Torquay United received a welcome boost heading into their crucial relegation 'six-pointer' against Boreham Wood with an FA Trophy last 16 victory over Macclesfield Town.
Central defender Nathan Smith - currently on loan at the Launa Windows Stadium from Port Vale for the remainder of the season - scored the game's decisive goal in the 67th minute to set up a Quarter Final encounter with Bognor Regis of the Ryman League Premier on February 27th.
Such has been the turnover in players for the Gulls in recent months that Smith was one of only four players to have appeared for United in their opening day of the season clash with the Silkmen and their two Trophy meetings (Angus MacDonald, Courtney Richards and Dan Butler are the other three).
These changes now mean that manager Kevin Nicholson's side is now very much his own and - with 17 league games remaining - those players need to hit the ground running as they look to avoid dropping into Conference South.
A win over Boreham Wood, a side United had only faced once prior to the start of this season, would set the Gulls up nicely for another 'six-pointer' against Welling United back at the Launa Windows Stadium next Tuesday.
The Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday routine is something that United will need to get used for the remainder of the season, as a combination of the bad weather - which has seen five games postponed so far during the campaign - and their FA Trophy run means that the Gulls will often be playing three games in the space of seven weeks regularly throughout March and into April.
Their home fixture with Altrincham, which was due to take place a week on Saturday - has now been switched to April 12th due to their FA Trophy engagement with Bognor Regis.
One way this can work to the Gulls' advantage is that it potentially allows Nicholson's new signings more time to gel and injury victims more time to recover.
An example of this situation working in United's favour came in the 2005-06 season - during their great escape under Ian Atkins- when their league fixture with Stockport County was called off and re-arranged for April 25th 2006.
Prior to this fixture, the Gulls had already beaten Macclesfield Town 2-0 and Wrexham 1-0 in their last two league encounters and faced a long trip to League Two champions elect Carlisle United on the following Saturday.
As it was the Gulls trounced Stockport 4-0, with a brace from Jo Kuffour as well as further strikes from Lee Thorpe and Danny Hollands, before going on to beat Carlisle 2-1 at Brunton Park before making the survival mathematically certain on the last day with a draw with Boston United.
Whilst it's still too early to be looking that far ahead at the moment, a win against Boreham Wood would be a massive step in the right direction given that it would reduce United's points deficit from safety to nine points.
