If Torquay United manager Kevin Nicholson needs any inspiration as the Gulls aim to bounce back from their midweek defeat against Boreham Wood then he need look no further than their defeat to ten-man Guiseley last season.
After taking a first half lead through a 25-yard strike from Aman Verma, United gained a numerical advantage when Jake Lawlor was dismissed for the Lions. However, they still managed to bounce back and win as goals from Jake Cassidy and Will Hatfield ensured that Guiseley, managed by former Gulls' loanee Adam Lockwood, managed to return to West Yorkshire with all three points.
In his post-match interview Nicholson didn't mince his words when he said: “If it wasn’t my team and it wasn’t my football club, I’d probably find those goals quite amusing, it was that bad."
However, in their following fixture away at Southport Nicholson got his desired response as the Gulls returned from Merseyside with a morale boosting victory.
Luke Young opened the scoring in the first half for the Gulls before Jim Stevenson cancelled out Young's effort with an equaliser in the 47th minute, but United snatched victory through Ruairi Keating's first goal for the club right at the death.
A similar result and performance against Guiseley on Saturday would set the Gulls up nicely for a run of three home games from four, which sees Solihull Moors, Chester FC and Wrexham all visit Plainmoor. The first of those encounters which is against Solihull Moors on August Bank Holiday Saturday is then followed by a trip to Woking before Chester FC and Wrexham make the journey to South Devon in early September.
It represents an opportunity, should they seize it, for United to turn around what has been a majorly disappointing start to their National League campaign.
