Torquay United must put late Yeovil Town loss behind them, says boss Gary Johnson

Gary Johnson has been in charge of Torquay United since September 2018

Torquay United manager Gary Johnson says his side must not let their late 2-1 loss at Yeovil Town affect them.

The Gulls, who led 1-0, conceded twice in the final three minutes as a three-game winning run came to an end.

Despite that Torquay are still 11 points clear at the top of the National League, although teams below them have games in hand.

"We're disappointed but we've got a good number of points and we could have been a bit further ahead," he said.

"It was an opportunity missed for us by not winning the game, but we mustn't let this game spoil our season or ruin our season and we won't.

"The boys are disappointed, we know how disappointed they are, but we've got to move on and be ready for the next game," he told BBC Radio Devon.

Torquay's Brazilian goalkeeper Lucas Covolan played for the first time in the league since the end of October

Meanwhile, Johnson says he is keen to keep both his goalkeepers in good shape after bringing Lucas Covolan back into the side for the trip to Huish Park.

Shaun McDonald had played every league game since the middle of November after Covolan had begun the season as the Gulls' first choice.

"They work so hard the pair of them, and I couldn't go through the whole of Christmas and New Year by playing one goalie and leaving the other goalie out who's been training hard," said Johnson.

"I've got to give them that carrot that the one who's not playing believes that at some point the manager's going to bring him in and he needs to be ready. That's why I do that, to make sure that both keepers are always ready.

"If one keeper goes 40-odd games you've probably lost your second keeper mentally and he doesn't train so hard and you never know when you might need them, your first goalie might get injured and then your second goalie who hasn't been playing needs to be ready.

"I rate both of them very highly and they work very hard with their coach and they do extra hours.

"I wanted to give Lucas a carrot and at the same time to make sure that Shaun doesn't believe that I've dropped him and when Shaun comes back in that Lucas doesn't believe that I've dropped him.

"They understand what I'm doing, they both want to play every game, of course they do, but I've got to make sure I keep them both happy."