A FIRST TROPHY FOR OLLIE WATKINS

 While Aston Villa's Europa League final triumph over German side Freiburg marked the Villains' first European success since 1982 and their first trophy of any kind since 1996, it also provided striker Ollie Watkins with the first medal of his career. 

Goals from Youri Tielemans, Emi Buendia and Morgan Rogers sealed a 3-0 victory for Villa in Istanbul with Prince William, the future King of England, looking on, as Watkins secured his first honour with the club. 

Given everything that the Torbay-born, but Newton Abbot raised striker has achieved as a player, from scoring for England in the semi-finals and winning several individual awards, it is surprising that a player of his calibre had yet to win a trophy or a promotion. 

In the 2016-17 season, he was part of the Exeter City side that lost to Blackpool in the League Two play-off against Blackpool - which proved to be his final appearance for the Grecians before his move to Brentford in the summer. However, his displays did help him to win the EFL Young player of the year award for 2017. 

After he joined Brentford, Watkins continued his upward trajectory as a player as he won the Championship player of the year prize for the 2019-20 campaign. Nevertheless, by the time that the Bees eventually made it to the Premier League in 2020-21, he had already secured his move to Villa Park. 

With Champions League football assured for Villa for the 2026-27 season, further success could yet follow for Watkins, who is also one of number of players waiting for Thomas Tuchel's England squad announcement for the World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico. 

A HOMECOMING FOR CALLUM MORTON

 Over a decade after he left the club when they closed their youth department, Callum Morton has returned to his hometown club as Torquay United's first summer signing by manager Jimmy Ball. 

Morton, 26, has experienced a journeyed career since he first left Plainmoor as he initially followed former United youth coach Geoff Harrop to Yeovil Town when he joined their academy before becoming a scholar at Huish Park. 

After scoring against West Bromwich Albion's youth side in the FA Youth Cup for the Glovers, the Baggies paid an undisclosed fee to bring him to the Hawthorns. 

Whilst with the Baggies, Morton was loaned out to Braintree Town, Northampton Town, Lincoln City, Fleetwood Town and Peterborough United. He was close to joining the Gulls on loan in the 2019-20 season under Gary Johnson. 

His spell with Northampton in 2019-20 proved to be the most fruitful of his loan stints, as he netted twice against Cheltenham Town in the League Two play-offs, a feat which he then followed up by finding the target in the final against Exeter City that the Cobblers won 4-0. 

Moves away from the Hawthorns followed for Morton to Fleetwood and then Salford City, who later loaned him out to Forest Green Rovers and to Northampton for the second time in his career. 

In November 2025, he joined Bristol Rovers on a short-term deal and scored on his first start for the Pirates against Crewe Alexandra in a 1-1 on December 19, 2025. However, he was let go by Rovers' boss Steve Evans in February 2026. 

Morton then joined the Gulls' National League South promotion rivals Worthing, who eventually clinched the league title - and the Plainmoor faithful will be hoping he can play a part in another promotion from the NLS in the 2026-27 season. 

SNATCHED FROM THE JAWS OF VICTORY

 Everything seemed to be written in the stars for the Gulls to come out on top against Hornchurch in the National League South play-off final. 

It was 39 years to the day that Bryn the Police dog sunk his teeth into Jim McNichol to force the added time that helped United to draw 2-2 with Crewe Alexandra on the final day of the 1986-87 season at Plainmoor. In addition to this, it was also 22 years and a day since one of the most glorious days in the club's history when the Gulls beat Southend United 2-1 at Roots Hall with goals from Steve Woods and David Graham to clinch their first automatic promotion in 38 years under Leroy Rosenior. 

However, the events at the Hornchurch Stadium will rank alongside more infamous days such as United's 2-1 defeat to Colchester United in 2004-05, which condemned the Gulls to an immediate return to the fourth tier almost exactly a year to the day since their aforementioned success under Rosenior. 

At Hornchurch, United couldn't have got off to a better start when Deon Moore latched onto a ball over the top from Sam Dreyer before racing through on goal to slot home in the eighth minute. 

Player of the year Sonny Blu Lo-Everton then tested the Urchins' Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee keeper Arthur Nasta from 25 yards, but then Hornchurch started to gain a foothold in the game. 

They were rewarded for their endeavours on the stroke of half time when loanee keeper Seb Stacey dashed off his line and brought down Urchins winger Charlie Pegram, prompting referee Matthew Norton to point to the point. Striker Dominic Poleon then stepped up to convert the spot-kick and levelled matters. 

On 78 minutes, the Gulls regained their lead when a precision pass from sub Callum Dolan picked out Moore, who finely drilled home his eighth goal in six games. 

Just as it looked as though United would be marking their return to the National League, Hornchurch sub Henry Hearn bundled home after a cross from fellow sub Darren McQueen caused havoc in the Gulls' box. 

Early in injury time, United came agonisingly close to restoring their lead when Nasta denied a header from Dan Hayfield. 

