TALKING POINTS

Chris Wade – @tufcchris

Chris discusses the key points

Big Weekend

Let’s be honest, it’s all on this weekend. Torquay United head up the M5 to Weston super-Mare with it all in front of them. A successful Easter Bank Holiday weekend and we are in serious contention for 2^nd or 3^rd and a home semi-final. Lose and we will be looking nervously over our shoulder with the real prospect of missing out on the end if season finale all together. It promises to be a nervous but exciting weekend.

Attacking Options

Something that we haven’t had for a few weeks is options. But the injury situation has come together at just the right time for new manager Jimmy Ball. Cameo appearances off the bench in the last two games from the returning Louis Dennis and Callum Dolan have lifted the game up a notch, and those two could be in contention for a start in Somerset on Friday. Reece Evans looked a lively option off the bench last weekend, so there are difficult but good decisions to be made to select the final eleven. But options off the bench are as key in modern football, so not starting isn’t always a massive issue.

Shut the back door

Last Saturday’s clean sheet at Plainmoor against Horsham was the first yellow clean sheet of 2026. On the 28^th March. That has gone a long way in undermining our indifferent form in recent weeks. With Seb Stacey now settled in goal, and Jordan Dyer and Sam Dreyer back from injury, there are no excuses now. Keeping clean sheets always gives you a good chance, and wins are needed with only five games remaining in this season. I’d take a few boring 1-0 wins at this stage for sure.

How Many Points Is Enough?

The question on everybody’s lips at this stage of the season is how many points do we need? Whether your team is at the top of the league or the bottom, fans spend ages analysing who is playing who, and where might our rivals drop points? But the reality is a good run gets us too where we want to get too. I think three wins should see us into the top seven. How many do you think?

The Opposition

The form guide has the two teams level on 10 points from the last six games. That kind of sums up the league. Inconsistent. Tuesday’s 0-0 draw at home to Hemel Hempstead left Weston just a point outside the play off places. They will want to get after us and we have seen the importance of the first goal in recent weeks both for and against. That first goal will be very important on Saturday.

Around 850 yellows will be backing the team in a Bank Holiday encounter. Let’s do this…..