Torquay United aiming to beat the bookies

If you look at the bookies' odds, today's National League game between Notts County and Torquay United at Meadow Lane is a complete mismatch.

County are 6/1 ON to win, Torquay 11/1 against.

And why not?  Over the last 13 games Notts, three points clear of even bigger spenders Wrexham, have taken 32 points out of 39, and the Gulls, two points adrift at the bottom, six.

The fact that United have lost only one of the last eight meetings between the clubs, including a 5-1 rout of the Magpies here last season and that fondly-remembered 4-2 win in the 2021 Play-Off Semi-Final, counts for little.

That was then, this is now.

Almost the only blots on County's season have been surprise defeats at Dorking Wanderers (1-3) and at home to Coalville Town in the FA Cup, when manager Luke Williams - he replaced Forest Green-bound Ian Burchnall in the summer - played a weakened team and paid the price.

When Notts lost in last season's Play-Offs, appointed the under-the-radar Williams and sold leading scorer Kyle Wootton to Stockport County in the summer, plenty of grinding teeth could be heard on the banks of the Trent.

County fans needn't have worried.

The signings of strikers Macauley Longstaff and Cedwyn Scott, whose goals carried Gateshead to promotion last season, have been a spectacular success - Longstaff has hit 17 in 15 games, Scott seven in 14.

And another 'low profile' arrival, Albanian-born midfielder Geraldo Bajrami from Kidderminster, has also been a hit.

Williams, who cut his teeth in coaching or assistant roles at Brighton, Swindon, Bristol City, MK Dons and Swansea, is the new 'Messiah'.

United manager Gary Johnson said this week: "Everybody will be thinking it's pretty much of a pushover for them.

"But you can't just sit back and watch them pass the ball around."

By the way, how about a better bet? That, despite everything, another crowd of 250-plus Gulls fans will be at Meadow Lane to cheer them on…

The referee is David Richardson from West Yorkshire.

United's Youth team is at home to BRS Coaching Academy (Hampshire) in the SW Counties Under-18 League on Saturday at South Devon College (10.30am).

The Gulls' Women are away to Bishops Lydeard (Somerset) in the SW Women's League Premier Division on Sunday (2pm).