Every Wednesday in the Herald Express, our Torquay United correspondent Richard Hughes takes a sideways look at what's going on in the world of the Gulls. This week, he takes a look at a run-ins that Torquay and their relegation rivals face as we enter the final month of the season
When Torquay United score, it is wonderful – so there were three wonderful moments at Plainmoor on Saturday, when the Gulls raced into a 2-0 lead, but ended up having to be grateful for a point from a 3-3 draw. Watching from the press bench, the delirium that met each Torquay goal – two finely worked and one lucky as – was joyful.
I haven’t stood on the Popside for some years, but it made me want to be in there again, being bumped and barged by the delighted crowd behind me. There is no better place in the world than the Popside on a good day. There is no worse place in the world than the Popside on a bad one.
But there will now be only one more afternoon to savour on the Popside for Torquay fans this season – because the next four of our five remaining games are all away. And that is slightly concerning. Torquay currently have 45 points, after 10 were stolen-away by the National League. So they have won 55 of them really, during a season of mad up-and-downess. But only 16 points have come away from home.
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At home, Torquay have collected 39, despite throwing away a couple of games, and being pretty rubbish in a few others. So being away from home for most of the run-in now might be a problem. Losing those 10 points, and a lack of points on the road, has left the Gulls five points off the drop zone, with just five games to go. So picking up enough points from games at Welling United, Truro City (in Gloucester), Bath City and Taunton Town, and avoiding a last-day relegation decider with Havant & Waterlooville, is a must.
Welling, Truro and Taunton are all in the proverbial with us – but both Truro and Taunton have games in hand. Dover Athletic at the bottom are already down and out, so it really isn’t a race to stay out of the bottom four anymore, it is a race to stay out of the three places above Dover.
Welling are 16th with 48 points and four games left. Their run-in is Torquay at home on Saturday, Havant away on Wednesday 10, Weymouth at home on Saturday 13, and Slough Town away on Saturday 20.
Truro have the most games left. They are 17th with nine remaining, and they have 46 points. On Thursday they are at ‘home’ against Hemel Hempstead Town. On Saturday they are at home against Aveley, before they are at ‘home’ against Torquay on Monday. After that it is: Eastbourne Borough at home on Wednesday 10; home against Yeovil Town on Thursday 11; home against Maidstone United on Saturday 13; home against Dover Athletic on Tuesday 16; home against Weymouth on Thursday 18th; and away at Dartford on Saturday 20.
Torquay, 18th with 45 points and five left, have Welling away on Saturday, Truro away on Monday, Bath away on Saturday 13, Taunton away on Tuesday 16, and Havant at home on Saturday 20.
Below Torquay in 19th there is Hemel Hempstead, who have 45 points – the same as the Gulls – but only four games left. They are away at Truro on Thursday, at home against Dover on Saturday, at home against Slough on Saturday 13, and away at Taunton on Saturday 20.
In 20th with 41 points and with five games to go is Eastbourne Borough, who have got Weymouth away on Saturday, Truro away on Wednesday 10, Chippenham Town at home on Saturday 13, Weston-super-Mare away on Tuesday 13, and Braintree United away on Saturday, 20.
Inside the relegation zone in 21st are Dartford, who have 40 points and four games left. They are at Havant on Saturday, home to Worthing on Tuesday, away at Yeovil Town on Saturday 13, and home to Truro on Saturday 20.
Then it’s Taunton in 22nd with 40 points with eight games to go: Maidstone United at home today (Wednesday), Hampton & Richmond Borough away on Saturday, Braintree away on Tuesday, Slough away on Thursday 14, Farnborough away on Saturday, Torquay away on Tuesday 16, Weston-super-Mare at home on Thursday 18, and finally, Hemel Hempstead at home on Saturday 20. I would suggest that is the most brutal run-in of all of the teams in danger.
Havant are sitting in 23rd, one place above relegated Dover, with 36 points and just four games left. They are Dartford at home on Saturday, Welling at home on Tuesday, Braintree at home on Saturday 13 – and of course Torquay away on the last day.
There could be a lot of twists and turns before April 20, then – and let’s hope that last day is uneventful, apart from a couple more goals to get the fans jumping for joy again – ahead of a scary summer that could bring so much change.
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