Jimmy Ball expecting more goals to come from Dylan Morgan

Dylan Morgan’s eighth goal of the season may have set Torquay United on the way to an important 2-0 win over Horsham at Plainmoor at the weekend, but new manager Jimmy Ball says the winger, and several more of his teammates, should be hitting the net more often.

It was a first Gulls victory for Ball, built on a first ‘clean sheet’ for 17 games, and it strengthened United’s Play-Off chances on a day when several other results again went for them.

Ball stressed: “I’m pleased with another goal for him (Morgan), and he’s done really well today.

“But I think, with five games to play, he should be on more than eight.

“Any attacking player in this team, with the amount of ball we have, should be on more than that.

“He needs to be on 12-15 and the same amount of assists.

“I’m going to be pushing him as far as we can go, as I am with every single player at this football club.

“The standards have to go up.

“With the chances we create and the wonderful attacking football – we should be in a different position, in my opinion.”

Jordan Young is still top scorer with 15, ahead of Louis Dennis on 13, Morgan eight and Sonny Blu Lo-Everton six.

It was back on December 30, in a 0-0 draw at Bath City, that United last kept the ball out of their own net.

Injuries, notably to centre-backs Jordan Dyer and Sam Dreyer, have undoubtedly played their part, but 57 goals against with five games left is in costly contrast to the 42 they conceded in the whole of last season.

Although Dorking Wanderers stretched their lead at the top to six points with a 2-1 home win over in-form Hemel Hempstead Town on Saturday, it came at the expense of one of Torquay’s PO rivals, while Hornchurch and Worthing dropped points against lowly Farnborough and Enfield respectively.

On National League transfer deadline day (last Thursday) Ball had added two more loan signings to his roster.

Pacy striker Reece Evans (Reading) made his debut off the bench against Horsham, but attacking midfielder Charlie Osborne, also 20, from AFC Bournemouth wasn’t cleared in time.

Osborne, whom Ball also had on loan at AFC Totton, will be available from now on.

Another good gate (3,740) followed the 3,917 who saw the 2-2 draw with Dorking last midweek.

It meant that, after a lean spell for home fixtures, 16,471 fans passed through the Plainmoor turnstiles in five matches in March.

It also took United’s total league attendances through the 70,000 mark and lifted the average figure to 3,342.