TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS AFC STONEHAM FA CUP

 1. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton's purple patch. 

Sonny Blu Lo-Everton went into Saturday's FA Cup second qualifying round tie having two goals in two games for United in National League South, a figure that he increased on Saturday to five goals in three games with his first career hat-trick. 

United were already 2-1 in front when Lo-Everton opened his account for the afternoon when Callum Morton threaded a ball through him to calmly slot home. Then in first half injury time, Lo-Everton struck with his second with a strike from the edge of the penalty area following a short corner routine from the Gulls. 

In the second half, he added his third when he pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area to complete his first hat-trick, becoming the second Torquay United player under Jimmy Ball's reign as manager; the first being Dylan Morgan against Bath City on Easter Monday 2026. 

After the match, Ball stated that he believed Lo-Everton needed to score more goals to reflect his ability, and that he is more than capable of scoring double figures. 

2. Callum Morton's first goal for his hometown club. 

After growing up supporting the Gulls, Callum Morton finally signed for Torquay United during the close season, and scored his first goal for the club at Plainmoor against AFC Stoneham. 

Morton started up front as the focal point of United's attack and he turned home a cross from Sonny Blu Lo-Everton in the seventh minute to open his account for the Gulls. 

He will no doubt be hoping that he gave manager Jimmy Ball something to think about regarding his selection for future matches. 

3. Taylor Scarff's debut. 

Saturday's match also saw new signing Taylor Scarff make his debut for the Gulls after joining from Plymouth Parkway. Scarff, 26, who has also been capped by British Virgin Islands, started his career in the academies of Liverpool and Yeovil Town before appearing for Cornish side Mount Gould and Tavistock before joining Parkway. 

In the opening minutes, play was briefly held up when he underwent treatment for a blood injury, but he carried on once he had been patched up. He was eventually replaced by Monashe Sundire on 56 minutes. 

His arrival gives Jimmy Ball another option in the centre of defence, alongside Oludare Olufunwa, Jake Wannell and, once he returns from injury, Jordan Dyer. 

4. A first FA Cup in three years. 

Saturday's victory over AFC Stoneham was the first FA Cup tie that Torquay United have won since they beat Hungerford Town 5-0 on September 30, 2023, under Gary Johnson. 

Since then, United have twice exited the competition in the second qualifying round against Bishops Cleeve in 2024-25 and against AFC Totton, then managed by Jimmy Ball. 

5. A tribute to Kevin Miller. 

In his post-match interview, Jimmy Ball paid tribute his former Exeter City teammate and former Torquay United player and goalkeeper coach Kevin Miller, who died recently at the age of 57. 

Miller had loan spell with the Gulls from Southampton in the 2006-07 season, and later worked as a goalkeeper coach under Kevin Nicholson during the 2015-16 campaign. 

KEVIN MILLER 1969-2026

 The South West football community received a shock recently following the sudden passing of former Exeter City and Torquay United goalkeeper Kevin Miller at the age of 57. 

Miller originally joined the Grecians in 1989 from Newquay, and he played a starring role in the City that won the Fourth Division title in the 1989-90 campaign under Terry Cooper. It was a side that is still fondly remembered by Grecians' fans, and his teammates included the likes of Scot Hiley, Richard Dryden and Chris Vinnicombe, all of whom, like Miller, would go on to grace a higher level. 

In 1993, Miller followed Cooper to Birmingham City before moving on to Watford, where he won the Hornet's player of the year award twice, as his form at Vicarage Road helped him to earn a £1.5million move to the Premier League with Crystal Palace. 

A transfer to Barnsley then followed where he stayed for three years before making the return to St James Park in 2002. However, his return coincided with the season that the Grecians were relegated from the Football League under the ownership of John Russell and Mike Lewis, which also saw Uri Geller serve on the club's board. The season also saw the club go through three managers in John Cornforth, Neil McNab and Gary Peters. 

