MATCH PREVIEW | Torquay United v Welling United

Welling United return to league action as they make the journey west to take on Torquay United at Plainmoor on Saturday afternoon (3pm).

The Wings can travel with plenty of confidence despite last weekend’s FA Cup defeat at Boreham Wood, having put in an excellent shift which was deserving of more.

Indeed, before that, Danny Bloor’s men were unbeaten in five fixtures in all competitions and will be hoping to secure a first league win since picking up three points at Tonbridge Angels in August.

Welling will continue to be without the injured Mitch Dickenson, while Ben Winterbottom will also miss out after picking up a concussion in last weekend’s cup clash.

Lewis White is also a doubt after he was forced to withdraw with a suspected dislocated shoulder at Boreham Wood.

James Vaughan is set to miss out again through injury, but TJ Bramble will be available again after scoring twice for Antigua & Barbuda on international duty last week.

THE OPPOSITION

Torquay are plying their trade in the National League South for only the second season in the club’s history having suffered relegation from the National League last term.

The Gulls had previously spent a solitary campaign in the sixth tier in 2018/19, winning the title for an immediate return, which will surely also be their goal this time around.

They currently sit in seventh position, occupying the final play-off spot, with six wins, one draw and four defeats from their 11 games played, so far.

Torquay come into the game off the back off back-to-back defeats against fellow newly-relegated side Maidstone United, both in the league and FA Cup.

Gary Johnson will be able to welcome back defender Ross Marshall having served a one-match ban.

PRE-MATCH CHAT

Danny Bloor: “It’s a great game for us off the back of the FA Cup last week. It’s a fantastic stadium.

“The boys have trained really well this week, their attitudes have been incredible and it’s a game we’re really looking forward to.

“It’s nice to get back into league action, it feels like a while, and we’re in good spirits.

“Ben Winterbottom won’t be playing. There’s a possibility of getting a goalkeeper in, but we have no reservations about young Javarn [Pitterson] playing.

“Lewis White is touch and go, but will travel. James Vaughan will miss out, but TJ Bramble is back for us. It’s all part of management now at all levels. You just have to accept, players are going to miss out, they will be injured and they will be in and out of form, but I could not be any more pleased with the way the boys have trained this week and their attitudes.

Torquay Boss, Gary Johnson: “We lost those last two [against Maidstone] but they so easily could have been two wins. There are 35 games to go and, hopefully, people are seeing that we’re in a play-off position, just four points off the leaders, so we musn’t let that Maidstone defeat mess us up for the league.