Sunday 27 March 2022

SIX TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS WEYMOUTH

 1. Two in two for Stephen Wearne. 

Sunderland loanee Stephen Wearne made it two in two as he followed up his goal against Aldershot Town by scoring the Gulls opener against Weymouth. In the 12th minute, QPR loanee Stephen Duke-McKenna set him away down the left hand side and Wearne then cut inside and slotted home into the right corner to give United the lead. Wearne's effort was his third of the campaign and there's more to come from him between now and the end of the season. 

2. Armani Little scores his first goal of 2022. 

Armani Little's 19th minute penalty was his 11th goal of the 2021-22 campaign, which keeps him top of United's goal scoring charts, but remarkably it was his first of 2022. Little's tenth of the season came away to Eastleigh on December 28, 2021, which saw the Gulls lose 2-1. He is now three short of last season's top scorer Asa Hall's goal haul of 14.

2. A display Frank O'Farrell would have approved of. 

After paying tribute to former manager Frank O'Farrell, who passed away recently at the age of 94, on Tuesday night against Aldershot Town, when they won 4-0, the Gulls followed up that display with another win versus his former club Weymouth. Six points from two games and seven goals scored without conceding, the Irishman would certainly have approved of United's displays over their last home fixtures. 

3. MacDonald in fine form yet again. 

Although United found the back of the net three times without reply, goalkeeper Shaun MacDonald still earned his money at the other - especially in the first half. MacDonald was called upon to deny Bradley Ash, Cameron Murray and Ben Thomson at different times, as he kept a second successive clean sheet.

4. Six point gap between the play-off places. 

United's victories over Aldershot and Weymouth have now cut the gap between themselves and the top seven to six points. Gary Johnson's side are currently on 53 points while Grimsby Town, who occupy seventh place in the table, are on 59 points. The Gulls' next National League fixture is against Notts County, who themselves are in sixth place with 60 points, and should United repeat their play-off semi-final heroics against the Magpies then they can reduce the gap further.

5. Fourth double of the season. 

By completing the double over Weymouth, the Terras have become the fourth side that the Gulls have won both home and away against. The other three are Yeovil Town, King's Lynn Town and Dover Athletic.