1. The fans are back.
Plainmoor might not have seen an attendance of 975 for a league game involving Torquay United since the 1985-86 season, when the club was in the midst of the dark days of the Dave Webb era, but these are very different times. After playing their previous six home games behind closed doors, due to Covid restrictions, the return of the fans to Plainmoor was most welcome and they went home happy after seeing the Gulls beat Wrexham 3-1. It was an attendance 275 short of the 1,250 capacity allowed under Covid guidelines, which will be increased by 250 to 1,500 for the visit of Maidenhead United on Tuesday night.
2. Johnson surpasses 150 points mark of Gulls reign.
As well as welcoming the fans back into Plainmoor, there was another milestone to celebrate for Torquay United boss Gary Johnson. In what was his 80th league game in charge, United took the number of points won since he took charge in September 2018 past the 150 mark. Over the course of Johnson's reign, United's league record reads: played 80, won 47, drawn 11 and lost 22. This translates to an accumlation of 152 points, a win ratio of 58.75% and a points per game ratio of 1.9. Long may it continue as Johnson continues to work his magic.
3. Asa overhauls 2019-20 goal tally.
By converting his 17th minute penalty, Gulls' skipper Asa Hall has bettering his goalscoring of the 2019-20 season already. During the previous campaign, which came to a halt in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic enforced suspension, Hall found the back of the net four times, but he overhauled that figure on Saturday against Wrexham with his fifth of the current campaign.
4. Jake's presence is a plus.
A combination of the form of injuries and the form of Ben Whitfield have meant that Jake Andrews, a mainstay of the Gulls' side over the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, has found first team football hard to come by in the 2020-21 campaign. However, Andrews who has made a return to the starting line-up recently providing cover at left-back in the absence of Dean Moxey has acquited himself well in his new position. His presence in the side also means that the Gulls benefit from his delivery from set pieces, which is very reminiscent of the former Everton and Republic of Ireland winger Kevin Sheedy.
5. A game against a Welsh team that decided by a Welshman.
Against the National League's sole representative, it was a goal from United's former Wales-Under 21 midfielder Connor Lemonheigh-Evans which effectively the game as a contest. The Llanelli-born playmaker also provided the assist for Ben Whitfield's opener and hit the post on the stroke of half-time, after being teed up by Whitfield. It was the latter combination that combined again for United's third as Whitfield supplied the pass that enabled Lemonheigh-Evans to find the back of the net. It was also his third of the campaign, which equals his previous best haul of league goals for the Gulls which came in the 2018-19 National League South title winning season.
