As Torquay United head towards the business end of the 2010-11 season, they do so as a team challenging for the League Two Play-Offs.
Following their midweek draw with promotion hopefuls Rotherham United, the Gulls are now four points off 7th place, the minimum posiition that would ensure them of a place in the end of season Play-Off showdown.
At this critical stage of the season, manager Paul Buckle has plenty of options available to him in a number of key positions.
Left back Kevin Nicholson has been a influential player for the Gulls in his position, but recently he has been replaced by former Leicester youngster Lathaniel Rowe-Turner, who has produced a number of solid performances in that role.
In the centre of defence, promising defender Mark Ellis has been rested for a number of games and Chris Robertson has filled in for him.
Another player who has been rested in recent weeks is goalkeeper Scott Bevan and reserve keeper Danny Potter has taken over between the sticks and made a crucial penalty save to deny Rotherham hot shot Adam Le Fondre in their 1-1 draw with the Millers'.
Buckle also had the luxury of being able to leave Northern Irish starlet Eunan O'Kane on the bench in their away clash at Accrington, as loan signing from Morecambe Craig Stanley filled in for him. However, the former Everton youngster returned to the starting eleven on tuesday to score his sixth goal of the season.
Stanley has since extended his loan deal from the Shrimpers until the end of the campaign.
Up front, O'Kane's fellow Northern Ireland Under-21colleague Billy Kee is currently on seven goals for the season and is being tipped by Buckle to surpass the 14 goals scored by Elliot Benyon, who joined Swindon for £135,000 in the January transfer window.
Also, loanee striker Jake Robinson, the Gulls player at the centre of the unregistered player saga, has shown more than few glimpses of promise since arriving from Shrewsbury Town in a deal that saw Nicky Wroe move to the New Meadow in the opposite direction.
The Gulls have certainly proved that they are no pushovers this season and have only lost nine league games during the 2010-11 campaign. This is the same figure as the four teams currently in the League Two Play-Off zone (Rotherham, Shrewsbury, Port Vale and Gillingham) and second placed Wycombe Wanderers.
They could well be in the mix come the end of the season.
