TT PREVIEW

Steve Harris – @steveharris84

MATCH DETAILS

Match details: Torquay United vs Eastbourne Borough – National League South

Venue: Plainmoor

Date: Saturday 8th February 2025

Kick-off: 3pm

HEAD TO HEAD

Torquay: 4

Draw: 2

Eastbourne: 1

RECENT FORM (LAST 6)

Torquay – W1 – D2 – L3

L 1-5 Worthing A

W 3-1 Welling H

D 1-1 St Albans A

D 2-2 Slough Town A

L 0-1 Hampton H

L 0-1 Maidstone A

Eastbourne – W4 – D2 – L0

W 1-0 St Albans City H

D 0-0 Truro City H

W 2-0 Tonbridge Angels A

D 0-0 Slough Town A

W 2-1 Chelmsford City H

W 2-1 Tonbridge Angels H

TOP SCORERS

Torquay: Cody Cooke (11)

Eastbourne: George Alexander (12)

EASTBOURNE FACT FILE

Year founded: 1964 (as Lagney Sports)

Nickname: The Sports

Last season’s league finish: 19th in National League South

Eastbourne notable honours:

National League South:

Play-off winners: 2007-08

Sussex County League:

Division One Champions: 1998-99, 2002-03

THE MANAGER – ADAM MURRAY

Many of the Plainmoor faithful will remember Adam Murray from his brief stay with United in the 2006-07 season. Murray had started his career with Derby County in the Premier League and had stints with Notts County (twice), Burton Albion, Kidderminster Harriers and Mansfield Town before enjoying arguably the most successful spell of his playing career with Carlisle United. Whilst with the Cumbrians, he helped them win the League Two title in the 2005-06 season and reach the final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, where they lost to Swansea City at the Millennium Stadium.

He joined the Gulls in August 2006 for a fee of £10,000, but was sold to Macclesfield Town for £17,500 in January 2007. Spells with Oxford United, Luton Town and a return to Mansfield. Whilst with the Stags, he became assistant manager and then manager following the departure of Paul Cox in 2014. He left Field Mill in 2016 and was later appointed as manager of Boston United.

Coaching spells with Burton Albion, Barnsley, West Bromwich Albion and Besiktas followed – the latter three roles saw him serve as assistant manager to Valery Ismael. In addition to this, he also had two spells as caretaker manager of Barnsley in October 2019 and October 2020. His next managerial port of call saw him take charge of AFC Fylde in November 2022 and he led the Coasters to the National League North title in the 2022-23 season before his dismissal in October 2023. He was subsequently appointed as assistant manager at Cheltenham Town under Darrell Clarke, a role he held until his appointment at Eastbourne.

PLAYER TO WATCH – GEORGE ALEXANDER

The son of former Hull City, Leyton Orient, Millwall and Brentford striker Gary Alexander, George Alexander joined the Sports following a spell with Chelmsford City towards the end of the 2023-24 campaign. Alexander junior started his career with Millwall and made a solitary appearance before joining Bromley in 2021. He then had loan spells at National League South level with Welling United, Slough Town (twice) and Dartford before joining the Clarets on a permanent basis in February 2024.

BLAIR STATS – Position: Striker – Date of Birth: 14/10/00 – Height: 1.80m – Previous Clubs: Millwall, Bromley, Welling, Slough, Dartford, Chelmsford – 24/25 NLS Stats: Appearances 24, Goals 11, Yellow/Red Cards 3/0

OLD BOYS

Torquay: None

Eastbourne: None

POSSIBLE LINE-UPS

Torquay United (4-2-3-1): James Hamon; Finley Craske, Ed Palmer, Sam Dreyer, Jordan Thomas; Dan Hayfield, Oscar Threlkeld; Matt Jay, Lirak Hasani, Omar Mussa; Cody Cooke

Eastbourne (3-5-2): Joe Wright; Freddie Carter, Ollie Kensdale, Pierce Bird; Courtney Clarke, Jason Adigun, Dominic Odusanya, Jack Clarke, Kai Innocent; George Alexander, Yahya Bamba

LAST MEETING

Last meeting: Saturday 19th October, 2024 – Eastbourne Borough 1-1 Torquay United

It finished a point apiece in East Sussex, as United and Eastbourne played out a draw at Priory Lane. After exchanging first-half goals through George Alexander and Finley Craske, both teams battled it out for a second-half winner, however, neither were able to force a decisive breakthrough and the spoils were shared.