Further spells in the Football League followed for Miller with Bristol Rovers, Derby County, Southampton and Torquay United before he returned to his native Cornwall to sign for Bodmin Town. 

After he retired from playing, Miller worked as a goalkeeper coach for Torquay United and Exeter City, as well as a stint as manager of Exmouth Town. At the time of his passing, he had been working as goalkeeper coach at Wigan Athletic, a role which saw him reunited with former Grecians boss Gary Caldwell. 

His sudden passing is a huge loss to his family and friends and football in the South West has lost one of its true heroes. 

TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS DORKING WANDERERS

 1. Jake Wannell's sending off. 

True to form, Torquay United's National League South encounter with Dorking Wanderers lived up to its billing, as both teams scored four goals between them. 

However, the drama didn't stop there. 

The Gulls spent the last 11 minutes of normal time, as well as the seven minutes of injury time added on, playing with ten men after skipper Jake Wannell received a second yellow card, after speaking to referee following a foul on leading scorer Deon Moore. In addition to this, United also played the closing stages with a makeshift centre back pairing after new signing Oladare Olufenwa went off injured to be replaced by Tyler Hill, who later found himself playing alongside central midfielder Dan Hayfield, who entered the fray after Wannell was dismissed. 

After the match, Wannell took to Twitter/X and when describing the incident said: "To clear up the sending off, the ref said five minutes prior that one more tackle on Deon would be a yellow. I simply asked the ref after another foul on Deon I said you told me it would be a booking for there player. Which is apparently dissent. No swearing whatsoever."

2. Deon Moore and Sonny Blu Lo-Everton amongst the goals. 

During a seven day spell which saw the Gulls secure seven points from a possible nine with wins over Folkestone Invicta (3-2) and Maidenhead United (4-0) and a draw with Dorking Wanderers (2-2), Deon Moore and Sonny Blu Lo-Everton found themselves amongst the goals. 

Moore was on target against Folkestone and then opened the scoring against Dorking. Lo-Everton scored United's second against Maidenhead after sub Matt Jay teed him up for a shot from 20 yards, which saw him open his account for the season. He then drilled home a low free-kick to level matters in the 68th minute. 

With Jordan Young and Dylan Morgan having departed, and Louis Dennis seemingly on the verge of his departure, Moore and Lo-Everton seem destined to take on the mantle of being United's main source of goals. 

Don't be surprised to see both hit double figures this season. 

3. Caleb Roberts and Tegan Finn. 

After making their debuts away to Maidenhead United in midweek, the majority of the Plainmoor faithful got their first glimpses of Plymouth Argyle loanees Caleb Roberts and Tegan Finn in the flesh. 

Both were involved the thick of the action in the first half as Roberts had a shot from distance turned behind for a corner by Dorking keeper Glenn Morris in the sixth minute and he later had a shot blocked. 

Finn, meanwhile, played a role in United's opener as his shot was stopped by Morris in the 23rd minute which landed in the path of Deon Moore who duly slotted home. He later had an effort that hit the post, as the Gulls dominated the first half, but still only went in at the break at 1-1. 

In recent seasons, Adam Randell and Will Jenkins-Davies have become key members of the United squad after joining on loan from the Pilgrims. Indeed, Randell went on to captain the club before moving to Bristol City in the summer of 2025, after he returned from a season long loan at Plainmoor in the 2020-21 season.  

Roberts will be with the Gulls until January 2027 and Finn has joined initially for a month. However, don't be surprised to see those deals extended. 

4. Still unbeaten at home. 

United's draw with Dorking keeps their home unbeaten record for 2026-27 intact, but United boss Jimmy Ball will be disappointed that they have only one once in five encounters at Plainmoor. 

In terms of their overall play, the Gulls have created enough chances to win more at one game in front of their own fans, and hopefully they will make that dominance count on a regular basis. 

TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS FOLKESTONE INVICTA

 1. A first home win of the season. 

After three successive draws, Torquay United finally tasted victory in front of their own fans with victory over Folkestone Invicta. 

