United return home tomorrow, with Slough Town visiting Plainmoor.
The Gulls will be looking for their first double of the season following their 2-1 win over the Rebels back in August, thanks to Brad Ash’s second half double.
Who’s the boss?
Scott Davies took over the role of Player/Manager at Arbour Park in November 2022, with the role being his first managerial appointment, following a brief stint as Caretaker Manager, leading them to an 18th place finish. Scott came through the youth ranks at Watford, Wycombe & Reading where he gained his first professional contract in 2006. While at the Royals in a five year spell, Davies also had loan spells at Yeading, Aldershot, Wycombe, Yeovil & Bristol Rovers.
Upon his release from the Berkshire club in 2011, the midfielder had spells at Crawley, Oxford United, Dunstable, Wealdstone, Oxford City & Chelmsford City before his first spell at Slough came in 2018, where he helped the club to promotion to the National League South via the Southern League Play-Offs. Kingstonian & Harlow came next before Davies returned to Arbour Park in July 2019. The 35 year old has also represented the Republic Of Ireland at both Under 19 & Under 21 level.
How have they been doing?
Since their defeat to United back in August, Slough suffered defeat in their next two games before going on a run of 10 undefeated league and cup games before defeat at St Albans towards the end of October. A 4-3 defeat at Welling was their only defeat in their next nine league games before they started 2024 with a 2-1 defeat at Hampton & Richmond.
January saw the Rebels score victories over Taunton, Bath, Maidstone & get a point at Worthing, but ended with back to back defeats at home to Dover and away at leaders Yeovil Town, before last week saw them start February with a 2-0 home win over Weston-super-Mare, meaning they come into this game with 12 wins, seven draws and 12 defeats from their 31 games played, leaving them in 12th place with 43 points.
Player to watch
Nathan Minhas joined the Rebels from Beaconsfield Town in May 2023, and in his previous two seasons at the Rams he notched up 27 & 25 goals respectively in the Southern League Premier South. Minhas has also been at Maidenhead United, Ascot Town, Billericay and Hampton & Richmond – the latter two being in the National League South. Minhas has scored 12 league and cup goals for Slough this season, including their opening goal in the 2-1 defeat to United back in August at Arbour Park.
Played for both
Elliot Benyon was a product of the Academy at Bristol City, and while at Ashton Gate had loan spells at St Albans City & Crawley Town. Upon his release from the Robins in 2007, Benyon had his first spell here at Plainmoor, playing 125 games and scoring 39 goals in the league, and helping the Club climb out of non-league and back into the Football League in 2009, before his release in 2011. A season at Swindon Town followed which also included a loan spell at Wycombe, before Southend United were next for the striker.
During his time at Roots Hall, Benyon made a return to the English Riviera on loan, a move which was made permanent in the summer of 2013, and in a two year stay at United he made another 43 appearances and scored three goals in the league, before a loan spell at Hayes & Yeading United led to a permanent transfer there upon the end of his contract at the Gulls in 2015.
Subsequent spells at Wealdstone, Enfield(loan), Whitehawk & Leatherhead came before in 2019, the striker embarked on a three year stay at Oxford City, and the 35 year old spent the 2022/23 season at Slough Town, scoring three goals in 22 league appearances. Elliot is currently at Hanwell Town in the Premier South of the Southern League.
Previous encounter
United 4 – 0 Slough Town | National League South | Saturday 5th January 2019
Torquay United recorded a tenth consecutive victory in the National League South as they comfortably saw off ten-man Slough Town 4-0 at Plainmoor.
The Rebels’ Ben Harris was shown a straight red card with 45 minutes on the clock after gesturing towards the Yellow Army in attendance. He’d received a caution seconds earlier for a rash challenge on Liam Davis.
Shortly after the restart, Ben Wynter slammed home his effort from 20-yards to fire the Gulls into a richly deserved lead. Jake Andrews netted a second with a low free-kick beyond Jack Turner.
Substitute Ruairi Keating scored the third – a tap-in from Kalala’s excellent delivery on 87 minutes – before Asa Hall sealed the points with a cool finish from close-range.
Ticketing information for tomorrow’s match is available HERE, whilst full live commentary will be available via TUFC Radio HERE.