Tonight is the big test for Torquay United against form team in National League South

Torquay United manager Paul Wotton was just as happy on Saturday night with a clean bill of health as he was with the seven goals that his team had scored past Eastbourne Borough – and with good reason.

Already without injured trio Munashe Sundire, Cody Cooke and Ed Palmer, plus ‘sanctioned’ pair Callum Dolan and Matt Worthington, Wotton knew then that heading in the Gulls’ direction in three days’ time was almost certainly a much bigger test.

The National League South’s most in-form team, Worthing, have stormed above Torquay into third place on the back of seven successive league wins.

Wotton’s efforts to bolster his squad in the wake of on and off-field setbacks did produce a promising loan signing in young Bolton Wanderers midfielder Sonny Sharples-Ahmed before the Eastbourne rout.

But the Gulls were still able to field only five substitutes at the weekend, and it looks as if there may have to be a repeat of that at Plainmoor on Tuesday night.

Hardly ideal when you’re trying to win the title against one of your likeliest rivals.

United did play some sparkling stuff against Eastbourne, who offered to reimburse their travelling fans for having to sit through the carnage.

Worthing will surely provide sterner opposition, which would make another home win all the more significant.

Three more points could see the Gulls up to second place, to say nothing of the boost it would give to their confidence.

Fourth last year after blowing a title-winning lead, Worthing lost some big players in the summer and took a while to get going again under Chris Agutter.

But the return of former manager Adam Hinshelwood from York City has lit the touchpaper in no uncertain terms.

Worthing lost to Forest Green Rovers in the FA Cup in Hinshelwood’s first match back, but they have since reeled off eight successive wins in league and cup, scoring 24 goals and conceding only four in the process.

Striker Brad Dolaghan, 20, who started his career at Woodside Road before brief spells with West Ham United and then Aldershot on loan, returned in the close-season and is on proverbial fire at the moment - 12 goals in all and ten in his last six games.

Tuesday’s referee is Adam Merchant from Surrey.