Armani Little vows to find new way to celebrate after one-match suspension

Still annoyed at the booking which earned him a one-match suspension, Torquay United midfielder Armani Little says he'll have to tone down his goal celebrations in future to stop it happening again.

The Gulls' leading scorer hit his tenth goal of the season at Eastleigh last week, only to pick up his fifth yellow card of the campaign for celebrating with fans - or rather with his boyhood friends from nearby Portsmouth.

Booking number five came just before the mid-season 'cut off' point and meant that he was banned for the 2-1 New Year's victory at local rivals Yeovil Town.

"You see players celebrating with fans around the country, and I've just watched Saka of Arsenal do the same thing after he scored against Man City, and he didn't get booked for it," said former Southampton and Oxford United player Little, 24.

"All my mates were in the crowd, and I ran over to them - I wouldn't have done it with normal fans. And it wasn't a time-wasting thing, because it was in the first half.

"But there's no point risking a yellow card for that again, so I'll just have to celebrate in a different way - let's hope I get the chance again soon.

"I'm over that now, and just getting excited about Dagenham at home on Saturday."

The opening of the January transfer 'window', even if it applies only to Premier League and EFL clubs, is sparking all the usual speculation.

United manager Gary Johnson is trying to strengthen his squad, but there may also be interest in a couple of Torquay's best players.

They already stand to lose three loanees this week.

Young striker Sinclair Armstrong and defender Harry Perritt have returned to Queen's Park Rangers and Accrington Stanley respectively, and Exeter City midfielder Jack Sparkes will only play for a final time on Saturday if he is clear of the Covid issues which kept him out of the Yeovil win.

More than 1,000 Gulls fans were at Huish Park to see Johnson's reshuffled side come from behind to win with goals by Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and an 89th minute cracker from sub Dan Holman.

It was a fourth win in five for Torquay and, after the 3-0 Boxing Day victory at Plainmoor, it gave them a first-ever 'double' over the Glovers.