United return home tomorrow, as Hampton & Richmond take on The Gulls at Plainmoor
Although the 2-2 draw at Slough may have seen Paul Wotton’s side drop a place behind new leaders Boreham Wood in the National League South standings, Torquay remain in an excellent position with 19 games remaining. They will though, have to be on their guard this weekend, as they come up against a Hampton side who still harbour promotion ambitions of their own.
Who’s the Boss?
Alan Julian will be the man in the opposition dugout this weekend, having replaced previous boss Mel Gwinnett following their 9th-placed finish last term.
After bringing the curtain down on his 22-year professional career at the end of last season, Julian decided to make the transition from player to manager after spending the last four campaigns in between the sticks for The Beavers.
Having faced The Gulls on numerous occasions over the past two decades, Alan will now be hoping that the experience he gained with the likes of Brentford, Stevenage, Gillingham, Newport, Dartford and Bromley amongst others can now be used for the benefit of Hampton, as the club look to build upon their play-off near miss in 2023/24.
How have they been doing?
10 wins from their opening 26 outings have helped The Beavers clock up 38 points so far this term, and although their slightly inconsistent form has left them eight points adrift of the final Play-Off berth, they still have the time and personnel on their side to mount a push in the second half of the campaign.
There was a setback in midweek however, as they went down to a 3-1 defeat at Boreham Wood.
Player to Watch
In August 2024, Vilhete returned for his second spell with the Beavers, following a short but impressive dual registration spell from Wingate & Finchley in 2021/22.
Vilhete started his career with Barnet after moving to England as a child. In May 2010, the attacking midfielder became Barnet’s youngest ever Football League player aged 16, going on to make 199 league appearances, scoring 19 times, in League Two and the National League, winning the National League title in 2015.
Played For Both
Gulls defender Sam Dreyer enjoyed a successful spell at the Beveree Stadium last season, making 16 appearances on loan from Peterborough.
Of course, Sam has since instilled himself as a firm favourite with the Yellow Army since his permanent arrival at Plainmoor in the summer. Sam follows in the footsteps of his dad John, whose own stint at Torquay paved the way for a stellar career in the Football League and Premiership, making 500 appearances before being named as assistant manager at Burton Albion.
Previous Encounter
Torquay 1 – 0 Hampton & Richmond 0 | National League South | Saturday 21st October 2023
There was delight on ‘Devon Day’ at Plainmoor last season, as United secured a vital win against Hampton.
It was ultimately skipper Asa Hall’s spot-kick that decided the destination of the points, as Aaron Downes’ men gained a valuable boost in their fight for survival.
Tickets for tomorrow’s match are available HERE, whilst full live commentary will be available via TUFC Radio HERE.