Torquay boss Ball prioritises league over FA Trophy

Torquay United manager Jimmy Ball will use his side's FA Trophy second-round tie against Horsham to rotate his squad.

The Gulls travel to their National League South rivals having won back-to-back away games for the first time this season.

But with a number of players carrying injuries, Ball says it is an opportunity to give fringe players a chance as he tries to improve Torquay's league form.

Last season's beaten play-off finalists are in 11th place with almost a third of the season played.

"It's an opportunity for players to play that need minutes," he told BBC Radio Devon

"An opportunity for a couple of young boys to come into the squad, that's what it is.

"We've got to look after the squad, we're light, we couldn't fill a bench on Tuesday night.

"So we're going to bring some young kids in and give players who are desperate for minutes and hungry and angry, and all those things that when you're not playing that you feel, and they get to go and play Saturday and show themselves at their best hopefully."

As sixth-tier sides, Torquay and Horsham enter the competition in the second round.

They would have to win seven games to make the final at Wembley in May - something Torquay have not done since 2008.

But Ball says the competition is not as a high a priority for him as trying to guide the Gulls back to the National League, having narrowly missed out last season.

"There's maybe one, maybe two occasions where a team's got to the final or won the Trophy and been promoted," he said.

"Ultimately our goal here, as it is always is, as it was at the start and it still is now, is to get promoted put of this league, so we need to prioritise that."