United return home tomorrow, as St Albans head to Plainmoor.
Following The Gulls’ shock FA Cup at Bishops Cleeve last weekend, Torquay will be looking to bounce back from that disappointment in front of the Yellow Army, in what will be the last match at Plainmoor for at least three weeks. They will be tested though, by a St Albans side that will be determined to come away from Devon with a result, as they bid to claw their way off the foot of the National League South table with their first win of the season.
Who’s the Boss?
Manager David Noble’s association with St Albans stretches back to 2016, and has only been interrupted by a brief spell in charge of Wealdstone earlier this year.
Capped by England up to Under-20 level before switching allegiance to Scotland where he would go on to gain Under-21 and ‘B’ honours, it was in the youth ranks at Arsenal that David began learning his trade, before stints at Watford (loan), West Ham and Boston preceded a £80,000 move to The Robins in 2006.
A large chunk of that fee was arguably paid off by the end of the season that followed, with Noble’s brace in the promotion-sealing win over Rotherham securing City their first crack at second-tier football in eight years. Twelve months later, a stunning strike in the Play-Off semi-final success over Crystal Palace left the Bristol side within touching distance of the top-flight, only for a galling 1-0 defeat against Hull City scuppering those dreams.
Moves to Yeovil, Exeter, Rotherham, Cheltenham, Oldham and Exeter again followed, before a 2016 move to St Albans not only saw David bring the curtain down on his playing career following over a hundred appearances for the Club, but also take his first steps in management, following the departure of previous boss Ian Allinson in September 2022.
Noble remained in charge of The Saints until January 2024 when he moved on to take charge of Wealdstone, however his spell there lasted just 73 days, prompting an almost instant return to Clarence Park in May.
How Have They Been Doing?
Noble’s return spell in charge has endured a rather bumpy start so far, with his side’s only win being last Saturday’s FA Cup success at Needham Market.
That victory, over fellow sixth-tier outfit Needham, will have been a timely boost for a Saints side who are currently rooted to the bottom of National League South, who have emerged from their eight matches with just draws.
It’s worth noting, however, that both of those points came against two sides who fancy their chances to be in the promotion shake-up, with last season’s Play-Off finalists Worthing being held at Clarence Park last month (2-2), before 4th-placed Weston-super-Mare also had to be content with a share of the spoils (0-0) a fortnight ago.
Player to Watch
Last Saturday, striker Shaun Jeffers enjoyed himself with a brace of goals at Needham Market – just as he did on his last visit to Plainmoor.
Arriving at St Albans four years ago, Shaun came through the youth ranks at Coventry City before gaining further EFL experience with Peterborough United, Newport County, and Yeovil Town prior to joining Chelmsford City in the summer of 2016.
His prolific form for the Clarets alerted the attentions of National League side Boreham Wood, prior to further stints with Hampton & Richmond and Brackley Town.
A return to Chelmsford in 2019 saw him once again display his goalscoring ability before St Albans convinced him to head for Clarence Park a year later.
Having played a starring role in City’s 4-0 demolition of The Gulls last season, United’s defenders will need to be on the top of their game tomorrow.
Played for Both
Left-back Ben Wyatt has represented both of tomorrow’s clubs, with his one year spell at Plainmoor coming in the 2022/23 campaign.
Having begun his career in the youth ranks of East Anglian rivals Norwich and Ipswich, it was at Maldon & Tiptree where he eventually made his senior bow, before making a return to the EFL ranks with Colchester United.
After finding his route to the first-team blocked, a loan stint at Concord preceded a permanent switch to Braintree, before St Albans came calling for the first time in 2018.
39 appearances and goals during Saints’ 2018/19 Play-Off push heralded a move up a division with Sutton United, a club where Ben would finally make his Football League breakthrough following Sutton’s promotion at the end of 2020/21.
Wyatt proved to be a popular addition to Gary Johnson’s squad in the summer of 2022, however his 30 appearances couldn’t save United from relegation, prompting a return to St Albans last term.
Previous Encounter
Torquay United 4 – 1 St Albans | Vanarama National League South | Tuesday 13th November 2018
A dominant attacking display saw United take all three points in a 4-1 win over St Albans at Plainmoor, as United continued the momentum that would eventually see them crowned 2018/19 NLS champions.
After an early goal from Jamie Reid was cancelled out by a leveller from Clovis Kamdjo, an own goal from Tom Bender saw The Gulls regain the lead shortly after to lead at the halfway point.
The second half saw Torquay take control of proceedings, with goals from Reid and Jake Andrews either side of the hour-mark sealing a comfortable win for United.
Vanarama National League South | Torquay United v St Albans City | 21/09/24 | KO 3pm |
Live commentary via BBC Radio Devon available HERE