First half goals from Jacob Beaumont-Clark and Deon Moore set the Gulls on their way before they were pegged back early in the second half, as Liam Smith and Donell Thomas struck for Folkestone. 

However, despite weathering the storm for a long period in the second half, substitute Matt Jay struck to score his second goal of the campaign after fellow sub Cody Cooke had been denied by Folkestone keeper Ted Collins. 

The result proved to be a massive boost for all concerned and hopefully they'll be plenty more to cheer about at Plainmoor in the coming week and months. 

2. Jacob Beaumont-Clark.

Over the years, Torquay United have unearthed a number of players who might be regarded as 'rough diamonds' who they've polished up and sold on for a profit. 

Examples range from Mike Mahoney and Colin Lee in the 1970s through to the likes of Phil King and Lee Sharpe in the 1980s, Rodney Jack amongst others in the 1990s, David Graham in 2000s and names such as Eunan O'Kane and Angus MacDonald in more recent times. 

After a fortnight which saw Dylan Morgan and Sam Dreyer both depart Plainmoor for 'undisclosed fees' - the Gulls might have discovered another prospect who could earn them another fee in the form of winger Jacob Beaumont-Clark. 

In what was his third appearance for the club, Beaumont-Clark received the ball from right-back Dom Bernard and cut inside onto his left foot and found the top corner with his first goal for United. 

It was a contender for goal of the season, if ever there was one. 

If Beaumont-Clark can continue to replicate his display on Saturday on a regular basis, then he will soon attract interest from higher up the pyramid. 

3. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton. 

After being in and out of the United side this season, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton was restored to the 'number ten' role just behind lone striker Deon Moore which he occupied during the latter stages of the 2025-26 campaign. 

It was a move that paid dividends for United manager Jimmy Ball as Lo-Everton provided the assist for United's second goal as he ran at the Folkestone Invicta defence before threading the ball through to Deon Moore, who calmly slotted home. 

In the second half, Lo-Everton showed a different side to his game as United looked to get back into the game after conceding twice. By playing in a more advanced role, hopefully in addition to getting more assists, he'll get more chances to score goals himself. 

4. A turning point. 

In the 2008-09 season under Paul Buckle after an indifferent start, which saw them win only once in the opening seven league fixtures, the Gulls beat Northwich Victoria 2-1 thanks to a late penalty from Tim Sills. 

The result proved to be a turning point for United as they remained unbeaten in their next 13 matches, as they lifted themselves back into promotion contention in a season in which they went up via the play-offs. 

If the Gulls do indeed end up celebrating a return to the National League at the end of the current campaign, hopefully after winning a play-off final at Plainmoor, Matt Jay's winner will be looked back on as a turning point for the Gulls season in a similar way to Sills' penalty is often viewed as being. 

TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS HAMPTON AND RICHMOND BOROUGH

 1. Cody Cooke's goalscoring return. 

Before Saturday, Cody Cooke's previous start for Torquay United came on February 28 in the Gulls' 5-0 defeat at home to Chelmsford City, when he sustained a shoulder injury which saw him miss the remainder of the 

However, after making a number of appearances as a substitute in pre-season and at the start of the current campaign, Cooke was handed what was his first start under Jimmy Ball (the aforementioned Chelmsford defeat proved to be Paul Wotton's final game in charge), and marked it with a goal. 

Cooke's fellow forward Moore had seen his initial effort blocked by Beavers keeper Marco Underwood in the 22nd minute, but Cooke was on hand to pounce on the rebound. 

His return to fitness is a major boost for both Ball and United, and his experience could yet to prove to be an asset for the Gulls,

2. The wait for the first home win goes on. 

Despite having already tasted victory on their travels against Tonbridge Angels, the Gulls are still yet to experience victory at Plainmoor in the 2026-27 campaign. 

