TALKING POINTS

Dom Roman – @DomRoman

Dom looks ahead to the NLS game

ANOTHER AWAY DAY

Paul Wotton and the lads head back on the road this weekend, and they should feel more confident after that mid-week win at Chippenham. The Gulls had some hairy moments in that game, and allowed Chippenham far too much possession in the first half, but the way we took charge in the 2nd half and made chances bodes well heading into this one. The main thing for us is getting on the front foot and believing in ourselves, no disrespect to the Angels, but we have good enough individuals to do this again on Saturday. Another win would set us up nicely for the run-in, and rekindle hopes of a title charge…meanwhile, a loss reinforces doubts of our quality to be anything better than 5th-7th in the NLS. Let’s hope United are up to the task.

POSSIBLE LINE-UP

Offrande Zanzala and Cody Cooke are doubts for this one, and missing both of those would be a major blow to Paul Wotton. We’ve got attacking midfielders/wingers, but nobody else suitable for the striker role, so the duties could be shared between Jordan Young, Matt Jay and perhaps Omar Mussa, who did that job at Worthing in the FA Trophy (though the least said about that the better!). Jay Foulston has been back in training, so could see some action in this one, but I’d expect very few changes apart from upfront as PW tries to get a run of form going.

CARSON IMPROVEMENT

The downgrade from Jay Foulston to Matt Carson has been noticeable, and Carson has copped some flack for his lack of defensive intelligence and awareness. But I think we’re seeing seeds of growth in the young man, and he would have enjoyed that goal on Tuesday night. He started the season very well at wing back, but like many young players, there has been inconsistency and loss of form as Matt learns his trade in his first proper season as a professional. The learning is only done really by playing matches, and he seems a determined guy who will keep getting stuck in and keep running hard. His improvement over time under the tutelage of Paul Wotton will be our gain.

JAY LOOKING FOR A HIGH 5

Matt Jay’s four goals in the last four games have been a lovely mix of long and short range, showcasing what he’s all about and showing why he was such a popular player at Exeter City. He’s become a key player now, someone who can not only pull off smart touches, but also someone who, most importantly, has the composure to make the right pass or shot when it counts. It may be too much to ask him to score in every game, but I can see him chipping in another 4 or 5 goals in the last 10 games (fitness permitting), and that could be vital to our chances.

THE OPPOSITION

Tonbridge Angels have not 1 but 2 ex-Gulls players on their books (after Ryan Hanson left this week), in the form of Jack Wood and Ronny Nelson, and both of those are likely to start. Wood looked off the pace in his brief time at United this season, so it was hard to judge his quality, though Southend United fans seemed to like him, whilst Nelson did what he could during a brief spell at Plainmoor. The Angels currently sit in 11th position, losing to Worthing, Dorking and Truro in recent weeks, but defeating Enfield and Welling to consolidate their mid-table status. It’s one of those fixtures that Torquay can win if their mentality and focus is spot-on, but could lose if previous away day habits reappear. With Cooke/Zanzala perhaps missing, the key could be keeping defensively tight, using the ball wisely and taking big chances when they arrive. Good luck to PW and the lads.