'Gutted' Torquay United manager targets league run

Gulls face packed programme of local derbies

Torquay United’s players were back in training today with their manager calling for focus on a vital batch of league games ahead.

The Gulls were knocked out of the FA Cup on Saturday with Maidstone United - visitors to Plainmoor for the second Saturday in a row - emerging 2-0 winners. United hotly disputed the Stones’ opener, with the ball appearing to be prodded home out of the hands of keeper Mark Halstead, but in the end the Gulls did not offer enough of a threat to stay in the competition.

Manager Gary Johnson said he was ‘gutted’ to have gone out of a competition he loves, but said he wanted a reaction from his players when they returned to the training ground today.

United are at home to Welling in National League South on Saturday before embarking on a crucial campaign which sees them playing local rivals Weston, Bath, Yeovil, Weymouth and Taunton in quick succession.

The Gulls are seventh in the league, having been as high as third. They remain strong contenders for the play-offs at least, but the forthcoming spell of derbies will help define their season.

“I’m gutted that we are out of the cup, because I wanted to stay in it,” said Johnson. “But we’ll have a big week again.

“We’ll be thinking about Welling, and then the next couple of games are going to be vital.”

Torquay were the better side before the break on Saturday and created a string of good chances, but the controversial first goal took all the wind out of their sails, and they faded badly in the second half.

“We didn’t carry on the momentum,” said Johnson. “People affected the game in the first half and didn’t affect the game in the second.

“We’ve got to find out why that is.”

There were boos from some fans on the Popular Side at the end of the game and a handful of anti-Johnson chants.

“Some people wish I wasn’t here,” he said after the game. “But we give everything to the football club and we love being here.

“We want this club to succeed.”