TALKING POINTS

Dom Roman – @DomRoman

Dom looks ahead to the NLS game

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

The Gulls travel to Essex this weekend very much back in the title race, which means Aveley (a) takes on huge significance and as my esteemed colleague Chris Wade would no doubt say (and says for most of the season to be fair) – it’s a MUST WIN! If the Gulls need a warning against complacency they only need to look back over the 24/25 NLS campaign and remember how many times we have struggled against lowly opposition (not to mention that FA Cup game). The team cannot just stroll onto the pitch and expect to win, they must be professional, ready to fight and ready to show the intensity that all promotion chasers should have in their locker. Anything less than a win over the Millers would be disastrous. Take care of business lads and return to Devon with those precious 3 points.

SQUAD BULKING UP FOR THE CHALLENGE

One thing we do know for sure is that the Bryn Consortium are fully committed to getting us out of the National League South, and the three signings of Cameron Ashia, Owen Foster and Emmanuel Ilesanmi this week bulk up the Gulls’ squad nicely as we head into these crucial six games. It might be too much to expect these youngsters to make very much impact in the remaining fixtures, but if they can influence any of the games in our favour and give us extra energy, then their incomings will have been worthwhile. This new vibrant and ambitious Torquay United are desperate to move up to the National League as soon as possible, and they might just do it..

LINE-UP SELECTION

The only recent injury news we have is that Dylan Morgan won’t play a part in the rest of the season, apart from that the squad is in very good health (with the afore mentioned Ashia, Foster and Ilesanmi added this week for good measure), but despite the additions I can’t imagine there will be many changes from the team that started against Bath City. The biggest question for me is whether Paul Wotton wants to pair Ozzie Zanzala and Cody Cooke together from the start after Cooke’s impact sub appearance last Saturday. Two upfront hasn’t really worked this season for the Gulls, with the midfield area often struggling to cope for numbers, but PW might have other ideas…

DONATE TO TT

THE TT SITE NOW HAS A DONATIONS PAGE here

Any donations much appreciated.

CLEAN SHEETS ARE KING

Generally the foundations for Torquay’s season have been set by being strong defensively, and that’s definitely been the case in recent games. James Hamon has done well in goal (though the last two games haven’t thrown up many saves!), whilst the back four of Craske, Dyer, Dreyer and Foulston have been commanding and controlled, which is a big help when the goals aren’t flying in at the other end! It’s been heartening to see Finley Craske showing what he can do, as a combination of injuries and the arrival of Jordan Thomas had limited his opportunities, and he’d looked uncertain when given the chance. It’s a very long season and all the squad have to contribute here or there if the end goal is to be achieved, another clean sheet at Aveley would be just the ticket.

THE OPPOSITION

The Millers had a fantastic 2023-24, defying expectations to push towards the top of the league, before finishing 7th and succumbing narrowly to Maidstone in the play-offs. But a number of important players left the club last summer, and unfortunately they now sit 24th in the National League South, with only 25 points from 40 points. That means they could be relegated this weekend. Aveley did take a point at Plainmoor earlier in the season, so we have to guard against over-confidence, and if the home side find the first goal, it could be a long afternoon! On the flipside, if we get the first goal and take charge of the game, United and the Yellow Army could enjoy a rare comfortable afternoon on their travels. The main thing is 3 points!

OUR TIME COULD BE NOW

I don’t think anybody who has watched Torquay United very often this season would say we look like champions in the making. Most of our games have involved a lot of grind, and there haven’t been many where the outcome has been clear before the final whistle. We are tough to beat, and attacking-wise we play nicely in spells, small periods where the like of Young, Jay and Cooke can make something happen to show their worth. But in this crazy league, with teams suffering from inconsistency and unpredictability reigning, that could be enough! These last 6 games are all winnable for United, we have the quality and we have the players to do it. Do we have the mental toughness and fortitude to make it happen? We’ll soon see. COME ON YELLOWS!