TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS TONBRIDGE ANGELS

 1. We need to talk about the officials. 

For the second home game in succession, the quality of officiating in a Torquay United game has been a talking point. In the 89th minute, Stoke loanee Keke Jeffers, 11 minutes after coming off the bench, connected with a free-kick from Jordan Young and headed home what looked like the winning goal, but the linesman on the far side adjudged that Jeffers was offside, when it looked for all the world that he was on. It was a decision that not only cost United two points, but cost Jeffers his first career goal in what was his first game in senior men's football and Jordan Young was denied an assist. Gulls manager Paul Wotton also earned himself a yellow card for protesting against the decision. 

If bad decisions even themselves out over the course of the season, United look set to be due a huge slice of luck in the second half of the campaign.

2. Cody Cooke was a big miss. 

The absence of Cody Cooke up front was keenly felt as United missed his physical presence and hold up play. Cooke, who was serving a one-match ban for picking up five yellow cards, is currently the Gulls' top scorer with six goals and had netted two in two prior to his ban. Thankfully he'll be available on Tuesday night against Maidstone United. 

3. Sam Dreyer becomes one of the club's youngest ever captains. 

After captaining the side away to Hornchurch earlier this season, centre back Sam Dreyer also had the honour of leading out United against Tonbridge. At the age of 20, he must surely the club's youngest ever, if not one of the youngest ever, captains. And he cerainly led by example with another assured display, as he helped the Gulls keep a second successive clean sheet.

4. It's tight at the top. 

With no team so far running away with the National League South title in a similar manner to the way Yeovil Town did last season, the gap separating the teams at the top is incredibly tight; only three points currently separate Weston Super Mare in first place with 31 and seventh placed Worthing who have 28.  

The Gulls are in sixth place and have 29 points at present; they also have a game in hand on Eastbourne Borough (3rd), Farnborough (4th) and Dorking Wanderers (5th). Eastbourne are currently two points ahead of the Gulls, while Farnborough are a point clear of them and goal difference is all that keeps them and Dorking Wanderers apart. 

A run of wins could see United pull clear of the pack which they currently find themselves a part of.

UNITED ARE PLAYING ALL THE RIGHT NOTES, BUT NOT NECESSARILY IN THE RIGHT ORDER - YET

Just like when Eric Morecambe attempted to play Grieg's Piano Concerto number one on the Morecambe and Wise show, Torquay United are playing all the right notes under Paul Wotton - but not necessarily in the right order. 

United are currently third in National League South after 15 games, roughly a third of the way through the season, after building literally a brand new squad from scratch after the Bryn Consortium brought the club out of Administration. 

In the summer, Wotton retained Dean Moxey, Finley Craske, Ollie Tomlinson and Brad Ash from the 2023-24 side, along with Austen Booth who was under contract, but has since left the club, before securing a host of new signings. He has recently added Jordan Young from Yeovil Town for an undisclosed fee, and Young duly marked his debut with a goal in the Gulls' recent 2-2 draw with Chelmsford City. 

As a player, Wotton played under the likes of Neil Warnock, Paul Sturrock and Tony Pulis amongst others; three managers for whom being fit and organised was a given. However, with the arrival of Young and the emergence of Omar Mussa as a regular starter, he has also looked to add more flair to his side.

Wotton has also spoken of how United aren't the finished article yet, and has also mentioned the need to develop partnerships and strong understandings all over the pitch. The former was something that was true of some of the Gulls' most successful teams in living memory, most notable Leroy Rosenior's automatic promotion winning side of 2003-04, Paul Buckle's 2008-09 National League Play-off winning side and not to mention Gary Johnson's National League South title winners of 2018-19. 

The latter side on that list is the one that Wotton is looking to emulate in the short to medium term, and he is edging closer towards achieving it, as the constant strive for improvement continues. It's entirely plausible that towards the end of the season, everything will fall into place for United and all the right notes will be played in their correct order to the tune that Wotton wishes them to play.

TALKING POINTS FROM TORQUAY UNITED VERSUS CHELMSFORD CITY

 1. A debut to remember for Jordan Young. 

Torquay United and Paul Wotton arguably got what they paid for when bringing Jordan Young to Plainmoor from Yeovil Town, as he played a key role in United's first goal before opening his account for the club with their second of the afternoon. For the Gulls' opener, he went on a thrusting run before seeing his shot blocked, which fell invitingly to Cody Cooke who found the back of the net. For United's second, he had seen a shot from distance turned over the bar by Chelmsford keeper Woody Williamson, the resulting corner from Omar Mussa was only cleared as far as Young who struck with a low drive from 15 yards. 

Overall, Young showed more than a few glimpses of the form that he displayed for Yeovil, where he scored 16 goals in all competitions, 14 of which came in the league. If he continues with the form that he showed on his debut for the Gulls against Chelmsford. 

2. Cody Cooke's fifth of the season. 

Remarkably Cody Cooke's fifth goal of the season was the first goal that he has scored at Plainmoor since he joined the club in the summer from Bath City. Cooke is now comfortably the Gulls' leading scorer, as he currently has more than double the highest amount of United's next higest scorer(s): Brad Ash, Matt Carson, Dan Hayfield and Lirak Hasani all have two goals each. 

Unfortunately, Cooke also picked a fifth league booking of the season, which means that he will be absent for United's league meeting with Tonbridge Angels next week. 

3. Sam Dreyer denied his first goal for the club. 

On 36 minutes, Sam Dreyer appeared to have restored United's two-goal cushion after Jake Hyde had pulled a goal back for the Clarets in the 31st minute. A Matt Carson corner was knocked back into the penalty area by Dan Hayfield before Dreyer got the final touch on it and nodded the ball past Chelmsford keeper Williamson. However, the goal was disallowed by referee Stacey Pearson after consulting with linesman James Welsh, under protest from the Clarets players. Whether it was deemed offside, or there was another infringement, it wasn't completely clear, but nevertheless Dreyer, one of United's two ever presents this season, is still waiting for his maiden goal in yellow and blue.

4. Needing to tighten up at the back. 

After yesterday's showing, United have now only kept one clean sheet in their last seven National League South matches, which came in their away fixture against Hampton and Richmond Borough on October 5. Saturday's fixture against Chelmsford was also the first time that they've conceded more than once at home this season. 

It's something that Paul Wotton and his assistant Mike Edwards will need to be wary of as the season enters its midway point.