New striker Tope Fadahunsi 'will have big part to play in rest of season'

Torquay United manager Gary Johnson says he still has full confidence in his recent loan signing Tope Fadahunsi, even though he took the loan striker off before half-time in the Gulls' 2-1 defeat by National League leaders Notts County at the weekend.

Fadahunsi, 23, from League Two Sutton United, had set up the winner for Aaron Jarvis against Maidstone United (1-0) on his debut and scored the equaliser at Woking (1-1) last midweek, before Johnson withdrew him after 36 minutes against Notts.

But the Gulls' boss, who replaced Fadahunsi with his Newport County loanee Lewis Collins, stressed this week: "Tope hasn't had many 90-minute games, and we knew when he came here that we would have to get him fitter, mentally and physically.

"I mentioned before the game that he might come off before half-time and to give us everything he had for as long as he could.

"I would expect people to be disappointed when they come off, but I certainly didn't do it to embarrass him, as I didn't when I took Ryan Hanson off. I'm doing it to try and help us to win the game.

"Tope didn't storm off down the tunnel, he sat with us and cheered the lads on. We had a good chat after the game and again when we reviewed everything on Monday.

"He's an explosive player, and sprinters don't tend to run a mile very well.

"But they've got to develop what we call 'sprint endurance' - we ask them to do what's on in the game rather than what's in their lungs.

"It's all about a learning process, and Tope will have a big part to play over the rest of the season."

The Gulls, who equalised through a Tom Lapslie 'special', missed a chance against Notts, failing to open up the leaders after they had Ruben Rodrigues sent off for a careless 'handball' second booking with half-an-hour to go.

Four points adrift of safety with 17 games to go, after Oldham Athletic's 4-2 win over Dagenham & Redbridge on Tuesday night, United turn to the FA Trophy Fifth Round at 3pm this Saturday and the visit of divisional rivals Barnet, with a place in the quarter finals at stake.

The Bees (fifth) also return to Plainmoor in the league seven days later.

Meanwhile, former Torquay defender Mark Ellis, who recently had an impressive loan spell back here from Barrow, has joined York City until the end of the season.