Torquay United must take their chance to catch rivals when Hampton visit

With promotion rivals Weston-super-Mare, Hornchurch and Dorking Wanderers all sidelined by FA Cup or Trophy action this weekend, all-fit Torquay United have a big chance to strengthen their own credentials at home to lowly Hampton & Richmond on Saturday.

Victory over the Beevers would lift Paul Wotton’s Gulls up to third place and, after the way Worthing only scrambled a stoppage-time point at home to bottom club Chippenham Town (2-2) last week, who’s to say that the leaders are certainties to win at Salisbury?

There’s also an interesting match-up next Tuesday night between Dorking (4th) and Hornchurch (3rd) Wotton responded emphatically, when he was asked this week whether United, who are six points behind Worthing, are genuine title contenders.

With 22 games to go, it was hardly surprising that he scoffed at the idea that his squad might be aiming merely at the Play-Offs.

But this is the time of year when the big boys put the proverbial peddle to the metal, and successive January home games against Hampton and Maidstone United are a good time to do it.

Since Wotton made no secret of Torquay’s dismay over the way last Saturday’s postponement at Dover Athletic was handled, citing ‘poor communication’, there may also be a bit of frustration in the air.

There’s also an if-only 0-0 draw at Bath City on December 30 to get out of the system.

Wotton was keener to dwell on the business at hand, reporting: “For the first time since the first day of pre-season, we have no injuries.”

That means that midfielders Matt Worthington and Munashe Sundire are both back in full training.

Sundire has been out for four and a half months, needing surgery and a long rehab for an especially difficult hamstring injury.

Although he’s been joining in all training sessions this week, the former St Albans City, King’s Lynn and Tamworth man is bound to take a bit longer before he’s ready to start.

But Wotton reported that both Worthington and centre-forward Cody Cooke, himself not long back from a pelvic issue, are close to places in his 1st XI.

Even with Sonny Sharples-Ahmed now back at Bolton Wanderers after his loan spell here, it means that at least a couple of players won’t even get out of their day clothes on Saturday.

After a headlong plunge through the autumn, culminating in a 6-0 defeat at Eastbourne on November 29, Hampton finally sacked long-serving manager Alan Julian and brought back former boss Alan Dowson.

Dowson (Woking, Dartford) has been allowed to strengthen the squad, which he’s done with experienced players like midfielder Max Kretzschmar (Wealdstone), Brendan Kiernan (Maidenhead) and Jordan Greenidge (Slough).

The Beevers have beaten Totton at home and Farnborough away in recent weeks, but they still sit in 21st place on a current run of W2 D5 L10.

The well-travelled Craig Fasanmade (Hungerford, Chippenham, Salisbury) is their top scorer with six goals.

Saturday’s referee is Darren Rogers (Cheshire), one of several NL North officials being assessed in the South.