clubs: Brighton, Southend, Luton, Woking, Wigan, Cheltenham, – 24/25 NLS Stats: Appearances 18, Goals 2, Yellow/Red Cards 6/1

OLD BOYS

Torquay: None

Worthing: None

POSSIBLE LINE-UPS

Torquay United (4-3-3): James Hamon; Jordan Thomas, Jordan Dyer, Sam Dreyer, Matt Carson; Dan Hayfield, Lirak Hasani, Will Jenkins-Davies; Jordan Young, Dylan Morgan, Cody Cooke

Worthing: (3-4-2-1): Chris Haigh; Joe Cook, Joe Partington, Sam Beard; Joel Colbran, Kane Wills, Glenn Rea, Nicky Wheeler; Jack Spong, Danny Cashman; Mohummadu Faal

LAST MEETING

Last meeting: Tuesday 22nd October 2024, Torquay United 2 Worthing 1

Torquay United moved up to third place in National League South after coming from a goal down to beat Worthing 2-1 at Plainmoor. Jack Spong’s long-range effort gave Worthing a 36th-minute lead, but half-time substitute Omar Mussa levelled the scores six minutes after the restart. Mussa then turned provider in the 71st minute when his corner was headed home by Jay Foulston which extended the Gulls unbeaten run to four matches.