Torquay United hail Asa and the aces!

By Jon Couch

GARY JOHNSON hailed his Torquay United players and their intent to win as they picked up a huge three points against title rivals Sutton United.

Captain Asa Hall expertly headed the Gulls to a fourth straight win on 81 minutes as Johnson’s men scored another late goal to take the victory.

Jake Andrews had rattled the crossbar before the break, while Adam Randell was kept out by a brilliant Dean Bouzanis point-blank save on the hour mark.

Omar Bugiel dragged a chance wide at the other end before being denied an equaliser by Lucas Covolan as Torquay drew level on points with the U’s.

And Johnson told The NLP: “I thought we deserved the win. I thought it was a great game, a very competitive game. We got through and maybe should have scored one or two more.

“It was nice to get the 81st minute winner because they don’t have a lot of time to get back at you. We’ve got an experienced team, along with some young ones, and that experience saw us through the last minutes. And we did see it out.

“We created enough chances to earn that one. Yes it looks tight – and it was tight – but I was pleased with the intent to score a goal, the intent to win the game.

“Because I think Sutton would have liked to have won, but probably a draw would have been a good result for them.

“There were chances – two good teams are going to create good chances. But we are going home 1-0 winners. As long as in my head I feel we’ve deserved it, then I can be proud of them.”

Another team to make a statement on Tuesday night were Wrexham, who ended their run of three successive defeats with an odds-defying 4-0 away thumping of in-form FC Halifax Town thanks to four first-half goals.

Winger Jordan Davies was the Dragons hero as his hattrick, along with a Dior Angus strike, took Dean Keates’ men above the Shaymen in the last of the play-off places.

Stockport County continued their charge with a 4-0 win over King’s Lynn Town at Edgeley Park.

Alex Reid and John Rooney put the Hatters in control with goals either side of the break before Paddy Madden’s late double sealed a comfortable win.

Notts County squandered an early lead given to them by Jimmy Knowles as Solihull Moors hit back to clinch a 2-1 victory at Damson Park.

Jimmy Ball and Kyle Hudlin ensured a third straight win for Mark Yates’ Moors.

Draw specialists Boreham Wood were at it again as they held Chesterfield to a goalless stalemate at the Technique Stadium – denying the Spireites a sixth straight win.

The game of the night saw Bromley come from behind to record a 4-3 win in a thriller at Woking. Jack Cook’s own goal two minutes from time sealed victory for the play-off chasing Ravens, who netted through Jack Bridge, the National League’s top scorer, Michael Cheek and James Alabi. Moussa Diarra, Cook and Sam Dalby were on target for Woking.

Aldershot Town can’t be written off after they raced to a 3-0 win at Weymouth – their third straight away success and clean sheet.

Josh Rees scored twice for the Shots, either side of a Harrison Panayoutou effort.

Elsewhere, the Vanarama Player of the Month Angelo Balanta was on target again as Dagenham & Redbridge saw off Eastleigh 2-0 at home with former Spitfire Paul McCallum adding the second.