TT PREVIEW

Steve Harris – @steveharris84

MATCH DETAILS

Match details: Bath City versus Torquay United

Competition: National League South

Venue: Twerton Park, Bath

Date: Tuesday 30th December 2025

Kick-off: 7:45pm

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Bath: 2
Draw: 0
Torquay: 6

CURRENT FORM (LAST 6)

Bath (W1 – D2 – L3):

L 1-2 Weston Super Mare A

D 1-1 Enfield Town H

L 0-2 Maidstone United A

D 1-1 Dorking Wanderers A (FA Trophy, won 4-2 on penalties)

W 2-0 Salisbury FC H

L 0-3 Chippenham Town A

Torquay (W4 – D0 – L2):

W 7-0 Eastbourne Borough H

W 3-2 Worthing H

W 2-0 Chelmsford City A

L 1-2 Tonbridge Angels H

L 0-1 AFC Totton A

W 3-1 Weston Super Mare H

TOP GOAL-SCORERS

Bath: Owen Windsor (7)

Torquay: Louis Dennis (13)

BATH CITY FACT FILE

Year founded: 1889

Nickname: The Romans

Last season’s league finish: 15th in National League South

Notable Honours:

Southern League:
Champions: 1959-60, 1977-78, 2005-06

MANAGER – DARREN WAY

Darren Way was appointed as Romans’ manager in December 2024. After coming up through the youth ranks with Norwich City he spent the majority of his playing career with Yeovil Town. He was a vital part of the Glovers side who won promotion to the Football League in 2005. In January 2006, he joined Swansea City, but his time in Wales was beset with injuries and he returned to Somerset in the summer of 2008.

However, in December that year he was involved in a serious car accident and in February 2010 he announced his retirement having made well over 250 appearances for the club. During his recovery he had carried out coaching and scouting roles for Yeovil and he was appointed officially to the coaching staff after hanging up his boots.

After five years as first team coach, during which team the team climbed to the Championship, in December 2015 he was put in temporary charge of the side then, after six games, made the permanent manager. He spent three years in charge at Huish Park but in March 2019, with the club facing relegation, he was sacked.

In December 2019 he joined Plymouth Argyle as Under-18 manager and would spend three and half years with the Devon club before joining Fleetwood Town as assistant to former Yeovil teammate Lee Johnson. Johnson was sacked in December 2023 whereupon Darren also departed the League One club.

PLAYER PROFILE – JORDAN TILLSON

The son of former Bristol Rovers midfielder Andy Tillson, Jordan Tillson started in the Pirates youth set-up before switching to Exeter City in 2012. During his early years at St James Park, he spent loan spells with Gloucester City, Chippenham Town and Weston Super Mare before going on to make over 100 appearances for the Grecians.

After another loan during the second half of the 2018-19 season at Cheltenham Town, he moved north of the border in January 2020 to join Scottish Premiership side Ross County on a permanent basis. He was a regular for the Staggies over the next two seasons before joining Dundee United on loan for the 2023-24 campaign. Whilst at Tannadice, he helped the Tangerines lift the Championship title and secure promotion back to the Scottish top-flight. With the expiration of his Ross County contract, he opted to return south and join his hometown club.

PLAYER STATS:
Position: Defensive Midfielder
DOB: 05/03/93
Height: 1.83m
Previous Clubs: Man City, Cardiff City, Eastleigh, Oxford City, Barnet, Ebbsfleet, Bromley, Dartford
NLS Stats 25/26: Appearances: 22, Goals 1, Assists 1, Yellow/Red Cards 4/0

OLD BOYS

Torquay United: Jordan Dyer, Dan Hayfield, Cody Cooke

Bath City: Alex Fisher, Ollie Tomlinson, Will Jenkins Davies, Brad Ash, Martin Horsell

LAST MEETING

Last meeting: Saturday March 22nd 2025, Torquay United 1-0 Bath City

Cody Cooke proved to be a super sub for Torquay United, as he netted the winner against his former club Bath City to keep the Gulls’ promotion bid on track in front a season high crowd of 5,202. The first chance of the game saw former Torquay striker Alex Fisher force a routine save from United keeper James Hamon with a shot from distance in the 10th minute.

Four minutes later, the ball bounced off Matt Jay, following a scramble in the penalty area, and fell invitingly to the Gulls’ former Romans defender Jordan Dyer, who fired a shot across the face of goal. On the half hour mark, United’s one-time Bath midfielder Dan Hayfield
saw a long range effort deflected behind for a corner. From the resulting flag-kick from Jordan Young, Jay Foulston had a scuffed shot blocked.

In the second half, chances were few and far between for both sides until Hayfield had an angled shot that sailed wide in the 62nd minute. Five minutes later, the deadlock was broken when Young attempted an audacious strike from distance, which Romans’ keeper Harvey Wiles-Richards was unable to fully gather and sub Cooke reacted quickest to score his 14th goal of the campaign. On 70 minutes, Gulls’ striker Offrande Zanzala connected with a cross from Foulston before forcing a stunning save from Wiles-Richards, as United clinched all three points.

POSSIBLE LINE-UPS

Bath City (4-1-2-1-2): Harvey Wiles-Richards; Joe Raynes, Ollie Tomlinson, Kieran Parselle, Danny Greenslade; Jordan Tillson; Harry Pell, Luke Russe; Matt Bowman; Brad Ash, Owen Windsor

Torquay United (4-2-3-1): James Hamon; Jordan Thomas, Jordan Dyer, Sam Dreyer, Jay Foulston; Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, Dan Hayfield; Jordan Young, Matt Jay, Dylan Morgan; Louis Dennis