Western Morning News (Saturday)
Gulls ‘have just got to keep going’
WHILE worries over the future of the National League this season continue to threaten Torquay United’s promotion ambitions, manager Gary Johnson will be concentrating on the job in hand when the league leaders take Notts County at Meadow Lane today.
Torquay are eight points clear at the top with 38 points from 17 games, while seventh-placed County have only played 14 games, winning seven of them. But be assured, Neal Ardley’s team are better than that, and the Gulls will have to be wary.
With third-placed Sutton United becoming the first team this year to visit Plainmoor on Tuesday night, too, it will be an important four days for the team, with Johnson regarding both games as ‘six-pointers.’
Torquay’s first win of 2021 came on Tuesday night when they beat Boreham Wood 4-0 in Hertfordshire to book a place in the last 16 of the FA Trophy. It was only their second game of the year, however, following a three-week break after their 2-1 defeat at Yeovil Town on January 2.
The tie was tied 0-0 at the interval at Boreham Wood, but second half goals from Asa Hall, Billy Waters, Adam Randell and Connor LemonheighEvans killed the home side off to set up a fifth round tie at Southport on February 6.
Johnson said: “You can never play your best in any game for 90-odd minutes, but you have just got to get that consistency over a period of time. Certainly, the league table looks like we have been pretty consistent over a period of time.
“We are scoring our goals and we are getting enough wins at the minute and we have just got to keep going really.”
There could be debuts, probably from the bench, for midfielder Max Sheaf, who has joined the Gulls on loan until the end of the season from Hull City, after striker Rob Street, who has also joined on loan until the end of the season from Crystal Palace.
Twenty-five-year-old goalkeeper James Hamon has come in for a month from Truro City, whose Southern League campaign is currently suspended. Hamon played 27 games for Exeter City before joining Truro where he has been their No 1 choice in goal.
With Shaun MacDonald the firstchoice shot-stopper, Hamon will provide cover for the injured Lucas Covolan, who has an ankle problem.
Johnson said: “Lucas is going to be out for three or four weeks with an ankle injury, so because of the Covid situation, and because we needed someone pretty quick, we needed someone local.
“We spoke to Truro because he lives in our region, and it was a nobrainer because he’s not playing games for Truro at the moment, and was happy to come in, sit on the bench if necessary, and do a bit of training with us. It was the perfect scenario for everybody really.”
Midfielder Adam Randell picked up a ‘fifth’ yellow card of his season at Boreham Wood, but because the caution he accrued at home against the same team in the league in November was followed by a red card, that one was scratched off and he still sits on four, so will be available.
County manager Ardley has vowed to ‘have a go’ at Torquay. “Any team
that scores the number of goals they’ve scored... – way above the majority of the rest of the league – has something good about them,” said Ardley
“They look like they’ve got a great team spirit and there seems to be a buzz about the place. There’s no reason for you to believe they’re not the best team in the league.
“They’re clear on points and they’ve got probably the most experienced manager in the league with the best record.
“I’m excited to put a team out which proves we can more than match them. We don’t want to make it tactical – we’re at home. We believe we’re a good team – let’s have a go at them.”