Wotton slams 'awful' Torquay in Dorking loss

Paul Wotton's side have won just one of their seven away games this season

Paul Wotton described his Torquay United side as "awful", "shambolic" and "abysmal" in their 3-1 loss at Dorking Wanderers.

The Gulls, who slipped to fifth place in National League South, were 3-0 down at half-time.

Alfie Rutherford gave the hosts a seventh-minute lead before Josh Taylor made it 2-0 in the 25th minute and Jimmy Muitt got a third in stoppage time.

Jordan Young scored a consolation deep in second-half stoppage time as Torquay's poor away form continued.

Wotton's side have won just one of their seven away games this season - the loss at Dorking was their fourth on the road.

"The first half was awful from all of us and I apologise for that," Wotton told BBC Radio Devon.

"First six or seven minutes, the game plan that we worked on all week was working perfectly.

"We try a 60-yard cross-field ball that gets cut out and then three of our defenders get waltzed past and it goes in the back of the net, so that's too easy.

"That's your first disappointment, second disappointment - we give the ball away again with a stupid sideways pass and they run on the back of us and go past us again too easy, although it's a hell of a strike from the lad.

"But it's too easy and the third goal summed us up first half - at 2-0 you've got half a chance, at 3-0 it's done.

"The three goals we conceded were nothing short of shambolic, absolutely abysmal."

Wotton's frustration was compounded by the fact he and his side had all week to work on their tactics for the trip to their Surrey-based opponents.

But he says his players' attitude upset him during the first half:

"We picked a team specifically to play against Dorking - worked on it all week, couldn't have had better preparation.

"Obviously our way form isn't good enough, simple as that. It hasn't been working before so we tried something different and the goals we conceded have done us.

"I think there was a lack of fight, there was a lack of intensity, there was a lack of running, a lack of togetherness in the first half, which is obviously on me, I'm in charge."