Vanarama National League Ones To Watch: Part Nine

We asked Joe Pope, founder of Off The Line blog to assess the players you should be keeping an eye on next season.

Dom Tear

The Seadogs lost star midfielder Kieran Glynn in the summer, as he departed for newly-promoted AFC Fylde. As such, manager Jonathan Greening will need the retained midfielders to step up to the plate and fortunately for him, he has been able to keep hold of one of their brightest sparks in the form of youngster Dom Tear.

The 23-year-old has shown real adversity to overcome injury problems last season, and now that he is back to full fitness after a somewhat stop-start season last year, the midfielder will be looking to knuckle down and kick on, and I have a feeling that this year could be a real breakout one for him.

The winger has experience of a higher level, having been on the books of Huddersfield Town and FC Halifax Town prior to his move to The Seadogs, and he is described as a versatile, hard-working midfield player; such versatility will be key following the departure of one of their star men.

He is capable of playing throughout the midfield, albeit is largely a tricky and direct winger that looks to take on his man, making use of his close control, trickery and clever manipulation of the ball in tight areas.

In a Seadogs side that is perhaps not the most adventurous in nature, it requires the like of Dom Tear and fellow midfielder Lewis Maloney to burden the responsibility as being one of the key creative sources this term; I think he will.

Last season, Greening merely scratched the surface of his potential and I feel there is a lot more to come from him. He is still adjusting to the level slightly, but when he can get up to speed, I think he will be a real handful.

Olly Thomas

When The Glovers announced that they had signed youngster Olly Thomas and loaned out Malachi Linton to Somerset rivals Taunton Town, I was a bit perplexed. However, having watched Thomas play for The Glovers on Tuesday night against Newport County, I know exactly why Mark Cooper decided to land the Bristol City youngster on loan.

Town already have a good pool of attacking players in Frank Nouble, Rhys Murphy and Jake Hyde, but were missing – on paper – the explosive, direct pace and power to stretch teams and get them running back towards their own goal; step forward Olly Thomas.

The youngster spent time on loan with fellow National League South side Bath City last season, and although when he was signed he was billed as a back-up option for The Glovers in support of their more experienced players, given his performances so far I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if he is now one of the first names on the team sheet.

He started for The Glovers on Tuesday night as they played League Two opposition in Newport County, and the youngster caused them havoc throughout.

Every time he got the ball, he got on the half-turn and ran at the Exiles defence, causing them no end of problems with his ability to knock it past players and stretch them with his pace, his ability and willingness to run the channels, close down any back passes and be alive to any misplaced passes.

Physically, he is an absolute powerhouse and I know that he will be a handful in the National League South next season. He is only on loan until January at present, but if he builds on the early promise that he has shown in a Town shirt, I wouldn’t be surprised if he is extending his stay in Somerset until the end of the campaign come the New Year.