A well worn phrase in football is that 'goals change games', and currently Torquay United are on the look out for a striker who will do just that for them as they aim to pull further away from the National League relegation zone.
With that in mind, we will now look at the impact of a number of forwards who have made a big impact for the Gulls late on in a season.
David Graham (2000-01)
When David Graham was first brought to Plainmoor in March 2001 by Colin Lee, many of the Plainmoor faithful would probably have asked 'David who?'
However, Graham had a reasonable pedigree north of the border as he had represented Scotland eight times at Under-21 level. In addition to this, he also had the experience of playing in the UEFA Cup and making a cameo appearance in an Old Firm derby with Glasgow Rangers.
He made his debut in a 1-1 draw with Hull City at home in 31st March 2001 and a week later he opened his account for the Gulls in a 2-1 defeat away to Cardiff City. His second goal for United proved to be one of his most crucial as he netted the Gulls' third goal against Barnet at Underhill on the final day of the 2000-01 season, which gave United an important three-goal cushion following earlier efforts from Jason Rees and Kevin Hill in a game that the Gulls eventually won 3-2.
Graham remained at Plainmoor for another three years, during which time he won the club's Player of the Year award in the 2003-04 season and was named in the PFA Division Three team of the year, but - more importantly - he scored United's second goal in their 2-1 away over Southend United on the final day of the campaign that secured the Gulls their first automatic promotion in 38 years.
Lee Thorpe (2005-06)
Since Adebayo Akinfenwa's departure to Swansea City in the summer of 2005, the Gulls spent much of the 2005-06 campaign crying out for a centre forward who could hold the ball up effectively.
Their wish was finally granted when, in February 2006, manager John Cornforth drafted in Thorpe from Swansea on loan. He then went on to become a pivotal player under Cornforth's successor Ian Atkins in their end-of-season run-in.
As well as he netting a brace in a 4-0 win over Stockport County in the Gulls' penultimate home game, which included a spectacular over-head kick, Thorpe also proved to be an excellent foil for Jo Kuffour as the Gulls won four out of their last five games of the season to retain their league status.
Shaquile Coulthirst (2013-14)
Although he is only player on this list to play for the Gulls in a season which saw them relegated, Shaquile Coulthirst still demonstrated how a move to Torquay United can prove to be beneficial to a player's career. Coulthirst arrived at Plainmoor on loan from Tottenham Hotspur and scored twice in six appearances, which weren't quite enough to save the Gulls from making a return to the National League. However, his displays did leave the United faithful wondering how things might have panned out if he had signed for them earlier in the season.
He later had further loan spells with Southend United and York City before joining Peterborough United in 2016.
