The Football League's last remaining 100 per cent record disappeared as Torquay were deservedly beaten despite a late flurry of pressure. Paul Buckle's side dropped to second place, behind Shrewsbury, as the Gulls' afternoon ended acrimoniously with the defender Guy Branston losing his cool with Southend's club photographer, David Scriven, on the final whistle. As both walked across the pitch, Branston confronted the photographer, whose time-wasting "crime" had been to flick the ball into empty stands as Torquay chased a stoppage-time equaliser in vain.

Following Barnet has never been as much fun as in their earliest days as a Football League club, but then how could it be? In the first month of the 1991-92 season they lost the opening game at home to Crewe 7-4, drew 5-5 at Brentford and won 6-0 at Lincoln. All that and Stan Flashman, the country's most famous ticket tout, as chairman. No wonder Barry Fry, the ebullient manager at the time, prone to dashing down the touchline at every goal scored, had heart trouble.