Under-18s Head Coach Ryan Dickson looks ahead to Saturday’s South West Youth Counties League Winners Play-Off against Bridgwater United, as the two rivals go head-to-head in pursuit of title glory.
With the league title being decided via a Play-Off for the first time in the competition’s long history, tomorrow’s all-or-nothing decider at Exwick Sports Centre presents a unique opportunity for a domestic double, 12 months on from United’s inaugural SWCYL success.
“It’s obviously a rare scenario that there’s a Play-Off game, but it makes it more exciting,” said Dickson.
“It’s more of a cup feeling to it, which is great. It’s probably a good way, hopefully, to cap of an exciting, positive season that they’ve had, and certainly for the second-years, for the two years that they’ve had.”
After succumbing to a shock 1-4 home defeat to Bridgwater last month, Torquay’s title aspirations looked beyond them, however with the Somerset-based side failing to take maximum points from their remaining games, The Gulls’ 7-1 triumph at Cirencester last weekend saw the two sides level-pegging at the top of the table.
“Bridgwater are a team we’ve done well against, and not had too many issues playing against, but in that one game, our lads had their national cup final two days later, and they seemed to have their eye on that. We certainly were below par, and we thought that the league would’ve been out of our hands.
“But since then, Bridgwater have slipped up in a few games, and have let us back in the door, so it’s a second chance for the boys to get put the wrongs to right in that game.”
Having come from behind to secure the Gary Else Memorial League Cup against Mangotsfield a fortnight ago, the dynamic Young Gulls are already assured of 2022/23 silverware, however the quest for constant improvement means United will be fully focused on ending 2022/23 on the best possible note.
“As long as you win at the end of the day, that’s the outcome you’re looking for. You want that team performance from start to finish, what that looks like form your working week and what you aim your team to play like, and it will be good to get back to playing our way, and certainly start on a positive from the off.”