The third and final of the 3 Southwest trips in a row has saved longest until last. The Clarets head down to Plainmoor to face Torquay United, as they look to regain some form following the damning defeat to Hemel Hempstead last time out.
The Opposition:
After 8 games, Torquay sit 1 position and point ahead of Chelmsford, in 4th. Their season started with a draw and a loss, before 5 wins in 6 turned their form around. The defeats they took came against Aveley and Worthing, who sit in 1st and 2nd respectively.
Agonisingly, Torquay finished 21st last season, just 2 points away from safety in the National League. Arguably being the best of the relegated sides, they were 8 points ahead of Yeovil and nearly doubled Maidstone’s points tally of 25.
In net, Torquay have experience in the form of Mark Halstead. Famously, he was on the books of Blackpool and made a Premier League debut against Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea. He also has much football league experience, having won promotion from League 2 with Morecambe in the 20/21 season.
Just infront of him, Dean Moxey has just as much experience in defence. The 37-yeas-old has over 550 appearances for the likes of Exeter City, Derby County, Crystal Palace and Bolton Wanderers. He knows what it takes to gain promotion, having achieved it at many levels. He will be hoping to add another this season.
In the middle of the park, Tom Lapsile has nearly 200 football league appearances for fellow Essex side, Colchester United. He will be somewhat of a familiar name, as his brother played for the Clarets on loan in 2018. He has been a Torquay player since his release from Colchester in May 2021.
Aaron Jarvis is Torquay’s dangerman. He has been on the books of many clubs, joining Torquay at the start of last season. He broke a record last season, as he became the first player since the 65/66 season to score 2 hattricks in a season. That alone shows how much of a danger he may prove to be for the Clarets.
Most recent meeting:
Torquay United 3-1 Chelmsford City (2nd April 2019) – In the season where Torquay gained promotion back to the National League, the Clarets fell victim to one of their impressive performances. Connor Lemonheigh-Evans had given them the lead before Lamar Reynolds pulled the Clarets level. However, After half time Torquay showed class as Jamie Reid and Jake Andrews goals secured a dominant win.
Team News:
Louis Dunne and Cameron James, still recovering from their long term injuries but in more positive news we’ve seen the return of Anthony Wordsworth and Josh Castiglione from their injuries in recent games.
A congratulations, but a big miss will be Jermaine Francis, who is on international duty following his Grenada call up this week.
Frankie Terry, Jazzi Barnum-Bobb and Samir Carruthers have all left the field in recent fixtures in a forced manner, with nothing confirmed to how their finesses are.
Where to follow the game:
The Club will be providing coverage of the game on Twitter (@OfficialClarets) using the hashtag #TheClarets.
Due to the international break, the game will also be streamed to National League TV, with passes available for £9.50.
There will also be live audio commentary from Radio Clarets.
Post-match reports and interviews will be found on the club website, social media and ClaretsTV following the game.
How to get there:
There is no Supporter’s Club Coach for this fixture.
The game is accessible by train, with a rather long journey. From Chelmsford station, take the train to London Liverpool Street, Where you’d switch to the Elizabeth line to travel to London Paddington. From there, a train to Newton Abbott leaves you with 1 more journey, Newton Abbott to Torquay station. Please note that Torquay Football Club is over half-an-hour from the station.
Weather:
Highs of 22 await the Clarets, as it looks to be a dry and sunny day down in Torquay.
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