Torquay stay in title hunt after Aveley victory

Cody Cooke scored Torquay United's winning goal for the second successive week

Torquay United moved up to fourth place in National League South with a 1-0 win at bottom-of-the-table Aveley.

It took an 87th-minute winner from substitute Cody Cooke for the Gulls to get over the line and remain three points behind leaders Worthing with five games to go.

Aveley, who were relegated as a result of their defeat, were reduced to 10 men with 27 minutes to go after Jack McDowell was sent off for a second booking.

But despite having the extra man, it was not until late on that Cooke fired in low to secure a fifth win in six games as Torquay kept a fourth clean sheet in five matches.

"It's a big result," Torquay manager Paul Wotton told BBC Radio Devon.

"It was a really tough game, we knew it would be.

"I've had people all week saying you're going to go there and win 4-0, 5-0, it doesn't happen like that.

"I thought we were flat first half and second half we were better marginally, but it's is all about the result."

The sees Torquay draw level on 77 points with second-placed Dorking Wanderers - who beat fifth-placed Eastbourne Borough 3-1 - and third-placed Truro City who 0-0 at Chelmsford City.

"It's so tight up there, so cut throat in the league and there's no easy games," Wotton added.

"That's why there's no runaway leader this year, it's a difficult league, but all we can do is worry about ourselves.

"Yes it's another 1-0 win, but defensively we were really comfortable, especially against 10 men.

"I thought our discipline defensively was excellent and going forward I thought we lacked a bit of quality today in the final third.

"That final shot, that final little bit, and we got a scruffy goal, but its a really good win."