TORQUAY UNITED midfielder Damon Lathrope says the Gulls surviving in the National League would be “as big as a promotion”.
The Gulls travel to in-form Aldershot on Saturday knowing that a victory could take them out of the bottom four.
Torquay also face difficult trips to Lincoln City and Dover Athletic and know they will have to beat fellow relegation rivals Braintree Town and North Ferriby United at home to give themselves a chance.
Lathrope, in his second spell at Plainmoor, played in the Football League for the Gulls and knows another relegation to the National League South would be a “disaster”.
Kevin Nicholson‘s side have won just two of their previous 11 games and they will have to better that record in the remaining five games to climb out of the bottom four.
Lathrope told BBC Radio Devon: “You get relegated from this league and you haven’t got far to go – there isn’t much else out there.
“It’s a massive club that shouldn’t be in this league, let alone the one below, but it’ll be a disaster for the players, the fans – everything.
“It’d be massive, it’d be as big as a promotion in effect – personally as players, it’s your careers. We know the reality of the situation, but we don’t want to start worrying and over-thinking about getting relegated.
“I haven’t given it too much thought yet because I’m fully confident that we’ll do the job.”
