Torquay United: Kevin Nicholson sets target of eight home wins

Torquay United's 2-0 defeat by Gateshead was their ninth home league defeat of the season

Torquay United player-manager Kevin Nicholson is targeting eight wins from their nine remaining home league games as they attempt to avoid relegation.

They have only won two National League matches at Plainmoor this season, the worst record in the division.

"We've got to make this stadium a fortress now, going forward," Nicholson told BBC Radio Devon.

"February's obviously going to be a big month and then we go into a run of games that'll define the season."

It took Torquay 29 games, stretching back to February 2015, to achieve their previous eight home victories.

The Gulls will take a break from league action on Saturday, when Macclesfield Town visit Plainmoor in the FA Trophy.

Their next home league fixture is against Chester seven days later.

"We've got 10 more home games - if we win eight of them we stay up," added Nicholson.

"If we win one, lose one from now until the end of the season we stay up as well.

"If we carry on with the standards that we've been at for the last four or five games we'll be all right, but I can't keep saying it, we've got to keep doing it."