Saturday's draw against Hampton and Richmond was the third on the trot for United, and you could sense the frustration at full-time and in Jimmy Ball's post-match interview. 

Nevertheless, United had chances to score with Deon Moore going close on several occasions, Jake Wannell saw a header blocked on the line and Jordan Young had a free-kick turned behind late on. 

Sooner or later, some of these chances will go in, surely!

3. Jacob Beaumont-Clark shows glimpses of what life could be like after Dylan Morgan. 

After Dylan Morgan completed a move to the EFL with Crawley Town, United manager Jimmy Ball moved quickly to bring in former Everton youngster Jacob Beaumont-Clark as his replacement. 

Beaumont-Clark had previously made five appearances for the Toffees Under-21 side in the EFL Trophy, scoring once. However, his substitute cameo for the Gulls was his first senior league appearance. 

He demonstrated that he has plenty of pace and trickery and even attempted a couple of efforts on goal. In addition to his, he also showed that he was prepared to track back and defend on one occasion. 

Like a number of former academy players, there are aspects of his game which he needs to iron out, but there is definitely potential there based on his debut showing. 

4. On another day, Deon Moore could have had a hat-trick. 

United striker Deon Moore will probably look back on Saturday's game and I think 'on another day, I could have scored a hat-trick.' 

Firstly, Moore was denied by a block from Hampton and Richmond keeper Marco Underwood on 22 minutes, from which Cody Cooke scored from the rebound, he then headed a cross from Sonny Blu Lo-Everton wide in the 33rd minute and two minutes later, he dispossessed Beavers defence Luis Fernandez before seeing his shot parried behind by Underwood. 

Moore's goals at the end of last season played a big part in helping United reach last season's Play-off final, and surely the goals will come for him if he keeps getting in the right positions. 

WHAT THE MODERN DAY TORQUAY UNITED COULD LEARN FROM LEROY ROSENIOR'S CLASS OF 2004

 The year 2022 won't be remembered as a vintage one by Torquay United fans; the Gulls ended the 2021-22 season with an 11th place finish in the National League with exits at the first stage of both cup competitions that they entered. 

It was also the year that the Gulls' automatic promotion success under Leroy Rosenior in the 2003-04 campaign officially became closer in time to United's Bryn the Police Dog inspired 'great escape' in 1986-87. 

However, despite that achievement slowly disappearing into the midst of time, there is still something that Jimmy Ball's modern day Torquay United can learn from Rosenior's class of 2004 - namely the importance of developing strong partnerships all over the pitch. 

One of the most crucial of these partnerships was the pairing of Steve Woods and skipper Craig Taylor at centre back. Taylor had made a big impression during a loan spell at Plainmoor from Plymouth Argyle in the 2002-03 season before returning to the Gulls on a permanent basis in the summer of 2003. Taylor proved to be an excellent foil for the more cultured Woods, who was more comfortable on the ball than your average lower league centre-back - although Taylor could play a bit himself. 

On the left hand side of defence, Brian McGlinchey made the left-back position his own after joining on loan from Plymouth Argyle in September before signing permanently in January 2004, and linked up well with left winger Kevin Hill. With Hill not being an out-and-out pacey winger, he would often set up Northern Irishman McGlinchey for a number of overlapping runs where he provided plenty of ammunition to United's forward line of David Graham, Jo Kuffour and Martin Gritton in the form of crosses. 

Hill's own crossing ability was an underrated aspect of his game, but his ability to outjump unsuspecting opponents taller than his own five foot nine inch frame made him a valuable asset, and he could be relied upon to chip in with the odd goal. 

In contrast, the right hand side of the pitch saw a number of different combinations, as United started the season with Lee Canoville as right-back, with Jason Fowler on the right of midfield. However, an injury to Canoville saw centre-back Reuben Hazell fill in for him. Meanwhile, issues with injury which would later force Fowler to retire in February 2005, which saw his position filled at different times by the late Tony Bedeau and Liam Rosenior, son of Leroy, who joined on loan from Fulham. 

