Torquay need 'hurt' and 'self-reflection' - Wotton

Torquay's Denzel Akyeampong was conspicuous for his effort level against Hemel Hempstead, boss Paul Wotton has said

Torquay United manager Paul Wotton has questioned his players' effort during their 2-1 National League South defeat at Hemel Hempstead on Saturday and said the setback "needs to sting".

Centre-back Ed Palmer briefly headed the Gulls level in between Millar Matthews-Lewis' goals as Wotton's side suffered a second successive away loss.

Wotton introduced recent arrival Denzel Akyeampong in one of two half-time changes and felt the 21-year-old defender had stood out by producing "the bare minimum a football player should do".

"He showed a willingness - he headed, he fought, he ran, he tried his best," Wotton told BBC Radio Devon.

"The fact we're singling out a player for trying his best sums up the rest of the performance. It's quite telling.

"We need to hurt. That needs to sting and there needs to be self-reflection."

Torquay visit Hampton & Richmond on Tuesday (19:45 BST) and could rise as high as second with victory against their third-placed opponents, who are three points above them.

"I'm the manager and ultimately it's my job [to] make sure we're prepared and ready to go," said Wotton.

"But we were prepared and ready to go [against Hemel Hempstead]."

Wotton said captain Matt Worthington had been substituted because of a dead leg against Hemel, adding: "It's a bad one, otherwise he wouldn't have come off."