Manager Paul Wotton said his team have ‘gotta win the game’ after Torquay United’s frustrating 1-1 at St Albans City on Saturday. After the National League South leaders went behind to a sixth minute goal by the lively Harrison Smith, Torquay struggled to get going at times in the first half - and Wotton put on Omar Mussa and Lirak Hasani for a much better second half.

Jordan Young scored from the penalty spot in the 53rd minute to set up the team for a winner - but that second goal never came, despite chance after chance after chance. In the end the Gulls were forced to settle for a point - but one that kept them two points clear at the top of the National South table.

Wotton said: “We could have scored six or seven goals in the second half - they were so wasteful with our final pass, our final cross - so, so wasteful. There’s only one team going to win it and I can’t believe we haven’t won the game.

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“The first half was poor, it was a mistake for the goal again. I think the boys in the second half really stepped up and I thought they worked tremendously hard and ran all over the top of St Albans, to be honest. But we haven’t been good enough to win the game so there is huge frustration. I just don’t know how we haven’t scored.”

It was a surprise when striker and usual penalty taker Cody Cooke handed the ball to Young for the spot kick, after Jordan Thomas had been fouled in the area, but Young struck the ball well to make it 1-1. Wotton said he had “no idea” why Young took the penalty instead of Cooke, but added: “As long as it goes in.”

“Youngy was the best player on the pitch by a million miles - he could have had four or five goals. But it is disappointing, frustrating, but I thought our second half, we can’t do any more to win the game. It’s probably the most chances we have created all season - good chances as well.”

Perhaps the best chance to make it 2-1 came when Young hit the post and Cooke put the rebound wide. There was also a disallowed goal: according to an assistant referee’s flag, a Mussa corner went out of play before landing in the box and being directed into the net by fit-again left back Jay Foulston. A late chance by Dan Hayfield bounced on the crossbar three times!

Wotton said: “We hit the woodwork twice and had a goal disallowed - I’m not sure about that one - but we had ample opportunities to be better in their penalty box and we were off it in their penalty box. Some of our decision making was strange to say the least.

“We deserve the credit for keeping going, we are all frustrated, a quick turnaround for Tuesday, so we’ll get ourselves home, get recovered, and get on the road again. This is the first game of five games in 14 days, so we’ll tick that one off and it is what it is.”

Despite the frustration, Torquay have not been beaten in the league now for 13 games, last losing at Hornchurch at the end of October. They are at Slough Town on Tuesday night.