After an agonising and frustrating defeat against league-leaders, Marine Academy Plymouth last weekend, it’s all change for Torquay United on Sunday, as they head to Cornwall to face bottom side, AFC St. Austell Ladies.
It’s the second attempt at this one, after the original South West Regional Women’s Premier League fixture at Poltair Park was washed out, a fortnight ago. And after back-to-back defeats either side of the festive season, getting back to winning ways will be vital, to get United’s title aspirations back on track.
Both sides have been the worst hit by the plethora of storms that battered the south west at the back end of 24 and into 25. St. Austell have still only played seven league games, and United eight, so both have hectic 2025 programmes, though currently with totally opposite targets.
St Austell have struggled and are yet to earn a point this campaign, and having scored just three goals, all of those away from Poltair Park. By contrast, United were going great guns, until the lack of matches and training sessions, saw the wheels come off in spectacular fashion, in the 3-0 home defeat by Sherborne Town Ladies, at Ivybridge, before Christmas.
The performance, if not the result, was vastly improved against leaders Marine Academy Plymouth last weekend, but United still failed to take any of the chances they created, hitting the woodwork four times and squandering 2 or 3 more gilt-edged opportunities.
So Torquay simply have to get back to their clinical best on Sunday. They can ill-afford another slip, especially to a team that few outside of the Cornish Town, will believe can claim an unlikely win.
Arguably, Torquay had just hit full stride when they dismantled Sunday’s opponents 12-0, in the corresponding fixture, at Devon F.A. headquarters, back at the start of October. Lucy Solloway (against her former side) and Emily Elliot both scored hat-tricks that day and Ellie Bishop chipped in with a brace. They will need to get back into full stride again on Sunday, ahead of Forest Green at home and then five successive away days!
If you can make the lengthy trip across the water, the ladies will be grateful for your support. But, if the Tamar’s a bridge too far, then live commentary is on-air from 1.45 pm at https://tufcwomen.mixlr.com