TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS AVELEY

 1. One club United in the face of adversity. 

Throughout its 125 year history, Torquay United have faced a fair amount of adversity during that time.  However, the news that the club was to be placed in Administration was new territory for the Gulls. 

Nevertheless, the fans rallied behind the club as a crowd of 3,642 got behind United, which was the highest attendance in either the National League North and South, and only four games in the National League attracted bigger crowds. 

Those who would have witnessed the match would have gone home after seeing arguably the Gulls' best performance for some time, and hopefully most of them will be back for United's next home game against Dartford on March 9. 

2. A promising managerial debut from Aaron Downes. 

Had it not been for a wordly from Aveley left-back Eduiano Vaz, then Aaron Downes would be celebrating a win in his first game in interim charge of Torquay United. 

However, he can still be proud of the fact that he oversaw a passionate and committed performance from his side, which hopefully will be a benchmark going forwards.

3. Aaron Jarvis and Brad Ash reach double figures for

Injuries have robbed United of many key players this season, including strikers Aaron Jarvis and Brad Ash - both of whom were in single figures heading into their fixture with Aveley, having scored nine goals each. 

Jarvis headed home his tenth of the campaign on 27 minutes when he connected with a Brett McGavin corner and Ash hit double figures for the 2023-24 campaign eight minutes later when he slotted home following a goalmouth scramble. 

At the start of the season, it was hoped that the duo might have been able to fire United to promotion. However, should they go into Administration and receive a ten-point deduction, they might instead be helping the Gulls retain their National League South status. 

4. Kevin Dawson's return is a welcome presence in midfield. 

When he first arrived on loan from Gloucester City in March 2023, Irish midfielder Kevin Dawson brought plenty of drive and leadership to the Gulls' side as they narrowly missed out on retaining their National League status. 

However, a hamstring avulsion has meant that Dawson hasn't been able to feature since signing for the club on a permanent basis, but his recent return has been a major boost for the Gulls. 

Throughout their clash with Aveley until he was replaced by the returning Jack Stobbs in the 70th minute, Dawson looked comfortable in possession and was a vocal presence, always looking to encourage his teammates. 

 

THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF GARY JOHNSON'S REIGN AS TORQUAY UNITED MANAGER

 Gary Johnson's spell in charge of Torquay United was the longest of his managerial career, which has lasted the best part of four decades, and it was one that was characterised by a series of highs and lows. 

The highs included a first league title for the Gulls since the 1926-27 season in the 2018-19 campaign when United romped to the National League South title and the Gulls' play-off final defeat to Hartlepool United at Ashton Gate in 2021. Then came the lows as two years later, United were relegated back to the National League South and struggled to reach the heights of 2018-19 in the 2023-24 season. 

When Johnson was first appointed, many eyebrows were raised at his arrival as many fans would have been expecting an appointment along the lines of Steve Tully or Lee Hodges. 

The Gulls' journey under Johnson began with a 2-0 away win over Hungerford United on September 15, 2018, which was followed by a 7-0 rout of Wessex League side Lymington Town in the FA Cup second qualifying round a week later.

Then came the first real challenge of Johnson’s then brief reign – the visit of league leaders Woking to Plainmoor for a game he described as a ‘six-pointer’. Despite trailing 2-0 at half-time, United rallied to draw 2-2 - with Jamie Reid netting a brace for the Gulls.

Under Johnson, Reid was a player transformed as he finished the 2018-19 campaign with 32 goals to his name. He then went on to score a further 21 in the 2019-20 National League season.

Johnson also made good use of his connections with Bristol City, where his son Lee was manager. United had already loaned Jake Andrews and Opi Edwards from the Ashton Gate club, and they would be joined at Plainmoor by Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Saikou Janneh. He was also joined at Plainmoor by his brother Pete, who became his head of recruitment, and former Gulls defender Aaron Downes, who was appointed as his assistant.

It wasn’t until January 19, 2019, that United tasted defeat for the first time in the league when they were beaten 3-2 by Bath City at Twerton Park. By this time, the Gulls had set a new record for unbeaten league games of 16. However, Oxford City would find themselves on the receiving end of the backlash of that loss, as United won 7-2 – after leading 5-0 at half-time. It was also a game that saw Jake Andrews score a hat trick from midfield, while Reid and Janneh netted a brace apiece. 

