TT REVIEW

Steve Harris – @steveharris84

Steve reports on United’s Pre-Season friendly

TUFC 0-1 PLYMOUTH ARGYLE – 22.07.2026

SUMMARY

In their first home pre-season friendly ahead of the start of the 2026-27 campaign, after being on the road for five successive games, Torquay United slipped to narrow defeat against Devon neighbours Plymouth Argyle. Bim Pepple struck with the only goal of the game in the first half in a game that the Gulls could count themselves unlucky not to have snatched a draw in, as Sam Dreyer hit the cross bar towards the end and Kian Jenkins had an effort cleared off the line.

It was also the first time that many of the Plainmoor faithful would have seen Jimmy Ball’s new summer signings up close and, by and large, they would have been impressed with what they saw. The Gulls started the game brightly, defying the three-division gap between the two sides, as new signing Callum Morton forced a smart save From Argyle James Storer in the seventh minute, following good work from Deon Moore, who flicked a long ball over the top into his path. In the 12th minute, United had an appeal for a penalty waved away following a challenge from Alex Hartridge on Moore, but referee Ross Martin waved their appeals away.

Six minutes later, Argyle were awarded a free-kick after a strong tackle on Wes Harding from Monashe Sundire, which earned the Zimbabwean midfielder a yellow card. However, the Pilgrims started to grow into the game as Ronan Curtis had a shot parried away by the Gulls’ former Argyle keeper Zak Baker on 26 minutes. They managed to make their extra quality count two minutes later when Pepple turned a low cross from young right-back Joe Mwaro past Baker to give the Pilgrims the lead. United threatened an equaliser in the 36th minute when Isaac Westendorf blasted over with a shot on the turn, as they went in at the break trailing by a single goal.

In the second half, Ball made a number of changes as Morton, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, Jordan Dyer, Sundire and Baker were replaced by Jordan Young, Dylan Morgan, Sam Dreyer, Dan Hayfield and Toby Savin. Last season’s leading scorer Young almost made an immediate impact as he fired over the bar after being teed up by Moore. Arguably Argyle’s best chance of the second half fell to Curtis in the 54th minute, but he hit the side netting. Two minutes later, Ball made another raft of changes as Sean Robertson, Kian Jenkins, Matt Jay, Louis Dennis and trialist A entered the fray in place of Westendorf, Tyler Hill, Matt Worthington, Moore and Dom
Bernard.

With three minutes to go, Dreyer hit the bar after connecting with a right footed cross from Young. The danger was only cleared as far as Jenkins, who then saw a shot cleared away by Argyle sub Harvey White. In injury time, Dylan Morgan had a long range strike tipped over the bar by Storer in the Argyle goal, as United narrowly missed out on a share of the spoils.

Torquay: Zak Baker (Toby Savin 46); Dom Bernard (Trialist A), Jordan Dyer (Sam Dreyer 46), Jake Wannell, Tyler Hill (Kian Jenkins 56); Matt Worthington (Matt Jay 56), Monashe Sundire (Dan Hayfield 46); Callum Morton (Jordan Young 46), Isaac Westendorf (Sean Robertson), Sonny Blu Lo-Everton (Dylan Morgan); Deon Moore (Louis Dennis 56)

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – JAKE WANNELL

Produced a commanding display in which he was dominant in the air, and an honourable mention to Callum Morton who asked a lot of questions of the Argyle defence early on.

CONCLUSION

On this showing, United have shown that they possess the ability to stretch their opponents more and move the ball at a quicker tempo, which will stand them in good stead in their forthcoming National League South campaign. Also, no one will be certain of their place in the first XI for the opening day of the season against Horsham at the moment.