1. Deon Moore at the double.
Aside from the host of new signings made by United manager Jimmy Ball over the summer, the retention of the signature of striker Deon Moore on a new deal was the one piece of recruitment that the United faithful wanted to get over the line.
He showed glimpses of the form that he showed as he netted a brace in the Gulls' 5-0 win over Cardiff City Under-21s. First of all, he tapped home in the eighth minute after Sonny Blu Lo-Everton had seen his initial shot parried by young Bluebirds keeper Jake Dennis. Then, on 22 minutes, he found the target after strike partner Callum Morton cushioned a ball into the box from Tyler Hill, after the Bluebirds had failed to clear a Jordan Young corner, into his path and he duly slotted home.
If Moore can replicate his form towards the end of last season, which saw him find the back of the net seven times, he could become the first United player to net 20 goals a season or more since Jamie Reid in the 2019-20 season.
2. Matt Worthington shows the fans the 'real' Matt Worthington.
After his arrival as manager last March, Jimmy Ball declared that he wanted to see a different Matt Worthington to the one that they had previously seen. Worthington was a figure who was well known to Ball, who signed him as a schoolboy with Portsmouth at the age of 13, and the Plainmoor faithful are now starting to see the version of Worthington that Ball believes that he is capable of being.
Worthington opened the scoring for the Gulls and he nicked the ball off the Cardiff backline before drilling a low strike into the bottom corner in the seventh minute. Through out the game, he was always on the move up and the down the pitch, instead of being pigeon-holed in one position as he produced a display that was akin to a 'non-league Bryan Robson.'
3. Competition for places.
With 23 players available to him for selection, as well as trialist A, Jimmy Ball was able to field virtually two different XIs against Cardiff City Under-21s in each half. Only Matt Worthington and Sam Dreyer featured for the entire 90 minutes, as Ball looked to experiment with different formations.
For example, in the second half, he went with a front three of Jordan Young on the right, Deon Moore in the centre and Dylan Morgan on the left, after starting Moore up front alongside Callum Morton in the first half.
The left-back spot has the potential to be hotly contested between Tyler Hill and Kian Jenkins, who both played one half each.
Friday's final friendly promises to be an interesting one.
4. Cody's back.
Saturday's friendly also saw the return from injury of Cody Cooke as he came on as a sub in the 76th minute for Deon Moore in what was his first appearance since he sustained a dislocated shoulder in Paul Wotton's final game in charge against Chelmsford City last February.
It was the first time that Jimmy Ball would have seen Cooke in action, and his experience will be of huge benefit to forward line that currently includes Callum Morton, Isaac Westendorf and Deon Moore as well as Sonny Fish.
