Exeter and Torquay prepare for battle

Pre-season friendly at Plainmoor

Old Devon rivals Torquay United and Exeter City square up in a pre-season friendly at Plainmoor this afternoon.

It has been a few years since the two teams last played in the same league division, and with Exeter in League One and Torquay newly relegated to National League South, it could be a good few years before they meet in a competitive fixture again.

But for the second year running they meet in a warm-up game on the English Riviera with both managers closing in on their first-choice starting XI with just a couple of weeks to go until the new season begins in earnest. The season starts for both teams on 5 August, with Torquay away at Dover and Exeter going to Wycombe Wanderers.

For Torquay boss Gary Johnson this is friendly number four of five. Having beaten Reading under-21s and lost to Bristol City under-21s behind closed doors, the Gulls played in public for the first time on Tuesday night. A diving header from new signing Bradley Ash gave them a 1-1 draw with Championship side Plymouth Argyle.

Johnson has fielded the same starting line-up in each of his games so far, with former Argyle defender Finley Craske unmasked as the mystery ‘Triallist A’. It would be a surprise if Craske does not get a run-out against the Grecians, possibly even under his own name this time.

Ash will also feature, and will hope to carry on building his strike partnership with last season’s top scorer Aaron Jarvis.

Exeter City fans in the Plainmoor crowd will be keen to get another look at new signings Ryan Trevitt, Viljami Sinisalo and Tom Carroll as manager Gary Caldwell’s squad takes shape.

Trevitt scored his first goal in red and white during the 3-0 win over Taunton Town on Tuesday night. The Brentford loanee impressed throughout, according to reports.

City have also snapped up former Spurs and Swansea midfielder Tom Carroll on a one-year deal. He played nearly 100 Premier League matches for Spurs and the Swans, as well as featuring in the Championship for QPR and Aston Villa.

Goalkeeper Sinisalo, a Finland youth international, is on a season-long loan from Aston Villa.

Caldwell told the Grecians' website: “The competitiveness of the games is starting to increase the closer we get to the season."

And, he said, he expects to give some players a full 90 minutes at Plainmoor on Saturday, with the big kick-off  just two weeks away.