Gary Johnson: ‘Not easy way to start season but three points very welcome’
Matt Buse of Torquay United challenges for the aerial ball. Photo: Phil Mingo/PPAUK - Credit: Phil Mingo/PPAUK
Timing is everything, and manager Gary Johnson greeted Torquay United’s stoppage-time 1-0 victory over Stockport County by saying: “It was a great time to get the goal, but that’s not our best game by any stretch of the imagination.”
Connor Lemonheigh-Evans volleyed in Aaron Nemane’s last-gasp cross after United had been forced to mount a rearguard action for most of the second half.
Johnson, who introduced three new loan signings in Sam Sherring (AFC Bournemouth), Adam Randell (Plymouth) and Louis Britton (Bristol City) added: “I thought we defended our penalty area fantastic, like trojans.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t attack like trojans until the end.
“It wasn’t an easy way to start the season, but the three points were very welcome.
“Stockport have a game-plan which gets the ball forward quickly. We had to stay in it.
“We lacked a bit of quality on the day. We’ve got it, but maybe that’s credit to Stockport that we couldn’t show it.
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“It’s nice to know that you haven’t played your best game and still won.
“We needed more quality when we broke forward, but when they (County) got tired near the end, Asa (Hall) found a couple of good balls for us, Adam Randell did too and Louis Britton got in a couple of strikes, one hit the bar and the other brought a great save.”
Johnson sent that trio on in the 79th minute to huge effect, and he commented: “As a manager, you do it for the right reasons and hope it doesn’t backfire on you. This time it didn’t.”
