Torquay United aim to give Yellow Army three more points

Torquay United head to Essex on Saturday afternoon, to take on Hornchurch, safe in the knowledge that, while they may be 250 miles away from home, they will again be well supported.

United’s Yellow Army is taking over grounds in National South this season and they were out in force on Tuesday night with a highly impressive gate of 3,701 for their midweek clash with Worthing.

With Hornchurch struggling to get much above 600 for their games this season, it is highly likely that Torquay fans will outnumber their home counterparts today, something manager Paul Wotton is not taking for granted.

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“Quite possibly,” the Gulls boss said. “That seems to be a recurring theme this season, but it’s great for us. As always, we are very appreciative of the fans that travel because we get really good numbers away from home and it’s something that is becoming normal, but we love it.

“Our support has been incredible. Obviously it is a very well supported football club and it really does make a difference.

“To be back at home (on Tuesday) was great and it turned out to be a good night for us as well and it was great to have that many fans in on a Tuesday night. Night games are always a bit different, aren’t they? Games under the lights and again, it was a fantastic crowd and again, we thank them for turning up. It doesn’t go unnoticed by the players and the staff and the board really appreciate it.”

Tuesday’s match was the first home game in a month for Torquay and the players certainly sent their fans home happy, fighting back from a goal down to claim a superb 2-1 win.

The win took the Gulls up to third in the table, two points behind leaders Farnborough – and with a game in hand – which underlines what a good start to the season Wotton has made at Plainmoor.

Asked how close he felt his team were to where he wants them to be, Wotton replied: “As far as ever! It’s an ongoing process, isn’t it? We won on Tuesday night and you don’t get too high and you don’t get too low and like any game of football, you can see good and bad in any game of football.

“Elements of our play – with and without the ball – on Tuesday night was great, really, really good. And there are elements we can improve on.

“The day I am sat here and we are faultless, I don’t think we will ever be faultless, so it is just an ongoing process. We will work hard and hopefully, one day, we will get closer to it than we are at the moment.”

Today’s opponents – promoted from the Isthmian Premier Division in May - sit just above the relegation zone, but they pose numerous threats, which Wotton is well aware of.

“They are a newly-promoted side and picked up a good point in the week at Boreham Wood, which is always a difficult place to go,” he said. “They have some good players – Sean Scannell has had a top, top career (making over 400 appearances predominantly for Crystal Palace and Huddersfield Town) Scott Kasket has had a top, top career (over 100 appearances for Wycombe Wanderers) Angelo Balanta has had a top career (over 400 appearances for QPR, MK Dons, Boreham Wood and Dagenham & Redbridge).

“They have also made a good signing from Aveley in (Harry) Gibbs who played against us down here and is a mountain and they have a manager (Daryl McMahon) that has managed in a higher league than they are in, so they will be organised, they’ll be fit, they’ll be strong and, again, we will have to be at our best to get anything.

“It’s a second long trip in seven days – away to Eastbourne last week, away to Hornchurch this week – but that shouldn’t really come into play, but it’s going to be a tough challenge.”

In terms of injury news, Wotton said: “We are looking OK. Ed Palmer will be available for full contact after the Cheltenham game, we had the option of a face mask, but (the injured area) was so big and he wouldn’t have been able to head the ball properly and that is obviously a big part of his game.

“When he comes back to full contact – he is training with us, but he is not full contact – but after six weeks, he’ll be able to play with no mask.

“Matty Wonnacott is still the long-term one; Jaydn Crosbie has tweaked his hamstring whilst playing for Gloucester, but that is only a 7-10 day injury I think. Other than that we are not too bad.”