Gulls need spirit of 2019 at St Albans

The attacking intent which saw Kalvin Kalala score after ten seconds on April 27, 2019, the fastest goal in Torquay United's history, is just what the present-day Gulls will need when they take on St Albans City at Clarence Park on Saturday (3pm).

Four and a bit years ago Jamie Reid's 32nd goal of the season made it 2-0 after only nine minutes, with Opi Edwards and another from Kalala completing a 4-0 victory to sign off the club's NL South Championship.

The Gulls won that title in record goal-scoring style, and only that sort of front-foot attitude will give them a chance of a repeat this season.

If they stand off and wait for things to happen, as they did in last Saturday's 3-0 defeat by Worthing, they'll be asking for trouble against almost any team even at this level.

Gary Johnson's duly chastened side was much more aggressive in Tuesday's 2-1 win over Chippenham Town.

"If you don't turn up, you're going to come unstuck," Johnson reiterated at his midweek press conference.

"Players can't think it's going to be easy, and we had a bit of a lesson last Saturday.  But we can't rest on our laurels."  

Skipper Asa Hall (ankle ligaments) has joined fellow veterans Dean Moxey and Kevin Dawson on the injury list, which may prompt some more urgent loan transfer calls.

But the return of centre-back Ross Marshall and attacking left-back Dan Martin, neither of whom had kicked a ball in anger since March, was a major plus against Chippenham, Johnson describing them as 'like two new signings'.

And even though centre-forward Aaron Jarvis played most of Tuesday's match with a 'dead leg', he celebrated his 93rd minute winner with a sprint and 'knee-slide' in front of the Pop Side - a sight not lost on Johnson.

St Albans manager David Noble, who played as a midfielder under Johnson when Bristol City nearly reached the Premier League in 2008, has not sat back on last season's run to the Play-Off Final, for he's been busy in the summer transfer market.

He still has experienced forwards like Shaun Jeffers (Peterborough, Newport, Yeovil) and Zane Banton around.

But he's bolstered his defence with the signing of ex-King's Lynn and Worthing centre-back Dan Bowry, and it was two younger players, Dylan Fage (Oldham) and Giorgio Rasulo (Banbury) whose goals earned a 2-1 win at Havant & Waterlooville in midweek.

That game appeared to cost City a couple of injuries, former United left-back Ben Wyatt among their subs at Havant.

By coincidence, the referee George Laflin hails from Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, the same home town as last Saturday's referee at Plainmoor, Abigail Byrne.

United Ladies open their first season at National League level on Sunday.

The promoted Gulls, who completed their build-up with a 2-1 win over a strong Exeter City Reserve team, begin away to Portishead Town Ladies in a kick-off unsurprisingly delayed until after the World Cup Final between England and Spain in Australia (11am).