United travel up the M5 tomorrow to meet Taunton Town in a crucial game for both teams.
With Taunton coming out on top of the previous encounter at Plainmoor last month, Aaron Downes’ side will be looking to redress the balance in the return fixture in Somerset tomorrow night, as United look to claim the three points that will almost certainly secure them a place in the National League South again next term.
Who’s the Boss?
Rob Dray was initially appointed as part of the Peacocks’ backroom staff as a coach in the summer of 2016, before stepping up to the helm as Head of Football in 2018, following the departure of Leigh Robinson. During his stint as a coach, Dray enjoyed much success with the Somerset side, with the team reaching the Emirates FA Cup First round Proper, and claiming the Southern League West Division title in consecutive campaigns.
Following a month at the helm as interim manager in September 2018, it was one month later Dray was appointed as Head of Football, before going on to guide Taunton Town to a second place finish in their first season at Southern Premier level. Having successfully led to Town to National League South football for the first time in their history, and then backed it up with a comfortable mid-table finish last time out, Dray has now established himself as a reputation as one of the division’s most respected coaches.
How have they been doing?
Since winning 3-0 here at Plainmoor last month in the first ever league meeting of the clubs, Taunton have once again been frustrated by more postponements due to waterlogged pitches, and went the next nine games without a win which included seven defeats and two draws. However the Peacocks come into this game having got their first win since beating the Gulls, when they defeated Play-Off chasing Farnborough 1-0 in Hampshire thanks to a Cameron Evans goal in the first half, which boosted their own survival hopes. Still with three games left to play the Somerset club find themselves in 22nd place with ten wins, fifteen draws and eighteen dfeats and have 45 points from their 43 games played.
Player to Watch
Ross Stearn is a vastly experienced goalscoring midfielder who joined the Peacocks in November 2021 after being released from Chippenham Town due to financial constraints. He began his career at Bristol City before leaving to join Forest Green Rovers in the summer of 2009 for a brief spell. He then signed for Weston-super-Mare in September 2009 until switching to Almondsbury Town at the start of 2010. A move to Chippenham Town followed in the summer of 2011 and Stearn then spent the following season back at Weston-super-Mare.
He then signed for Bath City ahead of the 2013-14 season, spending two years at Twerton Park where he registered 28 goals, before linking up with then National League South side Sutton United in the summer of 2015, where he helped them win promotion. Ross then departed to join Eastleigh in November 2016 for a year until returning to Sutton towards the end of 2017. He spent a loan period at Bath City in the early part of 2018 before signing permanently for City again in the 2018 close season, enjoying another two seasons with Bath until joining Chippenham in the summer of 2020. Stearn finished as the club’s second highest goalscorer in 2022-23 which included the first ever Peacocks’ hat trick in the National League, and he will be known to United’s back line having scored Tauntons third goal in their victory here last month.
Played for Both
Ollie Tomlinson signed his first professional contract with Plymouth Argyle in 2020, making his debut in an EFL Trophy game against Norwich City U21s in September of the same year. During his time at Home Park Tomlinson also had loan spells at Barnstaple Town & Truro City before he arrived at Plainmoor in the summer of 2022, with his first season seeing him have loan spells at both Taunton Town & Chippenham Town in the National League South. This season has seen Ollie firmly established as a first team regular, and also saw him bag his first goal for United which proved to be the winner in a 1-0 win at St Albans City back in August.
Previous Encounter
Torquay United 4 – 2 Taunton Town, 17th January 2023, Isuzu FA Trophy
The two sides last battled it out in January 2023, when a place in the final 16 of the Isuzu FA Trophy awaited the winner. Dillon De Silva put United ahead on 15 minutes; after picking up the ball just inside the right edge of the 18-yard box, the then QPR loanee took a brief look up before planting an audacious left-footed curler into the top corner of the net. Six minutes later the advantage was doubled, this time a headed effort by centre-back Ali Omar saw the hosts lead 2-0 after 21 minutes.
Taunton hadn’t threatened much before the interval, however heading into the final 45 minutes, it was all-square again. First, on 27 minutes Nic McCootie was found unmarked at the far-post and fired home to reduce arrears, and 6 minutes before the interval Taunton made it 2-2, when Jake Wannell was perfectly poised to hook the ball past United goalkeeper Mark Halstead. On 43 minutes however, the visitors were reduced to 10 men, after a rash challenge saw Wannell receive his marching orders.
After the restart, despite being a man down, Taunton enjoyed a decent spell of possession, although they were unable to create anything of note with it, and it wasn’t too long before United eventually worked their way back into the match, and soon looked the more threatening. On 65 minutes United broke through once more. Ben Wyatt progressed down the left flank, before a delicious cross found Aaron Jarvis, who glanced home, 3-2.
Just as had happened in the first half, The Gulls duly stretched their advantage soon after. A ferocious shot from just outside the Taunton box by Jarvis certainly looked goalbound, and with a raised hand spotted by the officials, a penalty was instantly awarded. The delay that followed may have put some marksmen off, but not Torquay’s leading goalscorer, as he confidently gathered the ball before sending Jack Bycroft the wrong way to make it 4-2.
Vanarama National League South | Taunton Town v Torquay United| 16/04/24 7.45pm KO | Live Commentary available via TUFC Radio HERE | Stream the game LIVE on NLTV HERE