The second half of the season also saw United produce a ‘fly on the wall’ documentary which – amongst other things - captured the scenes in the dressing room before and after each game. This included a scene when Johnson tore into his charges, giving them the full ‘hairdryer’ treatment when they trailed 1-0 away to East Thurrock on a Tuesday night in February 2019. However, Johnson’s message had the desired effect as United turned things around to win 2-1, with Ruairi Keating scoring a late winner.

At the end of March 2019, the Gulls beat Chelmsford City 3-1 at Plainmoor which left them with one hand on the title. A 3-3 draw with second-placed Woking a week later at the Kingfield Stadium – which was secured with a Ben Wynter volley in stoppage time - effectively ended the Cards’ challenge for top spot. This meant that when United beat Eastbourne Borough 2-0 at Plainmoor in front of a crowd of more than 4,500, with goals from Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Jake Andrews, which saw them confirmed as National League South champions for 2018-19.

Defeats against Chippenham Town and Hungerford followed – the latter saw the Gulls receive the trophy in front of a National League South record crowd of 5,351 - before United said goodbye to the National League South with a 4-0 win away to St Albans City. It was a game that saw another record fall as Kalvin Kalala – who Johnson brought to Plainmoor from Cheltenham - opened the scoring with the fastest goal in the club’s history after 10 seconds.

Back in the National League, United started the 2019-20 campaign with a 2-1 win over Boreham Wood.  It would be a season that would throw up several inconsistencies for the Gulls – partly due to injuries – as United recorded 4-2 wins against eventual champions Barrow and play-off winners Harrogate Town. Nevertheless, they would also lose 5-1 to Stockport County at Plainmoor in November 2019 and were thrashed 6-2 to Yeovil Town on Boxing Day 2018. Bizarrely the heavy defeat to Stockport occurred around a month after the Gulls had beaten the Hatters 4-0 at Edgeley Park – making the aggregate score from both fixtures 5-5.

The Covid-19 enforced suspension of the National League saw United end the campaign after 36 matches. The outcome of the season was decided using PPG (points per game) to calculate the league’s final placings, which saw the Gulls finish in 14th place. 

In the extended close season before the start of the delayed 2020-21 campaign, Johnson was busy in the transfer market, as Danny Wright, top scorer in his National League title winning side with Cheltenham, joined as a replacement for the Mansfield Town bound Reid. Other notable new arrivals included Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Gary Warren, who joined the Gulls permanently following successful loan spells from Bristol City and Exeter City respectively, and experienced left-back Dean Moxey also arrived from Exeter. On the eve of the season, Johnson also made three loan signings in the form of Adam Randell (Plymouth Argyle), Sam Sherring (AFC Bournemouth) and Louis Britton (Bristol City).

United started the campaign with a 1-0 home win over pre-season favourites Stockport, with Lemonheigh-Evans netting a last-minute winner, in a match played behind closed doors – due to coronavirus restrictions. They followed this up with a number of other impressive results, including a 5-0 win away to Hartlepool United on October 31, 2019 (which was broadcast live on BT Sport), as the Gulls established themselves amongst the league's front-runners.

Other memorable results included a 6-5 FA Cup first round exit to Crawley Town, a 6-1 drubbing of Yeovil Town on Boxing Day and a 4-0 away victory over Boreham Wood in the FA Trophy fourth round – which marked Johnson’s 100th game in charge.

Over the course of the campaign, United would score a number of late goals in what became as known as 'Gary time'.

The remainder of the season saw the Gulls remain neck and neck with Sutton United, with both sides sharing the lead at various stages. The title race itself was decided in their penultimate game of the season, as United drew 2-2 with Barnet and Sutton beat Hartlepool United (more on them later) 3-0 to claim top spot.

Nevertheless, United could at least console themselves with their highest ever finish in the National League of second place - the Gulls' finished third and fourth in the division under Paul Buckle between 2007 and 2009 - as they prepared to face Notts County in the play-offs. The Magpies were promptly dispatched 4-2 after extra time to set up a final with Hartlepool United.

The final was played at Ashton Gate to avoid clashing with matches from the delayed Euro 2020 matches being staged at Wembley. The Gulls appeared to have taken the lead on eight minutes through Kyle Cameron, however referee Simon Mather deemed Cameron to have impeded Hartlepool goalkeeper Brad James - even though the replay of the incident showed that contact appeared to be minimal. 

