Injury issues for Torquay United ahead of crunch game

As if their availability problems weren’t bad enough, Torquay United must try and pick themselves up from Tuesday’s 3-1 home defeat by Yeovil Town without the suspended Brett McGavin at struggling Havant & Waterlooville on Saturday (writes Dave Thomas).

Midfielder McGavin, whose thumping third goal of the season was almost the only bright moment of the midweek loss, is out for this match after picking up his fifth booking of the season against Bath City last weekend.

He joins an unavailable (injured) list which robbed the Gulls of several of the men who might have ruffled a Yeovil feather or two, including leading scorer Aaron Jarvis, Tom Lapslie, Dan Martin and longer-term absentee Kevin Dawson.

Also out on Tuesday was goalkeeper Mark Halstead, who may return from a concussion ‘protocol’.

But defender Ross Marshall and young loanee midfielder Callum Dolan were taken off against Yeovil with ‘dead leg’ and abdominal issues respectively, and they’ll need fitness tests at least to determine whether they can play.

When troubles come, they come in big battalions.

Despite the recent arrivals of Dolan and Theo Williams on loan from Fleetwood Town and winger Ethon Archer from Isthmian League Three Bridges, you can bet that manager Gary Johnson’s phone is still busy.

A game against the division’s bottom side – the Hawks are five points adrift even though their only win came against leaders Yeovil (4-3) back in August – should be something to relish.

But, with a combination of their erratic form and simmering discontent on the terraces, it feels as if United go to all-weather Westleigh Park under pressure.

Eighth in the table is not where their fans expect them to be, and Johnson admits: “We have got to try and get a bit of consistency.”

He was referring to the fact that United had seen off in-form Bath City (1-0) before Yeovil sorted them out, and the Gulls’ boss added: “The injuries give a chance to the other players in the squad, and they’ve got to give me a problem in wondering who you pick for the next week.”

Johnson remains convinced that United will be much closer to Yeovil as the season goes on – and they get key players like Jarvis, Lapslie and Dawson fit again and firing.

But time waits for no man, especially in football, and if Torquay were to lose at Havant, the alarm bells already ringing around Plainmoor will sound much louder.

Havant tried hard to win promotion from the NL South under Paul Doswell for several seasons, and threw resources at it accordingly.

Doswell has gone, and been-there-done-it manager Steve King (Lewes, Farnborough, Macclesfield, Whitehawk, Welling, Dartford, Gloucester) is now trying to cope with a smaller budget.

However, their record this season – and a current run of five defeats in six league games – belies the experience and quality in their squad.

Players like goalkeeper Ross Worner, Joe McNerney, James Roberts, Sam Matthews and Roarie Deacon have all enjoyed success at higher levels, and King has just re-signed the pacy Ryan Seager from Dorking Wanderers and fellow striker Kieran Phillips on loan from Kidderminster Harriers.

Saturday’s referee is Lewis Sandoe from Dorset.

United’s Under-18 side takes on Bath City in the SW Counties Youth League at South Devon College on Saturday morning (10.30am).

But the United Women don’t play again until they go to Feniton in the Devon County Cup on November 19.