On 25th March, Torquay United’s hopes of remaining a National League club for the 2023-24 season looked to have disappeared when they conceded a last-minute winner to lose 2-1 at home to Dagenham and Redbridge, leaving the Gulls seven points adrift of safety with eight fixtures remaining.
They have been in the bottom four since a 6-0 loss at Wrexham in September and before the current run of form had struggled mainly as a result of a poor defensive record which remains the fifth worst in the National League with 72 goals conceded. However, a run of five consecutive wins, beginning with two 1-0 wins at Boreham Wood and Scunthorpe followed by a home success against play-off hopefuls Eastleigh (2-0) and crucial wins against Maidenhead at York Road (3-1) and York (3-2) at Plainmoor has given the club based on the English Riviera real belief that they can repeat their ‘great escapes’ that they achieved in 2016 and 2017 (the former in which they overturned a 12-point deficit to survive eventually by three points).
Following their success against the Minstermen, Gary Johnson’s team are now only two points away from safety in 21st position and were only kept in the relegation zone because of Aldershot’s home win over already relegated Scunthorpe United. In this article I will look at three key factors that have influenced this turnaround and why I believe the Devon club have what it takes to retain their National League status, despite a challenging run of fixtures that sees them play Chesterfield and Wrexham in two of their remaining matches.
Nouble masterclass
Arguably the most obvious reason behind the Gulls’ recent winning run was the shrewd signing of former Premier League striker Frank Nouble last month on a short-term contract until the end of the season. Nouble had just left League 2 club Colchester United by mutual consent and as such was available as a free agent but is hugely experienced having made nearly 450 professional appearances. His impact at the club since signing has been immediate, as he formed an effective strike partnership with top scorer Aaron Jarvis and scored two crucial goals to help beat relegation rivals Maidenhead United in midweek. Nouble’s work rate has also received acclaim from manager Gary Johnson and in a recent interview with local newspaper Torbay Weekly he claimed that the pressure of the current situation is helping to bring the best out of him and his team, which has been supported well by the vast improvement in results and performances.
Reunion of Dawson and Johnson
In a bid to bolster the squad for the relegation battle, Johnson turned to a familiar face in Irish midfielder Kevin Dawson, who was signed on loan from National League North club Gloucester City for the rest of the season. Johnson brought Dawson to English football in 2013 whilst at Yeovil Town, and he played a key role in the club’s promotion to the Championship later that year. The pair then reunited at Cheltenham in 2017 where they’d remain until Johnson left the club early in the 2018-19 season and their current spell at Torquay is the third time they have worked together.
Dawson has become a very popular player with the fans in recent weeks due to his leadership skills and strong performances in midfield, with many applauding him for his work rate and versatility. Having a strong midfield and players who can lead effectively are vital to achieving your targets, and the Gulls appear to have found an effective partner for the long-serving Asa Hall in Dawson. The fact the player and manager have enjoyed a close working relationship for many years also bodes well for fans wishing for Dawson to join the club permanently in the summer, and this is yet another example of how a player can thrive when playing under a specific manager, which for Torquay has been crucial in their bid for survival.
Johnson’s experience
Gary Johnson, the father of Hibernian boss Lee, is a very experienced manager having taken charge of over 1200 games in senior football. He has been at Torquay since September 2018 and his spell in Devon has mostly been very successful, securing an immediate return to the National League by winning the National League South title in his debut campaign and agonisingly missing out on a return to the EFL in 2021 after losing the play-off final to Hartlepool on penalties. Despite this, many fans have called for him to go at points this season due to the team’s poor form, however, the club have stuck with him throughout the campaign and I feel this has been the right move as players such as Nouble and Dawson most likely would not have joined if it wasn’t for Johnson’s influence and his status as a well-respected manager. In recent weeks, his change of formation to a back 3 and effective use of wing play has led to entertaining football being produced and more goals being scored as a result of playing Jarvis and Nouble to their strengths. Often when clubs are badly struggling at the foot of the table the default option is to change the head coach in the hope that a ‘new manager bounce’ would help provide instant results, but Torquay’s patience and trust in Johnson despite looking in a dire position for most of the campaign could well be the most important factor if they are to not get relegated.
Can they pull it off?
Avoiding relegation this season would add to an impressive collection of great escapes for Torquay United, having twice pulled away from danger under arguably even more precarious positions in 2016 and 2017 when former player Kevin Nicholson was manager. However, I strongly believe that they can repeat this feat in the current season as the recent run of wins and top-notch additions to the squad such as Dawson and Nouble have given them the momentum that is so crucial at this stage of the season. Their playing and coaching personnel is stronger than the teams they are competing with such as Aldershot, Maidenhead and York and the club’s recent history in achieving similar feats is only going to give them extra belief and confidence that they will avoid relegation. However, if this is achieved I think Nouble and Dawson in particular must be signed on longer-term deals in the summer if the club is to avoid another relegation scrap next term.
