Torquay United's mid-season 'shuffle' under way as striker Manny Duku departs

'It's a tough period but it will show the ones who can handle adversity. You always come out of it, but not always with the same people'

THE DEPARTURE OF Dutch striker Manny Duku, nearly three weeks away from the opening of the main January transfer window, is likely to be just the start of a mid-season shuffling of Torquay United's squad in the wake of a 2-1 defeat at Harrogate Town.

After moving to within two points of the National League leadership only five weeks ago the Gulls have ground to a halt after six successive defeats, including five in the league, and manager Gary Johnson is hinting strongly at more changes ahead.

Former Herenveen, Hayes & Yeading and Cheltenham Town centre-forward Duku, 26, moved to Plainmoor only last summer, but he has not made the impact which he and everyone hoped for.

After an injury-affected pre-season, four starts and 12 substitute appearances failed to yield a goal, his contract has been cancelled by mutual consent and he has returned to Holland with his wife and new baby son.

"We are sorry it didn't work out for Manny here," said Johnson.  "We wish him and his new family all the very best for the future."

Johnson had hoped that Duku, 6ft 3in tall, would be the sort of muscular centre-forward that Harrogate possessed in their veteran targetman Jon Stead at all-weather Wetherby Road.

The former Premier League targetman, who had been sent off in United's 4-2 win at Plainmoor in September, knew too much for United's young Bristol City loanee Robbie Cundy, who was taken off after an hour in a triple substitution at 2-0 down.

Centre-back Jean-Yves Koue Niate, centre-forward Jared Lewington and Ruairi Keating took over from Cundy, QPR loanee Amrit Bansal-McNulty and Kalvin Kalala.

By that time Stead (56mins), with a rasping first-time shot from the edge of the area on Brendan Kiernan's cross, had already added to Alex Bradley's tenth minute opener, deflected past Lucas Covolan off Cundy's outstretched leg.

Lewington gave Harrogate's centre-backs some problems, helping in the move which saw Ben Whitfield fouled and Jamie Reid convert his 16th goal of the season (67mins) from the penalty spot.

But Harrogate, up to sixth, were deserving winners. United are down to eleventh place, 13 points behind leaders Barrow.

Johnson was frustrated by the failure of the officials to clamp down on what is known as 'game management' tactics by the hosts in the second half.

"We've had to contend with only 25 minutes of ball-in-play.  When teams waste time for that long, and only five (extra) minutes go up, it's a shame - I know referees can't be doctors and physios, but they've got to read the game," he said.

But he quickly turned to Plainmoor's bigger picture.

"It's a tough period of time, but what it will show in the end is the ones who can handle adversity.  You always come out of it, but not always with the same people," he said.

"We have got to make sure that we've got the right people on our bus.

"We had it last season, but this year some of them have found it a bit difficult with the next step-up - that's unfortunate because I have given them every opportunity to do it.

"We are going to have to do as much as we can pretty soon, otherwise our season will be gone before we know it.

"But I am not giving up on it yet."