Preview: Torquay United vs. Woking - prediction, team news, lineups

Torquay United welcome Woking to Plainmoor on Monday, seeking to earn their first win of the National League season.

While the home side have picked up just a point from their two opening fixtures, their visitors are targeting a second away victory of the new campaign.

Match preview

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Two months after their heartbreaking playoff final defeat on penalties, Torquay United returned to Plainmoor - only to start the new league season with a 3-1 defeat against ambitious Altrincham last week.

The visitors took a two-goal lead inside 19 minutes and would never relinquish it, as they ran out comfortable winners at the final whistle.

Having followed that up with a battling draw at last term's playoff semi-final victims Notts County on Saturday, the side that finished second in the National League in May now meet a team that ended up 18 places below them in the final standings.

Though the Gulls beat Woking at home and away in league action during the 2020-21 season - in the space of three weeks during April - they lost 1-0 to the Surrey-based side in the FA Trophy last February.

Experienced manager Gary Johnson - who took charge in September 2018 and went on to guide Torquay to the National League South title - has a 54% win rate since taking to the dugout in Devon, and will hope to see his side make a mark in the win column just 48 hours after their previous outing.

Meanwhile, Woking got their professional era off to a successful start last week, with a 2-1 win at Wealdstone, as Max Kretzschmar bagged a first-half brace to secure three points on the opening day.

Saturday's encounter with Halifax Town at the Laithwaite Community Stadium saw Alan Dowson's new-look squad fall to a 3-2 defeat, though, after two goals either side of the break put the West Yorkshire outfit in charge.

Nevertheless, the Cards have stated an ambition to improve markedly on last term's 18th place - when finding the net was a particular problem - and talk of a push for the top 10 or beyond illustrates a new-found confidence since switching to full-time status and improving facilities at their Tolworth training ground.

Dowson's summer recruitment has left him with "the strongest squad" he has ever managed, so the former Kingstonian boss will expect to push Torquay all the way on Bank Holiday Monday, and bounce back from a first defeat of the season.

Team News

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Woking boss Alan Dowson added winger Jordan Maguire-Drew to his revamped squad over the summer and the former Leyton Orient man will push for another start after scoring on Saturday.

Goals were a problem for the Cards last season, but now Inih Effiong has George Oakley and Tahvon Campbell to compete with for a place up front. In addition, Tyreke Johnson, Jamar Loza and Maguire-Drew provide several other attacking options.

At the back, Moussa Diarra, Joe McNerney and Tom Champion look set to battle it out for two places at the heart of the defence, with one possibly sitting out on Monday - or shifting to full-back.

Gary Johnson, meanwhile, is expected to select either a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 formation, as he looks for a response to Torquay's difficult opening week.

His squad may take time to settle, being made up of 10 players who stayed from last season and 12 new arrivals - including striker Dan Holman, who signed on a free transfer and will start up front.

Defender Ali Omar was dismissed in the first half on Saturday, so he must serve a suspension and misses out.

Torquay United possible starting lineup:
Halstead; Johnson, Lewis, Moxey, Martin; Lapslie, Little, O'Connell, Wynter; Holman, Wright

Woking possible starting lineup:
Ross; Casey, Diarra, McNerney, Champion; Maguire-Drew, Kretzschmar, Ince, Lofthouse; Oakley, Campbell

We say: Torquay United 2-1 Woking

Torquay have gone from strength to strength in recent seasons, as Gary Johnson seeks to return them to what they believe is their rightful place in league football - however a sluggish start needs to be swiftly brought to an end.

They can take another small step on the long journey to promotion with a win on Monday, as they meet a Woking side that are likely to come up short defensively.