TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS EASTBOURNE BOROUGH

 1. The Gulls' biggest win in over seven years. 

At the end of a difficult week for Torquay United, which saw skipper Matt Worthington and Callum Dolan both suspended following an off-field incident, the Gulls responded by beating Eastbourne Borough 7-0. 

It was United's biggest win since they beat Lymington Town FC in the second qualifying round of the FA Cup in September 2018, in one of their early games under the reign of Gary Johnson. 

In addition to this, it was also the Gulls' biggest league victory since the 1956-57 season when they beat Swindon Town 7-0 at Plainmoor, in which the club's all-time leading scorer Sammy Collins netted a hat-trick. 

2. Louis Dennis' hat-trick. 

Louis Dennis added his name to the list of players to have netted hat-tricks for Torquay United, and became the first player to hit a treble for the Gulls since Cody Cooke on the final day of the 2024-25 campaign against Hemel Hempstead Town. 

It was perhaps quite fitting that on a day that United scored seven that Dennis opened the scoring in the seventh minute. He then completed his brace on the half hour mark with a solo effort. His hat-trick came in the 57th minute, which made it 5-0 to the Gulls after Jordan Young and Dylan Morgan had found the target. 

3. Jordan Young takes his tally for the season to ten. 

By netting a brace against Eastbourne, United's leading scorer Jordan Young took his tally for the season to ten goals. He netted his first in the 39th minute following good work on the right hand side from Matt Jay and Louis Dennis, to make it 3-0, and then completed his brace on 63 minutes when he latched onto a long ball from keeper James Hamon and lobbed Eastbourne keeper Ryan Sandford to make it seven. 

Not only is Young one goal away from equalling his tally for the 2024-25 season of 11, he has now also hit double figures in National League South in three successive seasons. 14 for Yeovil Town in 2023-24, 11 for the Gulls last season and now ten and counting in the current campaign. 

4. Dylan Morgan starting to shine. 

After missing much of the second half of the 2024-25 campaign through injury, Dylan Morgan was a stand out player for the Gulls in their pre-season fixtures. However, just as he was starting to replicate his pre-season form in the regular, he went off injured in United's 3-1 win over AFC Totton in August 2025, just after he scored United's opening goal. 

In the first minute of first half injury time, Morgan slotted home a low drive after being teed up by Jordan Young and then added United's fourth in the 58th minute. 

5. The crowd. 

The one, and possibly only, disappointment about the Gulls' result against Eastbourne was that the crowd dipped below the 3,000 mark. The total attendance was 2,952, which included 45 away fans. With two home games in the space of a week, some fans may have chosen between watching United face Eastbourne and Worthing on Tuesday night. 

To those who were absent, you missed a treat. 

6. Eastbourne to reimburse their fans. 

After the match, it was announced that the Eastbourne players will be reimbursing the cost of the match tickets for all visiting fans. 

TOMMY TYNAN AT 70

 One of the finest strikers ever to ply their trade in the South West, Tommy Tynan also ranks amongst the best centre forwards never to grace the top flight of English football. 

Liverpool-born Tynan started his career with his boyhood idols Liverpool, after winning a competition in the Liverpool Echo newspaper searching for the club's next star. Whilst at Anfield, he served under their legendary manager Bill Shankly, but never made a first team appearance for the Reds - but spent time on loan at Swansea City. 

A brief spell with Dallas Tornados in the North American Soccer League followed after he left Liverpool before Sheffield Wednesday was next port of call for Tynan in 1976, where he spent two years prior to a brief spell with Lincoln City in 1978.  

However, it was at Newport County where Tynan would really make his mark as he helped the Welsh side as he formed a formidable partnership with John Aldridge.  The duo helped them win promotion from the 'old' Fourth Division and the Welsh Cup in the 1979-80 season. 

Winning the Welsh Cup earned County entry to the European Cup Winner's Cup for the 1980-81 campaign, which saw Newport reach the quarter finals where they beaten 3-2 by East German side Carl Zeiss Jena on aggregate. Tynan netted both goals in the first leg staged beyond the Iron Curtain, but they lost the return leg at Newport's Somerton Park home 1-0. 

In 1983, Tynan headed to the South West when Bobby Moncur signed him for Plymouth Argyle; in his first season at Home Park, he played a key role in helping the Pilgrims reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup under Moncur's successor, Johnny Hore in the 1983-84 campaign. Tynan famously scored the winning goal in their fifth round win over West Bromwich Albion, which was Argyle's only win over top-flight opposition during the run. 