In the second half, Cameron had another effort disallowed for a foul on James, but just when it seemed as though Hartlepool would hold onto win, goalkeeper Lucas Covolan went up for a corner and headed home an equaliser for United to force extra time.

There were no further goals in extra time, as the final went to penalties. Despite Covolan saving two Hartlepool penalties, misses from Billy Waters and Danny Wright meant the Gulls remained level at 4-4 after Asa Hall, Joe Lewis, Armani Little and Connor Lemonheigh-Evans all converted.

Ryan Donaldson then made it 5-4 to Hartlepool before Matt Buse had his spot-kick saved by James, as the Pools secured their return to the Football League at the expense of the Gulls.

The close season saw a number of players leave Plainmoor as Ashton Gate hero Lucas Covolan earned himself a move to the EFL with Port Vale. Kyle Cameron and Aaron Nemane both moved to Notts County and Ben Whitfield joined Stockport County.

New arrivals included goalkeeper Mark Halstead from Morecambe, central midfielder Tom Lapslie from Colchester United and a number of young prospects, who included Dan Martin (Cardiff City), Ali Omar (Barnsley), Keelan O’Connell (AFC Bournemouth) and Klaidi Lolos (Plymouth Argyle).

Johnson also brought in a number of players following pre-season trials, including Dan Holman, who served under him at Cheltenham Town, and winger Gabby Rogers, a former United youth team player who had been released by Yeovil.

United made a slow start to the 2022-23 campaign, losing their opening three home games of the campaign against Altrincham (1-3), Woking (0-4) and Grimsby Town (1-3). However, a 1-0 victory over Southend United in September courtesy of a late winner from Connor Lemonheigh-Evans got the Gulls up and running at Plainmoor. The Southend win also marked goalkeeper Shaun MacDonald’s return to the club, after turning down a new contract in the summer.

For the remainder of the season, they would only lose two more home league fixtures (against FC Halifax Town and Solihull Moors).

Johnson also used the loan market to good effect, bringing in Sinclair Armstrong and Stephen Duke-McKenna from Queens Park Rangers and Stephen Wearne from Sunderland, who were then managed by Lee Johnson. 

Memorable results from the campaign included completing a first ever league ‘double’ over Yeovil Town (3-0 on Boxing Day at Plainmoor and 2-1 in the return at Huish Park on January 2, 2022) and a 5-1 win over Notts County which saw Lemonheigh-Evans bag his first career hat-trick.

In the end, United finished 11th – only falling out of contention for a play-off spot with three games to go.

The summer of 2022 saw a number of departures as Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Joe Lewis both signed for League Two side Stockport County and Armani Little and Shaun MacDonald also headed to the EFL to sign for Forest Green Rovers and Cheltenham Town. Amongst others leaving for pastures new were the long serving Ben Wynter and the experienced Danny Wright. 

To replace them, in came Kieron Evans on a season-long loan from Cardiff City, strikers Aaron Jarvis (Scunthorpe United) and Corie Andrews (AFC Wimbledon), midfielders Brett McGavin (Ipswich Town), Ryan Hanson (Dover Athletic) and Shaun Donellan (Maidenhead United), centre backs Ross Marshall (Stevenage) and Ollie Tomlinson (Plymouth Argyle) and right-back Dylan Crowe (Ipswich Town).

What came next was a season of struggle which culminated in relegation on the final day of the season, with a 1-1 draw with champions Wrexham. The Gulls also experienced a number of heavy defeats, losing 4-1 at home to Solihull Moors, 6-0 away to Wrexham, 4-0 away to Notts County and 5-1 at home to Chesterfield. Brief high points of the 2022-23 campaign included a 6-1 win over Aldershot Town, which was their first home league win in eight attempts that also saw Aaron Jarvis become the sixth player to score a hat-trick for the Gulls under Johnson - a feat he would emulate in the Gulls' 3-2 win over York City later in the campaign, a 2-2 draw with Derby County in the FA Cup first round and a five-match winning run in March-April 2023 which raised hopes that a 'great escape' could be achieved. 

In the 2023-24 campaign, with the majority of the players who finished the previous campaign signed up, minus Frank Nouble who signed for Yeovil and young defender Nico Lawrence who returned to his parent club Southampton, hopes were high the season would turn out to be a memorable one. However, a 2-2 draw with Dover Athletic and a 3-0 home defeat to Worthing soon proved that the path ahead wouldn't be as smooth as first hoped. 

