Torquay United in the pink for victory over Truro

Gulls move a huge step closer to safety

Torquay United’s win over Truro City on Monday night eased them a step clearer of the National League South relegation zone.

Teams below them still have games in hand, and United are not out of the woods yet, but their 2-1 win at Gloucester, where ground-less Truro play their home games these days, moved them a huge step closer to safety.

More than that, it was a strong and composed team performance from a Torquay side that in recent weeks has looked anything but.

It followed a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Welling on Saturday in which United had played well at times but rarely threatened the goal. On top of that, they had defender Ross Marshall sent off for a studs-up challenge early in the match.

His red card means he will miss the rest of the season at a time when the Gulls really need all hands on deck.

But on Monday night United were a much better side. Tackling the White Tigers in their vivid pink third kit, they started strongly - maybe a little too strongly as Duane Ofori-Achaempong saw the game’s first yellow card after just two minutes for a bad foul.

Twenty five minutes into the game United were in front, and they had one of the rare bright sparks in their dim and dismal season to thank for it. Wing back Arkell Jude-Boyd cut in from the wing and curled a peach of a shot into the net beyond the reach of City’s former Torquay keeper James Hamon.

It was the fifth goal of Jude-Boyd’s impressive loan spell from Queens Park Rangers.

Top scorer Brad Ash then made it 2-0 before the break, darting in front of his marker to steer in a low Dean Moxey cross at the near post.

The last time Torquay had a two-goal lead - against Weston-super-Mare on Easter Monday - they looked like rabbits in the headlights and quickly surrendered. This time there was no denying Aaron Downes’ team and they created chances to go further in front before another ex-Gull - Ed Palmer - pulled a goal back for City in stoppage time.

Torquay go to play-off contenders Bath City on Saturday and then travel to play fellow relegation strugglers Taunton next Tuesday before returning to Plainmoor to play almost-doomed Havant and Waterlooville on the last day of the season.

The fight is far from over, but a proper performance on a wet and windy Monday night in Gloucester might just spur them on to get over the line.