Taunton loss a new low for Torquay United

When you support a lower division football team, it’s always dangerous to say “Well, things can’t get any worse”, because they very possibly can.

But, even taking into account the recent 0-4 home drubbing by St Albans City, Tuesday night’s 0-3 defeat at the hands of Taunton Town at Plainmoor felt like a new low for Torquay United.

The only people to emerge with any credit from an embarrassing evening were the same ones who have kept the faith for the last two depressing seasons – the fans.

How the supporters of many other clubs would have reacted to such a woeful display hardly bears thinking about.

Yes, there were boos and a lot more fans than usual understandably headed for home long before the final whistle, but even at 3-0 down many of the diehards in the 2,238 crowd kept trying to encourage a team subsiding to its 16th defeat in 37 league games and its seventh at home.

We’re talking the part-time National League South here, in case anyone had forgotten. And the full-time Gulls (2wins in 15games) are halfway down it.

It’s halfway ‘down’, because the Taunton game was so important – if United had beaten a team that’s struggling to get paid at the moment, they would have taken a big stride towards the safety that’s so vital for the club.

As things stand, a ten-point deduction for going into the administration which everyone fears would leave the Gulls only three points above the relegation zone, instead of six if they had won.

Quite a difference with nine games to go, only three of them at home.

Can things get any worse? Surely not...?