Torquay superbly placed to kick on
TTORQUAY United head into 2021 an astonishing 11 points clear at the top of the National League following a dramatic 4-3 win at Weymouth on Monday afternoon.
The Gulls were two goals ahead twice in the game in Dorset, with the home side determined to show they were better than their poor position in the league suggested, but in the end, a goal from the excellent Connor Lemonheigh-Evans in the 87th minute won all three points for the team.
After the brilliant 6-1 win at home against Yeovil Town on Boxing Day, it was a second sevengoal thriller for Torquay fans who had to watch the game on Weymouth’s live-streaming service.
Now the Gulls can look forward to another game against Yeovil, which will take place in an empty Tier 3 stadium on Saturday.
“We have just got to keep going and keep trying to win games,” said manager Gary Johnson. “Once again we got a late winner, but I thought we played very well. They had a spell where they threw everything at us – but there were five quality goals today and four of them were by us.”
If Torquay win all three games over the Christmas and New Year period, they will begin 2021 on a serious high and securely in pole position for promotion.
“Teams are not going to allow you to be at your best for 90-95 minutes,” said Johnson. “We have got to understand as a club really that all games are different and the opposition is going to have part of the game at some stage at the level we are at.
“Everybody is fighting in this league to get into the Football League. You can’t be any mugs.”
Johnson hinted after the Yeovil win that he might need to add a loan player to the squad because of the injuries restricting his numbers. However, despite Armani Little and Danny Wright limping off at Plainmoor, there was no-one new at Weymouth where Josh Umerah came in up front and Asa Hall returned after his three-game ban. Both Hall and Umerah scored, along with Aaron Nemane and Lemonheigh-Evans.
There were six different goalscorers against Yeovil – Little, Wright, Sam Sherring (with a little help from a panicky defender), Nemane, Lemonheigh-Evans and Kyle Cameron.
Ten goals in two games – no wonder Torquay’s goal difference of plus-22 is so much better than anyone else’s.
Yeovil, who had only won one game before visiting Plainmoor bounced straight back from the Boxing Day defeat by beating Aldershot Town 3-0 on Monday. They will be desperate to exact some revenge on the Gulls for that 6-1 humiliation.