Harry homecoming in United's derby night

Torquay born and bred, and a Gulls fan all his young life, goalkeeper Harry Lee is poised to play against his hometown club for Weston-super-Mare at the Optima Stadium on Tuesday night.

Goalkeeper Lee, 18, is on loan with the Magpies from Exeter City, where he’s attracted big-club scouts throughout his early career.

He will try and stop a United team trying to follow up Saturday’s 5-1 home win over Welling United and cement their position as one of the National League South promotion contenders.

Four points currently cover the all-Westcountry top-four – Yeovil Town (26), Taunton Town (23), Bath City (22) and Torquay (22).

But the top half of the table is still quite tight – Hampton & Richmond, where Torquay travel on Saturday, are 13th but only four points behind the Gulls.

Manager Gary Johnson was quick to stress after the weekend win: “It’s put us in a fine position in the league, but we’ve got to follow it up.”

United have hinted several times that they were about to hit the consistency needed to challenge for the championship and the single automatic promotion spot, only to stutter.

Johnson for one will remember how dangerous it is to underestimate any opposition.

Five years ago, October 30 to be exact, his United side had a distinctly uncomfortable evening at Weston before drawing 2-2.

Bradley Ash, now with United, scored the home equaliser that night.

Five months later, in the middle of the run that eventually took United to the title, the Magpies pulled off one of the shock results of that 2018-2019 season, winning 2-1 at Plainmoor.

And they still finished bottom.

Now, despite starting with three wins, including a 6-2 rout of Bath at Twerton Park, Weston are 20th. But manager Scott Bartlett has several much more experienced men than Lee at his disposal, including ex-Gulls players Reuben Reid and Opi Edwards, midfielders Robbie Willmott (Cambridge Utd, Luton, Newport, Woking) and Dayle Grubb and veteran centre-forward Marlon Jackson.

Willmott, 33, was in the Cambridge side beaten 2-0 by United in the 2009 NL Play-Off Final at Wembley.

Also in the Magpies’ attack is likely to be Southampton starlet Luke Pearce, who ended a recent loan spell at Plainmoor because he wasn’t getting the game-time he’s now enjoying at Weston.

The Gulls are not thought to have picked up any new injuries in the Welling win.

Tuesday’s referee is Sam Read from Swindon.