1. Ben Wynter and Liam Davis were big misses for the Gulls.
Out of the list of absentees from the Torquay United squad on New Year's Day against Yeovil Town, arguably the one's that were most keenly felt were Ben Wynter and Liam Davis at right-back and left-back respectively. While Joe Lewis and Kyle Cameron, both centre backs by trade, did an admirable job against Woking, but they struggled to make a similar impact against the Glovers. In the modern game, the full back has evolved from being a defensive position to an attacking position and messrs Lewis and Cameron lacked the natural attacking instincts of Wynter and Davis - which resulted in a number of promising attacking moves breaking down as Yeovil were able to regroup and get men behind the ball. How much of a difference their presence in the side would have made nobody will ever know. However, since Davis sustained a fractured ankle against Maidstone United in the FA Cup first round United have lost eight of their following ten fixtures in all competitions.
2. The Glovers only need ten men.
For the second time this season Yeovil Town have won a game after being reduced to ten men. Veteran striker Chris Dagnall received a straight red in the 12th minute for kicking out at United keeper Lucas Covolan, which didn't prevent the Glovers from going onto clinch all three points. Yeovil also beat FC Halifax 2-0 at Huish Park last month, with a brace from Courtney Duffus, after Gold Omotayo had received his marching orders.
3. 'It felt like they have eleven men and we had ten'.
That was the quote from Torquay United assistant manager Aaron Downes when he filled in for manager Gary Johnson in the post-match interview following the Gulls' defeat to Yeovil. Early in the 2015-16 season, Downes was part of a Cheltenham Town side - managed by Johnson - who beat the Gulls 3-0 with ten men- in a game that saw him score the Robins' opening goal on his return to Plainmoor. Cheltenham went on to win the National League title that season, and, on the evidence of their festive fixtures against the Gulls, the Glovers looked well equipped to do the same in the current campaign.
4. The Glovers present a benchmark for further progress to United.
If Torquay United want to win promotion to the Football League then Yeovil represent a possible benchmark for what they need to aspire to in order to do it. The Glovers side did bear certain similarities to the United side that Paul Buckle assembled in his first season in the National League in the 2007-08 season. In centre back Lee Collins they had a strong, commanding centre back who could easily be compared to Chris Todd, in midfield Charlie Lee possesses similar leadership qualities to those of Chris Hargreaves and up front Courtney Duffus and Rhys Murphy are as prolific, if not more so than, as Tim Sills and Lee Phillips. It promises to be an interesting month or so, as manager Gary Johnson looks to remould his squad ahead of his next challenge.
5. Highest crowds of the season.
The Boxing Day encounter between the Glovers and the Gulls at Huish Park attracted a crowd of 5,056 and the return fixture at Plainmoor drew a crowd of 4,165 - with nearly 1,000 away attending both. With both Yeovil and Torquay still in the FA Trophy, it would be interesting to see if they were able to replicate those attendance figure if they were to meet in the two-legged semi-final stage of the competition.
