Single-minded Gulls focussed on making Torquay United history against Daggers

Simply keeping Andy Carroll quiet is unlikely to beat Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday, as Gulls manager Paul Wotton was quick to stress ahead of what feels like another big afternoon at Plainmoor.

The likely arrival of a player who was once one of the most feared centre-forwards in English football certainly helps the box-office appeal (writes Dave Thomas).

The Gulls, with a new ‘big screen’ and LED floodlights installed, are gearing up for another 3,500-plus gate.

Carroll says he’s still playing professional football at 36, and in the National League South too, because he enjoys it.

After an injury and card-hit start to the season, the former Newcastle, Liverpool, West Ham and England targetman is surely itching to prove a point or two.

Wotton readily acknowledged Carroll’s achievements and his ‘fantastic career’, but nobody would expect the Gulls’ boss to have spent all week worrying his players on that score.

And why should he?

United are on a run of 13 points out of 18, and they can go second in the table if they beat the Daggers (19th).

“It’s not about one person,” said Wotton. “If he plays, great. If he doesn’t, no problem.

“We’ve got to be very focused and very single-minded about what we do, about what Torquay United do.”

The Gulls sustained no new injuries in the 1-0 win at Salisbury last weekend, their first on the road.

Striker Sonny Fish is, maybe, ten days away from a return from cartilage surgery, which will leave only the frustrated but always cheerful Munashe Sundire (hamstring) on the sidelines.

Wotton started new QPR loanee Cian Dillon, 19, up front in Wiltshire, with Cody Cooke taking over early in the second half.

It will be interesting to see who Wotton goes with now - Dillon’s youthful pace or what Wotton calls Cooke’s ‘warrior’ qualities?

On a day when a piece of club history beckons - United haven’t won their first six home league games since 1927 - it would be wrong and dangerous to drape this game around the shoulders of one man.

Apart from anything else, since he’s had so little game-time, it’s almost impossible to gauge what sort of form and fitness Carroll holds.

He missed the first seven matches with a hamstring injury, went on as a sub in the 62nd minute at home to Worthing (2-5) and was then sent off on the stroke of half-time at Bedford Town in the FA Cup.

Anyway, Dagenham have plenty of other threats.

Ex-Gulls loanee Ashley Hemmings, 34, scored 81 goals in four years at Kidderminster Harriers before the Daggers paid a fee to sign him during a busy summer.

In the wake of relegation last season and encouraged by a Qatar-based takeover, they strengthened their squad from front to back.

Manager Lee Bradbury’s own injury list is easing, and among their dangermen are experienced forward Donovan Wilson (Sutton, Grimsby), Jack Haigh (Farnborough) and promising winger Reshawn Scott.

Saturday’s referee is Steven Swan from Cornwall.

Twenty-four hours after the Gulls-v-Daggers match, Plainmoor will also welcome back the United Women’s team.

Buoyed by their 3-2 upset of Southampton in the FA Cup, they take on Pucklechurch Sports in the SW Regional West Premier Division (KO 2pm).