However, a run of six wins from their seven league fixtures saw optimism of a swift return to the National League rise. Unfortunately, a slump followed which saw Johnson react badly to criticism - making reference to the 'right type of fan' in one of his pre-match pressers. 

At the turn of the year, a run of one win in 11 league matches - plus an FA Trophy exit at the hands of Hereford United - prior to the announcement that Chairman Clarke Osborne will be placing the club in Administration preceded Johnson's decision to call it a day, bringing his reign as the club's third longest serving manager to an end. 

Johnson isn't the first Torquay United manager to see his reign fizzle out after reaching a high point which could have changed the destiny of the entire club had fate been kinder to them.

In the 1987-88 season, the late Cyril Knowles led the Gulls to the brink of promotion, with defeat in a two-legged play-off final to Swansea City. Despite reaching the Sherpa Van Trophy final against Bolton Wanderers in 1989, United didn't get as close to promotion again under Knowles' reign. 

Fast forward to the 1993-94 campaign, and the Gulls lost out to in the play-offs again under Don O'Riordan, this time to Preston North End in the semi-finals after Darren Moore's controversial red card. A mid-table finish then followed in 1994-95 before O'Riordan was dismissed after an 8-1 defeat to Scunthorpe United in October 1995. 

A decade later, Leroy Rosenior led United to automatic promotion in the 2003-04 season and so nearly kept the Gulls in League One in 2004-05  - a 2-1 defeat to Colchester United on the final day saw the Gulls relegated back to the fourth tier on goal difference. Once back in League Two, Leroy couldn't re-create the same magic in the 2005-06 campaign and left in January 2006. 

Then in the 2011-12 season, after succeeding Paul Buckle following United's League Two play-off final loss to Stevenage Martin Ling once again guided the Gulls to the play-offs, where they were beaten by Cheltenham Town in the semi-finals. In the subsequent 2012-13 campaign, Ling stood down as manager midway through the season due to the health reasons, which later turned out to be depression, and was eventually replaced in the summer of 2013 by Alan Knill. 

Life after Gary Johnson begins with a home fixture with Aveley that sees his assistant Aaron Downes take interim charge for the first time. 

Now is the time to get behind the Gulls and truly be One Club - United.

 

ON THIS DAY: HULL CITY 0 TORQUAY UNITED 1 - 2003-04

When Torquay drew 1-1 with Hull City at Plainmoor in October 2003, Tigers boss Peter Taylor admitted that his side had ‘got away with murder’ in a match that saw the Gulls play Hull off the park. 

In their return fixture at the KC Stadium 20 years ago today, there was no such luck for Taylor’s men as United came away from Humberside with all three points – courtesy of a 45th minute strike from Martin Gritton - to boost their promotion hopes and provided a serious dent to Hull’s title ambitions in the process. 

United had been beaten a single goal against fellow Play-off chasers Huddersfield Town at Plainmoor in their previous fixture and headed to Humberside badly in need of a positive result to stay in the promotion hunt.

Hull – in direct contrast - had won seven out of their last eight matches and were top of the league. They were also at the beginning of a rise through the divisions that would take them as far as the Premiership and an FA Cup appearance.

Nevertheless, it was the Gulls who enjoyed the better of the opening period, as David Graham and Jo Kuffour stretched the Tigers defence to such an extent that Hull keeper Boaz Myhill was called upon to make four outstanding saves in the first 25 minutes.

Such was the Gulls dominance, it wasn’t until the 34^th minute that the Tigers were able to get their first effort on target through Jonathan Walters when he forced a save from Gulls keeper Kevin Dearden with a near-post header.

Nevertheless, Torquay made their dominance count when they took the lead on the stroke of half-time. Graham flicked on a forward ball from Alex Russell and substitute Martin Gritton – who replaced Kuffour on 33 minutes - quickly latched onto it and slotted from six-yards.

After showing their attacking prowess in the opening 45 minutes, the Gulls were forced to display their defensive resilience as their centre back pairing of Steve Woods and Craig Taylor were forced to repel efforts from all angles.

Nevertheless, Torquay still showed enough quality to hit the Tigers on the break as Taylor had a header cleared off the line and Graham hooked an overhead volley wide.

Arguably Hull’s best chance fell to the Northern Irish winger Stuart Elliott who headed a Ryan France cross wide, as United’s defence refused to give an inch.

