TALKING POINTS

Chris Wade – @tufcchris

Chris looks ahead to the NLS game

THE QUALITY OF YOUNG

The main adorning feature of the last two matches has been the importance of quality to win the game. There are a lot of things that go into winning a game of football, but the most difficult bit can be the final part. The quality needed to score goals to win matches can be hard to find, but there is magic in the boots of Jordan Young. In the last two matches, moments of quality on the from our number eight have won the match. It was a slaloming run and finish against Truro and two wonderful deliveries from wide areas against Welling last weekend. These minor details are winning points at an important stage of the season.

DEFENSIVE STRENGTH

Another Jordan, Dyer, is impressing more and more people with each week that passes. Since returning from an early season hamstring injury, he has got stronger and stronger. As written in these pages before, the importance of a strong and dominant centre back cannot be overstated. And Dyer has shown himself to work well with his partner Sam Dreyer very well, and last weekend he added a brace of goals to his performance too. A few more where those came from would certainly help in the final 21 games of the season.

AWAY RECORD

Our away form has been much talked about, and we now enter what I believe will be a crucial stage that we could all look back on when we know our end of season fate. With four of the next five matches being away from home, this phase will show the strength of the squad and the quality to win matches. Our home form is undeniable and undefeated, but the tally away could go a long way to winning the Championship. Trips to Slough, Chippenham and Maidstone follow Saturday’s trip to St Albans, and a tally of 9 or 10 points would very well received. There is also the artificial surface question to face in two of those. An intriguing fortnight awaits.

MUSSA OFF THE BENCH

As discussed in this week’s Gull’s Eye View, we have seen Omar Mussa make a significant impact from the bench in each of the last two games. His movement and ability to move with the ball have stretched a tiring opposition and have led to opportunities opening up and chances being created, as the third goal last weekend showed, where his chasing led to an under hit back pass and a third goal. His ability coming off the bench is a really important part of the group at the moment.

THE OPPOSITION

Our opposition on Saturday have had a difficult season. St Albans have won only 2 of 23 league matches this season, including 13 defeats, so we head to Clarence Park with high hopes of another three point haul. The arrival of experienced non league manager Ian Culverhouse has shown their ambition to survive, but they find themselves eight points adrift in the relegation zone. So Torquay head there with nothing to fear and another step to be taken on the journey to promotion. It promises to be an exciting afternoon. See you there.