Damp squib from Torquay United

Manager Gary Johnson made no attempt to gloss over the shortcomings after ten-man Torquay United had lost 1-0 at home to Maidstone United at Plainmoor.

It was former Gulls goalie Lucas Covolan who was celebrating a match-winning clean sheet after Sam Bone’s 69th minute goal finally beat a United team down to ten men from defender Ross Marshall’s dismissal for a ‘last man’ foul after only 29 minutes.

Mark Halstead kept United in the game then with a full-stretch penalty save, but Torquay still went down to a second home defeat and their second successive league loss.

“We know where our standard is, and it certainly wasn’t there today,” said Johnson.

“We started poorly.

“They go out of the dressing room like raging bulls, and then they start a bit like damp squibs.

“We were disappointed with the sending-off, but one of the things I agreed with the referee is that it was probably a red card.

“I thought the ten men tried hard without playing well, even though they had three great chances doing that.

“Hopefully we can get the points back that we lost today, but we’ve got to quickly get back on the bike and be ready for next Saturday.

“This team can turn it around in a week, and we will have to see what surprises there are for next Saturday.”