Torquay’s fading promotion hopes boosted by Wright return
DANNY Wright will return to the Torquay United squad for an Easter weekend double that could have a massive bearing on the Gulls’ National League title hopes.
Former Cheltenham and Solihull striker Wright, 36, underwent an operation after a hamstring injury he picked up in Torquay’s 6-1 win against Yeovil Town on Boxing Day. His absence coincided with the slide in form that saw the team relinquish their lead at the top of the table and drop to third.
Goals have been at a premium while Wright has been out of the team. Before his injury Wright had scored eight times in 17 games, but it wasn’t just his goals that counted with the experienced player creating space for team-mates to find the net, too.
However, back in training for a couple of weeks, Wright was on target for Torquay in a friendly game against a second-string Exeter City team on Monday - and it is highly likely he will be on the bench for this afternoon’s home game against Woking.
Manager Gary Johnson said: “He has been training with us now for a couple of weeks and we have had a practise game with him as well.
“The Exeter game was for him and a few others - Gary Warren as well and some of the lads that have been on the bench like Josh Umerah and Billy Waters, and the younger lads like Olaf Koszela and Louie Slough that are not getting enough games at the moment.
“But he did very well so we were pleased with his showing really. That puts him in our minds for the squad over Easter.”
Torquay go into the weekend 10 points adrift leaders Sutton United, who have played the same amount of games, 29, and six points below Hartlepool United, who have actually played three games more.
Woking are 18th but don’t let that fool you - they will be a a huge threat with the two clubs having fostered a friendly but fierce rivalry in recent years, starting when they battled it out for the National League South title in the 2018-19 season.
The last time the two teams met was in the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy last month when a first-half Jamar Loza goal at the Kingfield Stadium was the only goal - but he is one of the players currently injured with the manager boss Alan Dowson decrying his luck in that department this week. On top of having to furlough players to make ends meet, it seems Woking’s squad is not in its best shape.
Dowson said: “We have a lot of injuries at the minute. We’ve got Jamar Loza out, Malachi Napa out, Matt Jarvis out and Sam Ashford out.”
After Woking, Torquay are on the road on Monday with Wrexham the destination. Wrexham, fifth and just four points below the Gulls, are on a good run but go to another team with promotion ambitions, Notts County, today.
Meanwhile, the FA has released details of clubs’ payments to agents for the period of February 2020 to February 2021.
Torquay spent £5,564 on agent fees involving the transfers to the club of Aaron Nemane, Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, Joe Lewis and Andrew Nelson, who suffered an injury in pre-season and is yet to play for the club.
The big spenders in the National League were Notts County (£57,958) and Stockport County (£46,275).