Match preview: Torquay United (A)

Tomorrow, Luke Garrard’s men travel to Devon to face promotion-chasing Torquay United in the Vanarama National League South, kicking off at 15:00.

Last Season for the Gulls

Although Torquay United enjoyed a positive start to the season, which saw them second in December, their form declined towards the end. Along with a drop in performance, the club went into administration in April, which resulted in an 11-point deduction. These setbacks led to an 18th-place finish in the Vanarama National League South, seven points clear of the relegation places.

Form Guide

The Gulls’ form has dropped in recent weeks, with only two wins in their last nine league matches. This has seen them drop from first to sixth, now six points behind current league leaders Dorking Wanderers. In Torquay’s previous six outings, they have faced four of the top eight, with only one of those resulting in a win for Paul Wotton’s side.

Their most recent match was a tight affair against eighth-placed Weston-super-Mare. The Gulls travelled to Somerset looking to bounce back from their heartbreaking loss to Chelmsford City, which was decided in the second minute of injury time by Charlie Ruff’s sixth goal of the season. Torquay fell behind after James Dodd’s 24th-minute opener. However, the Gulls defended well and earned an equaliser early in the second half when EFL veteran Matt Jay scored his first Torquay United goal in the 56th minute. Although both sides pushed for a second, they had to settle for a point.

Last Time We Met

Despite challenging conditions, the match at Meadow Park was entertaining, with both teams trying to play positive football. The Wood had the upper hand but couldn’t break the deadlock. Early chances from Clayden and Benton went wide, while Torquay’s Mussa forced a good save. In the second half, Torquay had a chance through Dreyer’s header, and Ndlovu forced a save, but the Wood continued to press. Richardson and Payne also had opportunities, but both were denied. The game ended 0-0, with neither side able to convert their chances into goals.

One to Watch

The Wood will be hoping Jordan Young has a quiet afternoon tomorrow. Young has been a mainstay for the Gulls since joining in the summer from Yeovil Town. The silky attacking midfielder has contributed 12 goal involvements this season, as well as having title-winning experience at this level, having been part of Yeovil Town’s title-winning squad last season.

The Wood

Luke Garrard’s men will be looking to extend our winning run to four consecutive victories tomorrow evening. After suffering our toughest run in the league since October, with five defeats in six games, the Wood have bounced back to winning ways. Wins against Eastbourne Borough, St Albans City, and Chelmsford City have seen Wood jump to third in the table and fourth in the form guide.

Our previous match was a close 1-0 win over Chelmsford City. Although we dominated the game, it took until the 54th minute to find the opener through Tom Whelan’s deflected effort. The Wood held possession effectively to nullify the Clarets’ attacks and earnt another important three points in the hunt for promotion.

Pre-match interview

Ticket information

Ticket information for tomorrow afternoon’s fixture can be found here.

Can’t join us tomorrow afternoon?

Follow all of the action from Plainmoor on the club’s official social media channels with live updates on both X and Instagram, available at @boreham_woodfc. Don’t forget to turn your notifications on!