Hargreaves hails Gulls

Chris Hargreaves lauded his struggling Torquay side after they ended a six-match run without a win by beating Rochdale 2-1.

Torquay's skipper for the night Krystian Pearce opened the scoring with a powerful header before Jamie Allen's close-range leveller before the break. Joss Labadie scored the 81st minute winner after Damon Lathrope's shot could only be parried by Dale goalkeeper Josh Lillis to leave Hargreaves beaming. Hargreaves said: "I am really pleased. It was a good and much-needed win. Each game is becoming much more important but this will give everyone a lift. "From the off I thought we looked right, I think the set-up was right and the attitude was right. We could have been 4-1 up at half time against a very good side. "In the second half we just cracked on again and got our just rewards in the end. "I am really pleased for Joss Labadie, he's done the business. At half time I told him to play on the front foot and try and get in the area more and he did that and followed up well to get his goal. "For once we got a break, a slice of luck and you need that and when the rebound came out, Joss was there - in the right place at the right time and he got the winning goal. "Overall I was really pleased with the lads- I thought there were some good performances all over, they were all excellent because they are under a lot of pressure. But this will give them a lift and you never know. "The front four played really well and for the first time in a long time I felt comfortable. There was a good tempo to our game and I thought the two wide lads Courtney Cameron and Shamir Goodwin both made a difference, gave us energy and were excellent."