In the dying minutes of the game, Gritton nearly grabbed a brace – which would have eased Torquay’s nerves – but missed the target.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter as United held on during four minutes of stoppage time to beat the league leaders, and a team with a budget that was far superior to theirs, in their own backyard.

After scoring 16 times in his first season with the Gulls, Gritton missed a lot of games due to injury during the 2003-04 campaign, but the goal he scored against the Tigers proved to be one of his most crucial in a Torquay shirt.

In an interview with the Sunday Independent in 2015, he said: “I didn’t play as much as I wanted to that season as I had a bad injury, but scoring away at Hull and winning 1-0 was a good day.”

After the match, Rosenior couldn’t hide his delight at the way in which side had tackled their big city opponents.

He said: “Our first half performance won us the match. I am delighted by the way we played and it’s great to come here and win.”

Torquay (4-4-2): Kevin Dearden; Lee Canoville, Steve Woods, Craig Taylor, Brian McGlinchey; Jason Fowler (Tony Bedeau 62), Matt Hockley, Alex Russell, Kevin Hill; David Graham (Reuben Hazell 90), Jo Kuffour (Martin Gritton 33)

 

TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS SLOUGH TOWN

 1. A defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. 

After going down to a late winner in a 3-2 defeat to the Gulls' ultimate bogey side Maidstone United during the week, a positive result against Slough Town would have been the perfect way to follow up that performance. 

Leading 3-2 with ten minutes, the omens looked good for United, but two late goals - including one in injury time - stunned the Gulls and it was the visitors who went home with all three points. 

United looked as though they were crying out for a leader at the back, someone in the mould of Alex Watson or Craig Taylor, or even Gary Warren, a player who only appeared fleetingly during the 2020-21 season, but would probably be one of the first names on the team sheet if he was with the Gulls now. 

Sadly, the result means that United have now only once in their last ten games and are facing an uphill battle to make the play-offs.

2. A brace for Will Jenkins-Davies. 

It would have been a bittersweet afternoon for Plymouth Argyle loanee Will Jenkins-Davies as he scored a brace for his hometown club, but it wasn't enough to win the game for the Gulls. 

The former Wales youth international has taken his tally for the season to five goals, an impressive return for an attacking midfielder at this stage of the season. The Gulls have been blessed with a number of goal scoring midfielders in recent seasons, names such as Connor Lemionheigh-Evans and Armani Little spring to mind, who both hit double figures during their respective spells at Plainmoor and there still time for Jenkins-Davies to do the same.

3. The return of Aaron Jarvis. 

Merely the presence of Aaron Jarvis on the bench for the first time since last October when he collided with an advertising hoarding at Weston Super Mare would have provided the Gulls with a boost. The fact that he was able to get on the pitch was an even bigger plus, which was reflected when he entered the fray as a replacement for Duane Ofori-Acheampong to a standing ovation. 

When he came off the bench, the score was 3-2 to the Gulls and the dream scenario would have been to see him make it 4-2, but it wasn't to be. Nevertheless, a fit Jarvis could yet make a difference further down the line.

4. Arkell Jude-Boyd making the right-back slot his own. 

Since Ben Wynter's departure for Barnet in the summer of 2022, Gary Johnson has tried a number of players at right-back. However, none of them have made it their own, but QPR loanee Arkell Jude-Boyd looks like breaking that trend. 

As well as being strong defensively, Jude-Boyd also looked comfortable going forward and hopefully he will remain at Plainmoor between now and the end of the campaign. 

TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VS ST ALBANS CITY

 1. The pressure on Gary Johnson increases. 

Watching on from the director's box due to a touchline ban, the Gulls' defeat to St Albans City would not have made pleasant viewing for United manager Gary Johnson. Nor would the protest outside the ground calling for him to be dismissed. 

This isn't the first time that the fans have protested at Plainmoor this season. When the Gulls faced Tonbridge Angels last December, over a 100 fans staged a sit in protest at full time against the lack of communication between the club and the support base. 

Saturday's result, of course, sees United drop out of the play-off zone and the club finds itself seemingly at another crossroads. As a full-time club in a mostly part-time league, promotion should be the club's ultimate aim, but a lot of works need to be done to ensure that happens.

2. Only four subs on the bench. 

With Dean Moxey and Will Jenkins-Davies serving one-match bans and Jack Stobbs and Duane Ofori Acheampong pulled out through injury on Friday, the Gulls only had four players on the bench.

