While at the top end of professional football playing with a lone striker up front has been in vogue in recent times, but in the Vanarama National League strike partnerships are very much in fashion.
Looking at the forward lines of many of the leading sides in the National League such as leaders Barrow for whom Scott Quigley and Dior Angus have helped the Bluebirds fly to the top of the table.
The same can also be said for a number of other clubs near the top of the division including Boreham Wood, who are currently mounting a serious play-off challenge with Kabby Tshimanga and former Gull Tyrone Marsh both finding the back of the net on a regular basis. Another former United striker Rhys Murphy has also formed an extremely effective partnership with Courtney Duffus at Yeovil Town.
While Torquay United have once again enjoyed the goal scoring exploits of Jamie Reid, but whereas in National League South he developed a strong partnership with Bristol City loanee Saikou Janneh, as the pair scored 50 goals between them, he hadn't replicated that same understanding with anyone following United's promotion back to the National League; that is until the arrival of Ade Azeez on loan from Newport County.
So far the Reid-Azeez partnership has yielded a goal-a-game, Azeez marked his second debut for the Gulls - he originally joined United on loan from Charlton Athletic as a teenager in the 2013-14 season - with the decisive goal of the game against FC Halifax Town. This was then followed up by a 2-0 win over Chorley, in which Reid scored United's second goal of the game, which was also his 21st of the campaign, when he turned home Ben Whitfield's cross in the 80th minute.
After the Gulls' victory over Chorley, the Gulls are now eight points clear of relegation and six off the play-offs, so a late charge for the top seven is not beyond the realms of possibility. If United are to make a late dash for the play-offs, then the goals of Reid and Azeez are highly likely to play a big part in achieving that feat.