Just when penalties seemed to be a certainty, Sam Ling, the son of the former United manager Martin, popped up to give the Urchins the lead for the first time in the match. The Torquay United connection in the Hornchurch camp didn't end there, as they are managed by former Gulls loanee Daryl McMahon. 

So, a fourth season in the sixth tier now beckons for United and it's worth noting that the 2026-27 campaign will mark 100 years since the Gulls were first elected to the Football League. 

Could it be a good omen for next year? 

REMEMBERING BARNET - 25 YEARS ON

 Former Swansea City, Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea and West Ham United manager Graham Potter will be taking charge of Sweden in this summer's World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. 

However, a quarter of a century ago, Potter had an indirect role in one of the most talked about matches in the history of Torquay United - as his goal for York City at Plainmoor on April 28, 2001 helped to set up United's final day decider against Barnet in the 2000-01 campaign. 

The Gulls were battling relegation from the Football League in their last home game of the season against the Minstermen under the interim managerial reign of Colin Lee, after Wes Saunders was dismissed just over a month earlier. 

After a 2-1 midweek win over Darlington at Plainmoor, the Gulls were searching for another win which would have taken them a step closer to survival against the Minstermen. 

York started brightly and took the lead through Michael Basham before Kevin Hill headed home his ninth of the season on 59 minutes to level matters. The Gulls pushed and pushed for a winner and it looked as though that they had found one with four minutes to go when Jimmy Aggrey nodded home a corner to put United 2-1. 

Sadly, that wasn't the end of the action as Minstermen left-back Potter got the final touch on a corner that ensured that the Gulls would need a result in the final fixture of the campaign against Barnet, who themselves needed all three. 

As a 17-year old A-Level, with dreams of pursuing a career in Journalism, can remember getting off the train and heading straight to the ground as the game wasn't all ticket. There were several fans who weren't lucky enough to get inside Barnet's Underhill ground. One person decided to climb nearby tree, whilst others were forced to watch the game from an Indian wine bar, where they followed updates on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday. 

For the match itself, Lee made three changes to the side that drew with York City as Eifion Williams returned to the starting line-up at the expense of the suspended Khalid Chalqi, which meant Tony Bedeau switched to the right hand side of midfield and Stuart Jones returned in goal in place of Ryan Northmore.

Jones had been absent for much of the calendar year due to injury and had only made one appearance for the Gulls during that time against Kidderminster Harriers.  

Despite being up against the strong gusts of wind which were sweeping Underhill, Torquay started the match more positively than their hosts as Eifion Williams went close early on.

Barnet were soon forced into an early substitution after three minutes, as youngster Danny Naisbitt replaced the injured Lee Harrison in goal.

Torquay took full advantage of playing down Underhill’s famous sloping pitch, as David Graham had a good claim for a penalty turned down after he was felled by Barnet skipper Greg Heald.

The Gulls’ sustained pressure paid off when midfielder Jason Rees opened the scoring with a 25-yard effort in the 10^th minute.

Seven minutes later, Rees exited the field of play and was replaced by Mick O’Brien who added extra guile to the midfield. Shortly after coming on O’Brien came close to scoring one of his specialist free-kicks, with an effort from beyond the half-way line which glanced narrowly wide.

In the 25^th minute, the Gulls won a corner on the right hand side, which was taken by Paul Holmes and found Kevin Hill who nodded home his 10^th goal of the season to give United a two-goal cushion.

His effort put him top of the Gulls’ goal scoring charts – one ahead of Williams on nine – not a bad feat for a midfielder.

Torquay continued to dominate the game territorially, but the nerves of the travelling supporters were made to shake as referee Robert Beeby penalised Player of the Year Jimmy Aggrey for hand- ball in the 40^th minute and pointed to the penalty spot. 

Darren Currie then stepped up to take the penalty for the Bees. Strangely enough Currie – the nephew of former England midfielder Tony Currie who had a brief spell with the Gulls towards the end of his career – was also the son-in-law of referee Beeby.

 However, Jones in the Torquay goal guessed the direction of his spot-kick correctly to pull off his third penalty save of the season.

This proved to be a crucial turning point in the game as it started the move which led to Torquay’s third goal.

From the resulting goal kick the Gulls got the ball forward quickly towards Williams, who then linked up with his fellow striker David Graham to enable Graham to extend Torquay’s lead to three on 43 minutes.

Two minutes later, referee Beeby blew his whistle to mark the half-time break and the Gulls’ fans who had made the journey to North London could be reasonably confident that a three-goal cushion would be hard for Barnet to overturn.

One obstacle that United would have to overcome in the second 45 minutes, as well as the eleven men of Barnet, would be the famous Underhill slope that they were now playing up instead of down.

Their travelling support certainly had their hearts in their mouths on the hour mark, when on loan right-back Ryan Green inadvertently stumbled and turned the ball past Jones to reduce the Bees arrears to two goals.

Eight minutes later, the Gulls were forced into making a second change as John Gayle came on to replace Williams who was struggling with a rib injury.

Two male streakers then appeared from the Barnet crowd and infuriated Bees skipper Heald, who displayed his anger at their presence before they disappeared into the abyss of the home end Gents.