Club captain Asa Hall was the most senior quartet alongside sub keeper Rhys Lovett and teenage youth products Callum Thomas (more on him below) and Jacob Wellington. 

Moxey and Jenkins-Davies will be available again on Tuesday when United head to Maidstone and fingers crossed Stobbs and Ofori Achempong will be fit too  and the long term injury victims Aaron Jarvis and Kevin Dawson should also be available in the not to distant future.

3. Local boys did alright. 

In amongst the flotsam and jetsam of the Gulls' defeat to St Albans City, local boys Austen Booth and Callum Thomas could come out with the heads held high. 

Booth, the son of former United defender Jon Gittens who was making his debut following his move from Taunton Town, acquitted himself well on his debut, making an off-the-line clearance to deny St Albans' Shaun Jeffers a hat-trick in the 77th minute. 

First year pro Thomas entered the fray on 15 minutes after Finley Craske and coped admirably in the circumstances. He showed good character, which will surely stand him in good stead in the future, as he tried in vain to block Giorgio Rasulo's fourth goal for St Albans from going in. 

4. Only one win in 2024. 

Such has been United's form in 2024 that their 1-0 win in their last home fixture against Dover Athletic is their only victory since the turn of the year. An upturn in the Gulls' fortunes has now become necessity and something that they will need to rectify quickly.

TORQUAY NEED A RUN TO AID PROMOTION CHALLENGE

 For a club who have specialised in achieving the unlikely and improbable throughout their history, the question of what could be considered as the 'most Torquay United thing ever' predictably creates much debate and conjecture.

Many would point to the Gulls' famous final day 'great escape' at the end of the 1986-87 season against Crewe Alexandra, when Bryn the Police Dog sunk his teeth into Jim McNichol that was swiftly followed by Paul Dobson's equaliser in the subsequent time added on to secure a 2-2 draw which kept United in the Football League. 

However, at first glance, it could appear to be a case of 'canine intervention' which saved the Gulls, but if you examine it more closely, there was only one sub in those days and, as Adie Mann had already replaced Chris Myers, McNichol was forced to carry on even though in today's game, where clubs can name five subs, he would surely have been replaced. Therefore, in reality, United were playing the additional injury time with ten men - as McNichol, although he might have been on the pitch, wasn't in a position to make any significant contribution. 

My personal choice for the most 'Torquay United thing ever' would be the Gulls' play-off triumph over Blackpool in the 1990-91 season. In the semi-finals, United defeated Burnley and a 2-1 victory over the Clarets ruined any hopes that anyone might have had for a dream all Lancashire between Burnley and the Tangerines before going onto win the final themselves - in the most dramatic of circumstances.
Despite conceding an early goal from Blackpool midfielder Paul Groves before skipper for the night Wes Saunders - regular captain John Uzzell still hadn't recovered from a hamstring injury sustained on the final day of the regular season against York City - headed home a cross from Mark Loram.
A Dean Edwards penalty gave United a 2-1 lead before they were pegged back by an own goal from Chris Curran. The scores remained level at the end of 90 minutes, and also at the end of extra time which sent the final to penalties. The Gulls then triumphed 5-4 on penalties, becoming the first team to do so in a Wembley play-off final, with Gareth Howells scoring the decisive spot-kick - which made him the first goalkeeper to save and score in a penalty shoot-out at Wembley. 

All of this was achieved after being 12th in the table at one stage; they were also on 45 points after 28 league games - the same number that the Gulls of 2024 currently have after playing the same number of matches. However, a strong finish saw them, which included five wins in their last eight games saw them into the play-offs. 

A similar run of form from Gary Johnson's United would further cement their current place within the play-offs, the Gulls are currently seventh- National League South's sixth and final play-off spot. Nevertheless, while United have been a formidable force at home (they currently boast the second best home record in the division, the form away from home hasn't been as strong and they have the 17th best away record at present. United, of course, need to finish as high as possible to ensure home advantage in the semi-finals and final of the end of season showdown.

Amid the off-field discontent regarding the speculation over the potential move to a new stadium, no one wants the Gulls to become marooned in National League South in the same way that Stockport County (2013-2019) and York City (2017-2022) were in National League North. This group has the potential to ensure that United can return to the National League at the first time of asking, and avoid a similar fate, and it's one they need to grasp.