1. The 'Gary Johnson effect' is bringing the crowds back to Plainmoor.
Before Torquay United were due to face Woking, Gary Johnson described the match as a 'six-pointer' and called on the Plainmoor faithful to be the team's '12th man'. The response to Johnson's request saw the highest recorded attendance at Plainmoor this season of 2,281 as well as the strongest vocal support that the team has received for a long time.
United's attendance figure was the second highest in both the National Leagues North and South, with only York City's clash with Guiseley eclipsing that figure, and only four National League encounters attracted bigger crowds (Leyton Orient vs Sutton United 5,627, Wrexham vs Barnet 4,727, Hartlepool United vs Aldershot Town 3,251 and Maidstone United vs Chesterfield 2,438).
United's attendance was also higher than Macclesfield Town vs Forest Green Rovers (1,581) and Crawley Town vs Yeovil Town (2,142) in Skybet League Two.
2. Jamie Reid is on fire.
By scoring a second half brace, Jamie Reid took his goal scoring tally for the season to five in all competitions - and four from three since Johnson took charge. Remarkably, at this early stage of the season, Reid is only one goal behind his tally of six goals for last season's campaign which saw the Gulls relegated from the Vanarama National League. If Reid maintains his current form, then there is every possibility that he could hit double figures this season.
3. The Bristol City connection works well for Gulls.
The 44th minute introduction by Johnson of Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Siakou Janneh in place of Chris Regis and Ruairi Keating increased the figure of Bristol City loanees appearing on the pitch for the Gulls to four (Jake Andrews and Opi Edwards both started the game). Johnson's predecessor had made previous good use of connections that he had with Bristol City to not only bring Andrews and Edwards to the club this season, but to sign Lemonheigh-Evans and retain George Dowling, who originally joined during Robbie Herrera's caretaker spell in charge.
It's a link that is further strengthened following Johnson's appointment, as his son Lee is currently the first team manager at Bristol City.
Both Edwards and Janneh claimed the assists for both of Reid's goals as the Ashton Gate influence at Plainmoor continues to be felt and would have surely impressed the Robins' loans manager Brian Tinnion, who was in attendance.
The connection between the two clubs hasn't been this strong since Leroy Rosenior's reign as manager, when he brought Marvin Brown, Simon Clist and Craig Woodman to Plainmoor on loan from Ashton Gate. In addition to them he also signed his son Liam on loan from Fulham a year after he had left Bristol City to move to Craven Cottage.
Nevertheless, back in the present, Johnson will have to be careful over the use of further loans as he can only name five in a match day squad, and he also has Alex Bass on a season-long loan from Portsmouth in addition to the Ashton Gate quartet.
4. A first from open play.
Having only conceded six goals this season, the Gulls have by far and away the best defensive record in the Vanarama National League South. However, perhaps more interestingly, until Jake Hyde had netted Woking's second goal yesterday the Gulls were yet to concede an open goal at Plainmoor yet this season.
Both goals scored by Hampton and Richmond in their win against the Gulls in August were as a result of corners, as was Chippenham's goal in Gary Owers' final game in charge and, of course, Max Kretzschmar's opener for the Cards came from a free-kick.
5. An early substitution helps pay dividends.
The introduction Lemonheigh-Evans and Janneh before half-time helped to increase the overall tempo of the Gulls play and sent a clear message out to the players that Johnson isn't afraid to make the changes when his 'Plan A' isn't working.
Johnson's message was further emphasised by his half-time team talk several minutes later to the players, in which he stated:" You are 2-0 down, and now you've got to show me that you want to be here and you've got the character to come back".
Saturday's double change was the first time that yours truly has seen a Torquay United manager act in such a decisive way since Leroy Rosenior made the double substitution of Tony Bedeau and Mamadou Sow for Alex Lawless and Kevin Hill against Notts County on the opening day of the 2005-06 season against Notts County after 26 minutes. It was the repeat of a trick that Rosenior had repeated before against Kidderminster Harriers away in the 2002-03 season when he replaced Bedeau and Hill with Kevin Wills and Jo Kuffour and at home to a Yeovil Town side managed by Johnson in the 2003-04 campaign when he once again replaced Bedeau and Hill, this time with his son Liam and Kuffour.
