Clean sheets will be the platform for Torquay United

‘Clean sheets’ have always had a habit of winning football matches, and Torquay United hope that a largely unheralded new defence can follow up another sturdy performance at St Albans City (1-0) when they tackle a Bank Holiday double-header at Slough Town on Saturday and home to Braintree Town on Monday.

The alarm bells were ringing when the Gulls gave away a 2-0 lead at Dover Athletic (2-2) and then succumbed at home to Worthing (0-3) in their first two matches of the National League South season.

But the return to fitness of Ross Marshall and Dan Martin, neither of whom had kicked a ball in anger since March, and the progress of Ollie Tomlinson has allowed manager Gary Johnson to combine them with Shaun Donnellan and switch from a three to a back-four.

Just one goal conceded against Chippenham Town (2-1) and that win in Hertfordshire last week, and things are looking brighter.

Marshall and Tomlinson also scored in those games. 

Assistant manager Aaron Downes, a polished centre-back in his own playing days, now tries to pass on his know-how to the next generations, and he stresses that United's new defence, currently without the injured Dean Moxey, is still a work in progress.

"Defence is all about positional sense, reading the game and anticipation, and you have to educate them over time," says Downes.

"Behind the scenes there's been a lot of work put into both Ross and Ollie.

"They've both had to make mistakes, work on their game and work on their understanding of defence - what's right and what's wrong in a football sense - and they've taken a lot of board.

"They both know the work isn't finished.

"We believed in them, we knew there were players there, but they had to prove that in matches."

United, who may have centre-forward Aaron Jarvis, Moxey and Finley Craske back at some point over this weekend, face two added 'danger' factors at Slough.

Town play on a 3G pitch at Arbour Park, so the Gulls' training this week has been on the similar surface at South Devon College.

"Those pitches do vary, but a no-excuse mentality is key, so we're taking that out of the equation by training at SDC," said Downes.

And Slough, player-managed by former Reading and Aldershot midfielder Scott Davies, have recently signed pacy striker George Alexander on loan from Bromley.

Alexander has given Torquay problems in the past, and he marked his debut with a hat-trick as Slough ended Weston-super-Mare's good start and their own run of three defeats with a 3-0 away win last weekend.

Saturday's referee is Morgan Conn from London.

United Women will hope to put their opening 4-2 National League defeat at Portishead behind them when they travel to Moneyfields (Hants) on Sunday.