Neil Warnock returns to management in Torquay United's 2-2 draw with Farnborough

"You can only go to the coffee shop so many times, you can only feed the chickens and the ducks so many times, and, you know, it gives you that edge," said Neil Warnock after his return to the dugout.

The 77-year-old took charge of his first game in more than two years as he guided Torquay United to a 2-2 draw against Farnborough in National League South.

England's most-experienced manager took his tally to 1,627 games in professional football after being named the Gulls' caretaker boss earlier this week following the dismissal of Paul Wotton.

"I had the heart pumping, nervous before the game, things like that, and you forget really," he told BBC Radio Devon.

"I even feel quite stiff if I'm honest, and I'm not really doing much running, but it's the adrenaline.

"It was nice to get a result with the fans as well, because they've been superb."

At times, it seemed as through Warnock - who has been working as an advisor to Torquay's new owners since May 2024 - had never been away.

Torquay went behind to Wes Fonguck's 11th-minute strike, despite one of his Farnborough team-mates letting the ball go through his legs while in an offside position - leaving Torquay goalkeeper James Hamon unsighted.

"The referee tried to tell me at half-time that he didn't have an interference. I said 'who told you that?', he said the linesman," Warnock said in trademark response to a decision going against one of his sides.

"Now, the linesman could not possibly have seen the ball go through his legs.

"They just make it up as they go along, don't they, really? But, hey, listen, that's life."

Sonny Blu Lo-Everton levelled for Torquay direct from a corner after an hour before Mason Bloomfield put the visitors 2-1 ahead as he capitalised on indecision by Hamon.

But Exeter City loanee Kieran Wilson claimed an 88th-minute equaliser as the Gulls earned a point.

But their winless run is now six games and fourth-placed Torquay are nine points off leaders Dorking Wanderers - having been three clear before the start of their poor run that cost Wotton his job as manager on Sunday.

"What I said to them is 'all I expect tonight is 100%, and if it's not good enough, I'll never, ever criticise you'," Warnock said, having first taken charge of Torquay in 1993.

"I thought everybody gave 100%, I can't fault any of them.

"Even when we went 1-0 down, I thought the crowd was with us, they could see they were trying their hardest and I thought at half-time we could win the game."

Click here to read article