The goals continued to flow for Tynan in the 1984-85 season, in which he saw another change of manager after Hore was sacked and replaced by the charismatic Scotsman Dave Smith. 

Tynan was on the move again in the summer of 1985 for domestic reasons as he returned to South Yorkshire to sign for Rotherham United. Nevertheless, he would return to the Pilgrims on loan towards the end of the 1985-86 campaign, after falling out with Millers' boss Norman Hunter. 

His second spell at Home Park to be a glorious one, as he found the back of the net ten times in nine appearances as promotion to the 'old' Second Division was secured with a 4-0 win over Bristol City. Tynan then made the move permanent and played a starring role as the Pilgrims achieved their second highest post-war league finish of seventh in the 'old' Second Division in the 1986-87 season. 

Following his release by Argyle in 1990, Tynan linked up with Dave Smith again at Torquay United as player-coach, as he helped the Gulls complete a then club record run of 15 league matches as United topped the Fourth Division table. He finished the 1990-91 season as the Gulls' joint top scorer with 19 goals, which included his 300th career goal in a 3-0 home win over Carlisle United in October 1990. 

A brief spell with Doncaster Rovers and a stint as player-manager of Goole Town then followed for Tynan before he returned to Plymouth, where he ran a pub, worked for Plymouth Argyle as commercial manager and later became a taxi driver. 

TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS MAIDSTONE UNITED FA TROPHY

1. Dan Hayfield's free-kick. 

Last season against Truro City in the same stage of the competition, a free-kick from Dan Hayfield from the edge of the penalty area proved to be the difference for the Gulls at this stage of the competition. 

In the eighth minute against Maidstone, United won a free-kick on the edge of the area after Jordan Young had been fouled, which Hayfield stepped up to take and, on this occasion, he agonisingly struck the post. 

It's often said that goals change games and had Hayfield's effort found the net could history have repeated itself and the Gulls have progressed in the FA Trophy against a fellow National League South outfit – and one of their bogey sides to boot? 

Maybe, but we'll never know. 

2. Jordan Young excelled again. 

United winger Jordan Young was arguably the Gulls' brightest performer, and was also voted as man of the match by the sponsors. 

In the 13th minute, he cut in from the right and tested Maidstone keeper Lenny Holden with a shot before Sonny Fish (more on him later) was denied from the rebound. 

Throughout the game, he remained the Gulls' greatest attacking threat and in the second half, he picked out Jordan Dyer with a free-kick in the 73rd minute which Dyer nodded towards goal - only to be denied by Holden in the Maidstone goal. 

Then in the 90th minute, his through ball found Matt Jay who drew another save from Holden, as United huffed and puffed but couldn't find a way past the Maidstone back line. 

He also worked tirelessly throughout, and showed a willingness to track back and make a number of tackles, in what was arguably one of his best games for the club in terms of work rate alone. 

3. Sonny Fish's first start. 

After making a number of cameo appearances from the bench, Sonny Fish was handed his first start by United manager Paul Wotton. The former Crawley Town man started brightly and was unlucky not to score on 13 minutes when he latched onto a rebound from Jordan Young's initial effort. 

Fish continued to lead the line well, but still looked short for real match sharpness. He later switched to the left-hand side of United's attack after Ed Palmer replaced Dylan Morgan, who was deployed as a makeshift centre forward. 

He then exited the field of play on 64 minutes as Denzel Aykeampong entered the fray in his place. However, Fish did show signs that he can offer a viable alternative to Cody Cooke when fully up to speed. 

4. United down to the bare bones. 

Paul Wotton was only able to name four subs on Saturday against Maidstone, which included rookie goalkeeper Matt Wonnacott and Aiden Edwards, the 17-year-old son of assistant manager Mike Edwards. 

As well as being without long term injury victims Cody Cooke and Monashe Sundire, the Gulls were also without skipper Matt Worthington, Callum Dolan and Louis Dennis, and their absence was keenly felt by United. 

Wotton will be hoping that at least two, if not all three, of them will be available when United host Eastbourne Borough in National League South next Saturday. 

5. Free to focus on the league. 

Aside from their appearance in the final under Paul Buckle in 2007-08 and reaching the semi-finals under Chris Hargreaves in 2014-15, Torquay United's record in the FA Trophy is modest to say the least. 

Whilst making it through a couple of rounds would have been welcome, not to mention the prize money, further progress in the competition would also lead to a number of their fixtures needing to be re-arranged. 

