Torquay United finally head ‘home’ this weekend, after a nomadic experience that has not seen them play a fixture at a recognised home ground since early November. With the Mother’s Day match scheduled at Plainmoor, the ladies have two games ahead of that on the synthetic surface at South Devon College, with Ilminster Town Ladies.
United’s last two proper home games were the F.A. Cup win over Royal Wootton Bassett Town and the subsequent next-round defeat at home to Bridgewater United, both played at Newton Abbot Spurs. With the high number of postponements, primarily weather-related, Torquay’s only two home games since November 3rd were the 3-0 reverse to Sherborne Town at Ivybridge College and the 1-0 defeat to Marine Academy Plymouth in a game played at Exwick.
So now back on proper home soil (astroturf?) United need to build on a dominant performance in the 2-1 win at Frampton Rangers Ladies and see off Ilminster Town and AEK Boco Ladies over the next couple of weeks. First up it’s Ilminster, who because of the various postponements, United have not yet played in this campaign!
They sit sixth in the South West Regional Women’s Premier League with 20 points from their fifteen matches so far this campaign. Mathematically they are already out of the title race and while not guaranteed to avoid relegation, some of the five teams below them would have to go some to drag the Somerset outfit into the bottom two.
Primarily, they’ve beaten the teams below them and lost to those above, save for a 1-1 draw at Forest Green just before Christmas. They were only beaten on penalties in the F.A. Cup by Royal Wootton Bassett, who United went on to beat in the subsequent round. And they’ve been involved in the odd strange scoreline, most notably the 7-3 win at AEK Boco in October, which saw a sending-off and four bookings alongside the ten goals.
Sunday’s encounter on the 3G at South Devon College offers up another potential banana skin for United’s title hopes. Remember, if United can win out their remaining games, they’ll be champions. And, yes, there are three tough tests waiting at the end of the season, but first, they mustn’t slip up against a team lower in the table. Ilminster Town Ladies boast the prolific Aimee Kingdon who has 13 goals to her credit this campaign, while Ellie Orritt is also in double figures.
United were organised and in control at Frampton last week and need to take that momentum forward once more to keep pressure on the two sides above them, who have to face each other this weekend.
Sunday’s match at South Devon College kicks off at 2 pm, and if you can get across to Paignton, then your Yellow Army support really helps the ladies. But, if you have other things on, don’t forget that you can listen to live radio commentary at tufcwomen.mixlr.com, and we will be on air from 1.45 pm.