Two Teams Looking For A Response On The English Riviera

Torquay United have been good for so long that anything except relentless winning can attract sudden suspicious glances from elsewhere.

Gary Johnson knows his team are going through an iffy spell.

One win in six – and that at then bottom side Barnet – has left the door ajar for a challenger to make themselves known.

The Gulls boss, though, also knows the power of home victory over FC Halifax Town in front of the BT Sport cameras.

It should produce goals if the facts are indeed telling the true story.

These are the divisions two top scorers, Torquay with 42 to their name while Halifax have 33, despite currently sitting midtable.

As the world gets in line for their vaccines, three Plainmoor points will provide the Devon club with their own welcome shot in the arm.

Kyle Cameron wants them to administer the booster shot on Saturday teatime.

The defender, 24, told TUFC TV: “The majority of the season has gone really well, we started off well but the last few games we haven’t picked up as many points as we would have liked.

“But every team goes through a little patch like this every season. Personally I would rather us have this little spell now, rather than in the run in.

“We are top of the league still but we know teams have games in hand, they can catch us still.

“But you would rather have the points on the board than the games in hand,” he added.

“I wouldn’t say we’ve surprised ourselves this season. We came in with aspirations of winning the division, just as we did last year.

“We expect the same every year - we’re a team who are young and a we are a side who are ambitious.

“So to be where we are, it’s not a surprise within the camp. We’ve got quality within the squad and that’s where we think we should be. We have defended really well all season and now we need to get the next win.”

They aren’t the only ones who want to register a reaction on Saturday.

FC Halifax manager Pete Wild wasn’t a happy man after his side became the first team to not beat Barnet since December 5.

Tuesday’s night’s 2-1 loss at the Hive, he said, was self inflicted.

He called for a statement in front of the cameras and the Shay chief is determined not to make it three defeats in a row this weekend.

"Unless we cut out the silly mistakes we're going to find it very difficult to win football matches,” he told the Halifax Courier after the Barnet loss.

“When you go and give them two gifts, you're going to find it very difficult to get back in the match.

“We created chance after chance after chance, and we looked a threat but we can’t do what we did at those times.

"Our general play was not bad but we can't rely on our centre-forwards scoring two and three goals every week.

“We've got to shut the back door, it’s as simple as that. Technically and tactically, I can't stop mistakes like we made.”

He called for his team to put things right on the English Riviera.

Wild added: “We’ll have to do better for sure as we know what a good side Torquay are.”

PHOTOS: PINNACLE, DEVON LIVE & FC HALIFAX TOWN