Although any fixture congestion wouldn't be as bad as it was for Buckle's side of 2007-08, who at one stage were playing Saturday-Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday between Saturday 12th April 2008 and Saturday 19th April 2008, United would be potentially be facing a regular Saturday-Tuesday routine.

 

 

GULLS BACK ON TRACK WITH BACK TO BACK WINS ON THEIR TRAVELS

As the famous saying goes, you spent ages waiting for a bus and then two come along at once; this proved to be the case for Torquay United as they followed up their midweek success against Farnborough by coming away from Maidenhead United with three points. 

Inspired by a brace from Louis Dennis and Jordan Dyer's first goal of the campaign, the Gulls returned home from the Saunders Transport Community Stadium with a 3-1 victory on Wednesday night.

United then travelled to Maidenhead's York Road on Saturday, where they secured back-to-back away wins for the first time this season as they secured a 2-1 win. Callum Dolan gave the Gulls the lead with a second of the campaign on 40 minutes before Maidenhead defender Remy Clerima inadvertently turned a cross from Jordan Young into his own net. 

A late consolation from Liam Dulson in injury time set up a tense finish, but United held on to secure the third win in fourth visits to York Road with a performance that manager Paul Wotton hailed as being 'magnificent.' 

The win moves the Gulls up to third behind league leaders Hornchurch and second placed Weston Super Mare. 

Once their FA Trophy clash at home to Maidstone United next Saturday is out of the way, they will then have a home 'Saturday-Tuesday double header against Eastbourne Borough and Worthing. 

United's home record remains amongst the strongest in the league, they are one of four sides in National League South who have six times in front of their own fans in 2025-26, and if they can ally that with improved away showings, then they will soon lift themselves back into contention for the title. 

TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS HORNCHURCH

 1. Unbeaten home runneth over. 

United's unbeaten home record finally came to an end as Hornchurch became the first side to come away from Plainmoor with all three points. 

Whilst the disappointment of defeat is understandable, a chorus of boos greeted the final whistle, the likelihood of the Gulls going through the entire season unbeaten was always going to be extremely unlikely. 

The Urchins, managed by former Gulls loanee Daryl McMahon, also extended their own unbeaten for the campaign to 14 games, as they go five points clear of second placed Weston Super Mare.

 Nevertheless, given that so many teams topped the league last season, McMahon, who led Ebbsfleet United to promotion in 2016-17, won't be getting carried away. 

However, if United can bounce back with a win in either of their next two away games against Farnborough on Wednesday night and at Maidenhead United next Saturday, then their loss to the Urchins will soon disappear into the annals of time. 

2. Cody Cooke was a big miss. 

Despite having plenty of shots from distance, United lacked a real presence in the penalty area which Cody Cooke would have provided had he been fit. 

Not only could Cooke have got on the end of some of the numerous balls that United were putting into the box, he could have also helped bring other players into play and helped them get into positions of maximum opportunity. 

No date has yet been given for Cooke's return, but young striker Sonny Fish, who is continuing his return from injury, shows glimpses of his ability, so he could step into Cooke's shoes when he is fully up to speed. 

3. Sonny Fish. 

In his latest cameo, Sonny Fish displayed a few glimpses of the talent that Gulls boss Paul Wotton has been keeping tabs on over a number of years. 

Fish was making his fourth appearance from the bench as he eases his way back to full fitness, and he produced arguably the most impressive of his cameo displays, as he got in some good positions and showed a higher level of fitness. 

He will surely be pushing for a starting berth against either Farnborough or Maidenhead. 

4. Callum Dolan's first of the campaign. 

After seeing Jordan Young and Louis Dennis miss spot-kicks against Salisbury FC and Dorking Wanderers, Callum Dolan stepped up to convert from the spot for the Gulls in the 11th minute against Hornchurch. 

It was Dolan's first for the Gulls since his permanent return to United, after he found the back of the net twice 

5. A moment where the game could have turned. 

During his post-match interview, United manager Paul Wotton said that United had untold moments where their execution wasn't quite right, and one such moment was a chance for leading scorer Jordan Young in the 13th minute. 

Two minutes earlier, Callum Dolan had given the Gulls the lead from the penalty spot and Young looked well placed to double their lead after being through by Matt Jay. However, the opportunity fell to him on his weaker right foot, rather his stronger left foot, and he fired a tame effort straight at Hornchurch's Wolves loanee keeper Arthur Nasta. 

As it transpired, Hornchurch equalised on 20 minutes with a penalty of their own before netting their winner early in the second half. 

Had United doubled their advantage, it would surely have turned out to be a different game, perhaps with a different outcome too.