The commitment to a new contract by French central defender Jean Yves Koue Niate made it a perfect ten for Torquay United manager Gary Johnson, as he takes the number of United players he has persuaded to commit to new deals into double figures.
Paris-born Koue Niate, 25, now joins a list that includes skipper Asa Hall, Kalvin Kalala, goalkeeper Shaun MacDonald, Kyle Cameron, Jamie-Sendles-White, Liam Davis, Ruairi Keating, Ben Wynter and leading scorer Jamie Reid.
To have offered new deals to so many players underlines the faith that Johnson has in his squad that they can make the step up to the National League should they win promotion at the end of the current campaign.
When United have faced National League opposition this season in the form of Boreham Wood, one of their 'bogey sides' from the seasons prior to their relegation to National League South, they held their own for 90 minutes. Despite playing much of the tie with ten men, following the 31st minute dismissal of Ruairi Keating, the Gulls were level at 1-1 on the full time whistle - before eventually losing 3-1 after extra time.
Next up for the Torquay United promotion bandwagon is a trip to Essex to face East Thurrock United, who they beat 2-0 at Plainmoor earlier in the season with Keating netting twice, as they look to build on their 7-2 destruction of Oxford City - their biggest league win for 55 years.
