Can National League runners-up Torquay United do better than second place
02.08.2021
Last season, Torquay United’s stellar season lost the limelight when National League champions Sutton pipped them to the post. Torquay spent the vast majority of 20/21 in and around the top spot, losing out to Sutton for automatic promotion by four points. The last games of the season decided the club’s fate, as Torquay drew their last four games while Sutton won four of their last five. In the playoffs, Torquay lost on penalties to the triumphant Hartlepool, despite a heroic goal from the Gulls’ keeper Lucas Colovan.
Over the summer, Colovan bid his farewell, moving on to National League giants Port Vale. This proved a common trend for several key Torquay players, including striker Billy Waters who left for Halifax, left-winger Ben Whitfield who moved to Stockport, and centre back Kyle Cameron who signed for Notts County. Since missing promotion by a hair’s breadth, Torquay must now clash with their toughest opponents bolstered by familiar faces from their own ranks. For manager Gary Johnson, rebuilding, let alone going one better, looks like a tough job going forward.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom for the Gulls. Johnson recruited two new keepers, Morecambe’s Mark Holstead and QPR’s Marcin Brzozowski, and reinforced the front lines with Greek-Albanian centre forward Klaidi Lolos from Devon rivals Plymouth Argyle. They also kept their star striker from last season, Daniel Wright. Wright, a nimble two-footed forward, bagged a respectable nine goals in 20/21, but also topped the table for points per 90, averaging 2.43 points over 18 games. While some stats may seem fairly abstract, points per 90 reveals a huge game impact, and 2.43 per game reveals Wright's promotion form.
Despite their rebuild attempt, including Plymouth’s Klaidi Losos, Torquay lost 3-0 to Lolos’s old club in a bitter derby at Plainmoor. Johnson has a task on his hands to get the squad gelling and pull off a performance to match last year’s calibre. The gaffer let fans know that Torquay ‘definitely signed some quality, some youth, experience, and athleticism’ over the summer, and hope to make it count where it matters in the league. With their first game of the season at home to Altrincham rapidly approaching, Torquay have a tough act to follow after their courageous effort last year.
