Following Saturday’s dramatic 2-2 draw against Notts County, United return to Plainmoor to take on Aldershot on Tuesday night.
With Ben Wynter’s last-gasp equaliser ultimately enough to steer his side back to the top of the National League with just seven fixtures remaining, manager Gary Johnson will be looking for his side to seal another vital three points in their continued quest for Football League promotion.
Who’s The Boss?
Danny Searle joined the Shots in May 2019 after spending the second half of the 2018/19 season in charge of Braintree Town. Having joined Braintree in 2018 as Assistant Manager to Hakan Heyrettin, he took over as First Team Manager when Heyrettin left to join Maidstone in January 2019. In his short tenure in charge of the Iron saw an upturn in form, however it wasn’t enough to keep them in the division as they finished in the relegation places along with the Shots.
Last season saw Searle steady the ship before the well-documented premature end to proceedings, and 2020/21 has seen more improvement, with his team currently occupying a place in the top half of the division.
How Have They Been Doing?
With 48 points from 35 games, Aldershot have little time to waste if they are to make a very late bid for the play-offs, however recent results will have given Shots supporters renewed hope of some post-season action, with Saturday’s 2-0 win over Wealdstone marking their third win in five games.
Seasonal highs include a comprehensive 3-0 win over one of the divisions headline acts, Wrexham, as well as securing a notable league ‘double’ over much-fancied Notts County last month, and with those impressive results in mind, The Gulls will have to remain on their guard tomorrow to prevent Searle’s side triumphing again at Plainmoor.
Player To Watch
Saint Kitts and Nevis international striker Harry Panayiotou is enjoying his best season in front of goal at the Recreation Ground, having registered eight goals so far this term.
Having begun his career at Leicester City in fine style by netting the winner against Leeds on his solitary league outing, loan spells and Port Vale and Raith Rovers failed to enhance his first team chances at the King Power Stadium, forcing Harry to look elsewhere for senior football. That chance initially came at Barrow, before subsequent stints at Salford, Nuneaton and Aittitos Spata in Greece preceded his arrival at Aldershot in the summer of 2019.
Played For Both
27 year-old midfielder Josh Rees enjoyed a successful temporary spell at Plainmoor towards the end of the 2015/16 season, as Kevin Nicholson’s Torquay side produced a late escape from National League relegation.
After failing to make the breakthrough at Arsenal, Rees went on to taste senior football at Nottingham Forest and Nuneaton prior to joining The Gulls, and he was a regular performer in the engine rooms for Chelmsford, Gillingham, and Bromley before signing for Searle’s men last July. This season has also seen him lead the way in The Shots’ scoring charts, with him registering 12 so far.
Previous Encounters
Whilst Saturday’s comeback will live long in the memory for the Yellow Army, October 2012 saw The Gulls emerge from an even more daunting deficit. In an otherwise forgettable season, the two sides fought out a seven goal thriller under the floodlights at Plainmoor, as a Reid hat-trick saw The Shots race into a 3-0 lead early in the second half.
However a typically Torquay fightback, with goals from Bodin, Jarvis, Yeoman and Howe, saw United fightback to claim an astonishing 4-3 victory.
In association with LV BET
Torquay United AFC will once again be providing full Livestream access for this fixture, including an hour-long pre-match show here.
The club will also be providing commentary of the match via Official TUFC Radio here.