The hosts scored a controversial second goal in the 76^th minute through Wayne Purser, when it looked as though Jones had been fouled in the build-up to it.

 With Barnet in the ascendency, the Gulls’ rear guard spent the final 14 minutes of the match defending as though their lives depended on it. Skipper Lee Russell led by example producing a series of match saving challenges and Aggrey and Bedeau both followed suit; Hill and Holmes also made a series of important clearances which snuffed out Barnet’s chances of equalising, or even going on to snatch a late winner.

When the final whistle blew, the 2,000 or so Torquay fans who made the trek to Underhill breathed a huge sigh of relief as United pulled off a ‘Great Escape’ that ranked alongside the Gulls’ 2-2 draw against Crewe Alexandra in 1987.

25 years on, memories of the game have greater poignancy as two of the players who featured, Paul Holmes and Tony Bedeau, are sadly no longer with us. 

Torquay (4-4-2): Stuart Jones; Ryan Green, Jimmy Aggrey, Lee Russell, Paul Holmes; Tony Bedeau, Richard Kell, Jason Rees (Mick O’Brien 30), Kevin Hill; Eifion Williams (John Gayle 55), David Graham (Alex Watson 90);

United's clash with Barnet is one of the games featured in Torquay United: A History in 50 Matches which is available here: torquayunitedahistoryin50 — Torquay United: A History in 50 Matches

TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS DORKING WANDERERS

1. An excellent team display. 

First of all, I would like to congratulate the team in what was a tremendous team display and arguably United's best display of the season, and also arguably one of their finest performances during their tenure in National League South. 

The Gulls went into the play-offs off the back of winning four of out of their last five National League South fixtures, and their display against Dorking at Plainmoor shows that they have taken the momentum from those matches into their play-off campaign. 

Now they just need to do it all again in the final against Hornchurch. 

 2. Moore and Moore from Deon. 

The goals continue to flow for striker Deon Moore as he took his tally for the season to six with a brace against Dorking Wanderers. 

Moore had netted his fourth of the season in their final day win over Tonbridge Angels, which sealed the Gulls' place in the play-offs, and he once again amongst the goals as the Gulls emerged as emphatic winners. 

He opened the scoring in the 21st minute after Sonny Blu Lo-Everton made a bursting run into the box before finding Moore who slotted home what was his fifth of the campaign. In the second half, he completed his double on 59 minutes with Lo-Everton the architect again as he teed up Dylan Morgan for a shot that hit the post and Moore was on hand to pounce on the rebound. 

As well as his goals, Moore's hold up play was also good and made a number of dangerous runs which stretched the Dorking defence, which helped him earn your correspondent's choice as man of the match. 

3. Matt Worthington. 

Gulls' boss Jimmy Ball has known skipper Matt Worthington since he signed him as an academy player with Portsmouth as a youngster. Since Ball arrived at Plainmoor he has looked to make Worthington into more of an attacking minded central midfielder who affects the game higher up the pitch, instead of one who drops deep to receive the ball off his defenders. 

This approach has resulted in Worthington producing more dynamic performances, and his display against Dorking as he teed up Dylan Morgan for a shot that drew a stunning one-handed save from Harrison Foulkes on 16 minutes. 

He later had headed home what looked liked United's opener on 20 minutes, but it was ruled out for offside. However, the Gulls didn't have to wait long until they broke the deadlock as Deon Moore opened the scoring for United moments later. 

4. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton a major creative influence. 

Playing in the number ten role just behind Deon Moore, the Gulls' newly crowned player of the year Sonny Blu Lo-Everton was arguably United's greatest creative force against Dorking Wanderers. 

Manager Jimmy Ball's gameplan allowed Lo-Everton to get on the ball and affect the game, which was something that he did to good effect. 

In addition to providing the assist for Deon Moore's opener, Lo-Everton also teed up Jordan Young for the Gulls' fourth of the afternoon on 77 minutes, and started the move that led to United's third and Moore's second. 

The only thing that could be argued that was missing from his display was a goal of his own.

5. Monashe Sundire's unsung role. 

Monashe Sundire's time at Plainmoor has been very stop-start due to injury, and due to an unfortunate collision with Dan Hayfield, he was substituted on 58 minutes and was replaced by Will Tizzard. 

Sundire was brought into the side by Jimmy Ball to man mark Dorking skipper Charlie Carter, who went into the game as their joint-top scorer with 11 goals from the centre of midfield. The Zimbabwean-born midfielder successfully nullified Carter, and also helped give the likes of Jordan Young, Matt Worthington, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton and Dylan Morgan greater licence to get forward. 

6. Jordan Young takes his tally to 18 for the campaign. 

For three seasons in a row, Jordan Young has hit double figures for goals in National League South, scoring 16 for Yeovil Town in 2023-24 and 11 and 18 for the Gulls in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 campaigns. 

Another brace against Hornchurch in next week's play-off final would take his current tally to 20, which is something that would please manager Jimmy Ball greatly, as he has demanded that the Gulls are more front footed and ruthless in front of goal since his appointment.