The season before, 2002-03, had seen Fowler playing the centre of midfield alongside another midfield maestro in the form of Alex Russell. With two PFA team of the season nominations (2002-03 & 2003-04), a player of the year award win in 2002-03 and, of course, promotion in 2003-04, Russell must surely go down as the club's most decorated player of all-time? 

Alongside tough-tackling local lad Matt Hockley, Russell played some of the best football of his four years at Plainmoor, as the 'conductor of the Torquay United orchestra.' Hockley's role in the side would often  see him win the ball for Russell and then make himself available receive it, which Russell would regularly do. This helped him to raise his own personal levels as he enjoyed the finest season of his eight years with the Gulls. 

Up front, United enjoyed the benefits of having two 30 plus goal-a-season strike partnerships in the form of David Graham and Martin Gritton in 2002-03, with 15 and 16 goals respectively, and Graham and former Arsenal trainee Jo Kuffour in 2003-04 with respective tallies of 23 and 11. 

The partnership of Graham and Kuffour wasn't your typical lower-league forward pairing. Neither were a conventional target man,  Graham's touch and movement was also so good that could play the role of a target man. Both men also possessed a level of pace and trickery which was often difficult to handle for most Division Three defences. Although Gritton fitted the bill of a target man, he had a 'good touch for a big man' and tirelessly pressed opposition defences to create space for teammates. 

Whilst certain partnerships within the current United squad were already in place when Jimmy Ball arrived, and there are new ones which are still developing. 

Nevertheless, when they all come together, they will so to good effect - just as they did in 2003-04. 

SEASON PREVIEW 2026-27: PLYMOUTH ARGYLE

 The big talking point from the Pilgrims' close season was the sale of Lauret Tolaj to Bristol City for a fee of £4million. Naturally, Argyle would be disappointed to lose a centre forward of Tolaj's calibre - however, it represents an excellent return on the £1.2million that Argyle paid Port Vale for his services. 

Cleverley has moved quickly to identify a replacement for him by completing the signing of Will Evans from Mansfield Town for £400,000. Evans, who made his name in the League of Wales with Cardiff Met University and Bala Town before joining the professional ranks at the age of 24 with Newport County in 2022, scored for the Stags against Arsenal in the FA Cup, as he netted 11 times in 52 appearances in all competitions for Nigel Clough's side. 

In addition to Evans, the Pilgrims have recruited plenty of players with previous experience of League One in the form of Alex Hartridge, Harvey White and last season's loan signing Alex Mitchell following his release by Charlton Athletic. 

Argyle fell short of reaching the play-offs last season and they looked well equipped to mount another challenge to reach the top six. However, a lot will depend on how well Evans can link up with Bim Pepple, However, don't rule out on young striker Owen Oseni getting in on the goalscoring act. 

Scoring goals will most probably determine how well the Pilgrims perform in 2026-27, and if they can fill the void left by the departure of Tolaj, then the likelihood is that they would have improved on last season's eight-placed finish. 

In: Alex Hartridge (Wycombe Wanderers),  Harvey White (Stevenage), Alex Mitchell (Charlton Athletic), Will Evans (Mansfield Town), Jack Storer (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Murphy Cooper (Queens Park Rangers)

Out: Conor Hazard (Wycombe Wanderers), Brendan Galloway, Joe Ralls, Zak Baker (Torquay United), Jack Matthews (Truro City), Joe Hatch (Barnstaple Town), Nathanael Ogbeta, Brendan Galloway, Ayman Benarous, Jamie Paterson, Callum Wright (Hibernian)

Player to Watch: Bim Pepple

With Lourent Tolaj now departed, Bim Pepple has taken over the mantle as Argyle's main man. Pepple narrowly missed out on a place in Jesse Marsch's Canadian squad for the 2026 World Cup. If he can replicate his form of last season, then he may well be attracting the kind of interest that Tolaj did over the summer.