After enhancing their promotion credentials with a victory over Shrewsbury Town, their sixth in succession, Torquay United are now only outside the League Two automatic promotion places by the slenderest of margins.
Their 1-0 win over the Shrews, which is Torquay's third success over the Shrews in the space of the last 12 months, courtesy of a goal, eventually accredited to Taiwo Atieno, moves the Gulls into fourth place in the table.
The win also came after Martin Ling was presented with the League's Manager of the Month award for January. However, the 'curse' so often associated with the prize clearly had no effect on the Gulls as they clinched their sixtth straight win.
Ling has experience of the situation that Torquay currently find themselves in from his days as Leyton Orient manager. During his tenure in charge of Orient, Ling led them to automatic promotion from League Two in the 2005-06, ending their ten year exile in the basement division.
Part of his squad during that campaign was Brian Saah, who became one of Ling's first signings when he was appointed as successor to Paul Buckle last summer.
Other players in the Torquay squad who have won promotion from this level before include captain Lee Mansell who was part of the Luton Town who finished as runners-up to Plymouth Argyle in Division Three during the 2001-02 season.
Irish midfielder Ian Morris has also experienced promotion at this level as last season he made 19 appearances on loan at Chesterfield as they clinched the League Two title. In addition to this, he was also part of the Scunthorpe squad that won promotion from League One in the 2006-07 and 2008-09 campaigns.
Their experience will prove vital to the Gulls fortunes during the coming weeks and months.
