United manager Wotton believes young players must be allowed to develop

Torquay United manager Paul Wotton has confirmed that the National League’s new five-subs rule helped in the decision to loan young goalkeeper Matt Wonnacott out to Southern League Tiverton Town.

Speaking ahead of the Gulls’ second game of the National League South season away to  Farnborough on Saturday, Wotton revealed that he is not currently looking for any further back-up  to first-choice goalie James Hamon.  

He will rely on an outfield player to go in goal in any match-day emergencies.  

Wotton would not reveal which of his outfield players will go between the posts if anything  untoward happens to Hamon.  

But he stressed: “We believe in Matt Wonnacott and we’ve given him a two-year contract, but if he’s  sat on the bench each week, he’s not developing.  

“He’s already had his first two games at Tiverton in men’s football only one level below ourselves. 

“Statistics show that the chances of using your substitute goalkeeper is less than one percent.  “If it happens, and we get beat because of it, that will be my fault and I’ll probably get pelted for it. But it’s never happened to me in five years (in management) so far. 

“Modern-day football is such a squad game. The days of players playing 90 minutes for 46 games are getting rarer and rarer.  

“The options of using five subs weren’t always there, but now you’d be foolish not to use it with the  demands of games and the demands of training.” 

Wotton added that if the NL had stuck to its old rule of only three subs from five, or extended the  five-from-seven which it now allows in the Premier Division, 18-year-old Wonnacott would still be  part of United’s matchday squad.  

Youth forward Jacob Wellington is also out on loan with Western League Brixham, and Wotton has  cleared him to play in the Fishermen’s FA Cup-tie at Exmouth Town on Saturday.  

“We have high hopes for Jacob, he’s training with us, but he’s not quite ready to be in our matchday  squad and he needs to be playing men’s football,” said Wotton.  

In the wake of the opening-day 2-1 home win over Enfield Town, Wotton will pick from an all-fit  squad at Farnborough. 

“We’re injury-free, but we just have a couple of decisions to make personnel-wise with a lot of  games coming up,” he said.  

United also travel to Bath City next Tuesday and then meet Dorking Wanderers (H) and Chesham  United (A) over the August Bank Holiday weekend.  

“We’re under no illusions how tough it is going to Farnborough to get a result – they started with a  win at Chippenham and they finished last season very strongly,” stressed Wotton.  

Farnborough under Spencer Day have clear ambitions to win promotion this season, and they  recruited this summer accordingly.  

Their side is sprinkled with players boasting solid NLS and National League experience. 

Gulls fans will well remember left-back Josh Casey from a series of feisty encounters when he played  for Woking.  

Boro’s midfield includes proven performers like Olly Pendlebury (Wycombe, Aldershot), Manny  Oyeleke (Aldershot, Port, Vale, Chesterfield) and Sam Smart (Eastleigh, Dagenham, Boston).  

And Day has now paired veteran player-coach Ricky Holmes, who scored both goals in the 2-1 win at  Chippenham Town last weekend, with tall target-man Mason Bloomfield, who’s re-joined the club  after spells with Dagenham, Norwich, Hamilton, Crawley, Barnet and Bromley among others.  

Saturday’s referee is Harry Wager from Tunbridge Wells, Kent.