Strong relationships are the foundation for Torquay United success

Throughout the ups and downs of a long football season, it is the strength of relationships within a team that often proves decisive.

Torquay United have not had everything go their own way over the opening three months of the campaign, and early away form was a worry, but successive victories at Farnborough and Maidenhead has certainly cheered Yellow hearts.

Summer signing Sonny Blu Lo-Everton has been a key figure in the past few games after returning from injury and he believes the display in a home defeat to Hornchurch was a catalyst for United, despite the result not going their way.

The Gulls are building strong relationships all over the pitch and the importance of squad togetherness was highlighted by Dan Hayfield joining the fray early at Maidenhead to replace injured skipper Matt Worthington.

“We had a game plan [at Maidenhead] and we stuck to it,” said Lo-Everton. “We started really well, playing on the front-foot, which always helps, and I thought we played really well.

“We’ve been playing well as a team, including last weekend [the defeat to Hornchurch] and that gives you so much confidence. We knew what we were doing does work and we stuck to that over the past two games.

“There are a couple of us who have played together and succeeded together, and you then build relationships with others around you. You can see those relationships, when Dan Hayfield was thrown on after a few minutes and he put in a performance like that, very impressive.

“We work on things throughout the week and it is drilled into us. It’s nice to have a free week before we play again and we will recover in the right way because we all need it.”