Gulls are ‘united’ claims Johnson as push for promotion ramps up

TORQUAY UNITED

PROMOTION chasing Torquay United are on course to achieve their major aims this season – because the club is ‘united’ once more, says manager Gary Johnson.

The Gulls will take a break from their eight-game unbeaten National League South run under Johnson to take on Southern League Basingstoke Town away in the Third Qualifying Round of the Buildbase FA Trophy this weekend.

But the United boss is buoyed by the way the club has come together in less than three months since his arrival, and he remains determined to restore first National League and then Football League status to Plainmoor.

“Everything is going well – we’ve got fantastic support, the board of directors are behind us. If we are going to be successful, everyone has got to buy into it and, at the moment, everyone is,” he said.

“Our aim is to get as far as we can in a short space of time.

“We are only 17 games into a 42-game season, I have been in football long enough to know that there could be the odd storm or a few icebergs around the corner, and we have to keep manoeuvring around them, but I am pretty good at that.”

Johnson, who has added only four of his own signings to the players he inherited from Gary Owers in September, still wants to strengthen the squad, but he stressed: “I want to get to the next level, so we have to make sure that the lads we bring in now don’t just come in on six-month contracts, but we can take into next season, hopefully in the ‘Conference’.”

Successive 4-1 wins against St Albans City and Concord Rangers, led by a Saikou Janneh hat-trick, have pushed United up to fourth place in the NL South, four points behind new leaders Woking.

“Some people weren’t sure about Kalvin Kalala and Saikou, for example, because they are young lads, but I know what they’ve got and, if they produce it, they will help this club get to where we want to be,” said Johnson.

Leading scorer Jamie Reid also took his tally for the season to 13 goals with a spectacular

Jamie Reid helps Saikou Janneh celebrate his hat-trick during United’s 4-1 defeat of Concord Rangers at Plainmoor on Saturday – the Gulls’ second successive 4-1 win long-range strike against Concord.

Two sweet strikes against St Albans City and the 'special' goal against Concord took Torquay-born Reid's tally to 13.

The last Torquay player to score more than 20 goals was Tim Sills, who found the net 21 times in 2007-08.

United’s league and cup record under Johnson now reads: P12 W8 D3 L1 F37 A12.

Their only defeat has come in the FA Cup to Woking (1-0), but they did earn £49,000 from the competition this season and they will pick up another £5,000 if they beat Basingstoke and progress to the First Round Proper of the Trophy on Saturday.

Their next two league games are also away – at Dulwich Hamlet (December 1) and Dartford (December 4) before promotion rivals Welling United come to Plainmoor on December 8.