TT MATCH VERDICT

Rachel Malloch

Rachel reports on the win over Dover

TORQUAY UNITED 3-2 DOVER ATHLETIC – NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH – 25.08.25

SUMMARY

As temperatures reached 25 degrees Celsius in the bay, 3,550 Torquay United supporters basked in the afternoon Plainmoor sunshine with a further 49 fans who had made the 264 mile cross country journey hoping to see their side continue a strong start to the NLS season, despite an opening day home defeat aside, at kick off Dover were sitting 2^nd to Torquay United 7^th place.

Another Fanzone outside the ground to invoke a feelgood pre-match atmosphere, with burgers, ice cream, beer and bouncy castles (probably not wise in that order) and a test your golf skills with a virtual screen set up that seemed to be drawing much interest. A pitch for a putt you might say.

Just two changes to the starting XI following on from Saturday’s disappointing defeat at Horsham, Louis Dennis replacing Matt Jay and Ed Palmer starting in place of Jordan Dyer, while long term injuries Sonny Fish, Callum Dolan together with Lo-Everton and Dylan Morgan were still under the medical and physio team’s wings.

It only took a few minutes into the game for Jordan Young to latch onto a deft pass from Dennis, with his goal bound effort charged away. Another day, another WWF bout as Cody Cooke, running onto another Dennis through ball, was hauled to the ground winning a free kick that came to nothing.

The first 20 minutes saw Torquay United in full control of proceedings, a goal mouth scramble and the ball fell to Luton loanee Josh Phillips but his effort was blocked and cleared.

Then a moment of sheer brilliance from Jordan Young, his trademark dink of the shoulder to beat his marker and from the edge of the box his shot destined for the top corner is just tipped onto the post and out for a corner, and from the resulting corner, Ed Palmer hovers highest at the back post only for the ball to get blocked and cleared from close range, the ball then falling at Young’s feet but his effort sails over the bar. Then, moments later another attack, and Young again involved, with space in the area but he lost his footing and his shot fires high and wide. Torquay at this juncture you felt would be only a matter of time before we grabbed the lead.

A break in play, a Dover player receiving treatment, one of several drinks breaks, then on the re-start a rare Dover attack was dealt with well by Jordan Thomas as he slid in to win the ball, but astonishingly the referee, one Mr Neil Pratt (if the Pratt cap fits) deemed the innocuous tackle to be a foul. Even more ironic than rain on your wedding day and the good advice that you just didn’t bother to take, Dover from the free kick took the lead, a well struck one granted that nestled in the top corner and left James Hamon shaking his head, beaten by Dover’s first real attempt on target.

Earlier, Nash Sundire had landed awkwardly, seemingly twisting his knee during a midfield joust, and after attempting to carry on, a wince following a pass and he was down, and the end of this afternoon’s combat for him, replaced by Dan Hayfield.

Another cross into the box, another chance went begging as Louis Dennis connected and his shot deflected where once again, Torquay United were giving the Dover back line the agues and with Cody Cooke getting a toe to the ball, Dover somehow managed to, once again, clear the ball close to the goal line. At this stage of the game it was surely only a matter of time before Torquay’s complete dominance would pay off. A further corner, this time gathered by the Dover keeper, then following another attacking move, Sam Dreyer with the ball at his feet in the box is dragged down by his shirt and Pratt in black did not hesitate in pointing to the spot. Cooke stepped up and dispatched the penalty with confidence and justice prevailed. Another chance, another Dover clearance and the game poised for supporters to catch their breaths and players cool off and hydrate.

50/50 draw at £1,007 (I didn’t win quelle surprise) 3 contestants in the cross bar challenge, one winner, an admiring glance at the views across Dartmoor to the steeples and spires of St Marychurch and before you could say “Jordan Young could’ve had 5 that half” the players were out for the second half.

The breathless onslaught of the first half was suddenly jolted and shaken out of our psyche and back into the moment as following a Torquay attack, Dover broke away and with all but Jordan Thomas back, he retreated, and retreated then clattered into their player and once more Mr Pratt was pointing at the spot. Matthews thwacked it beyond Hamon and incredibly Dover were back in front.

Torquay continued to wrack up the possession stats and were striving forward, then more Youngy magic and with that drop of the shoulder, a trademark Young goal found the far corner and we were back level, again!

A compendium of corners, more possession, a substitution on 75 minutes where Josh Phillips made way for Matty Jay, more corners, but Torquay were allowing Dover to begin to dictate the midfield more and you could not help but feel we were making harder work of this game than we needed to. On the 80 minute mark our favourite Trialist A Denzel Akyeampong replaced Jordan Thomas and within a few minutes what looked like a 6 of one and half a Dover of another found Denzel in the ref’s book.

Match Day sponsors had been announced their MotM was Jordan Young and few could argue, he was our dangerman all game.

A late corner sailed over into the box and with a deft back heel from the massively impressive Ed Palmer, the ball finds the scurrying, busy Matt Jay who pokes the ball and from my perch up high on Bristow’s it took a Matrix age to trickle over the line, a pause of incredulity then rapture across the ground as we take the lead, finally!

A game that by rights should have been sponsored by Propranolol, for as we were still praising the football Gods, thumping the air and declaring our eternal love for Matty Jay, Dover conspire to venture forward and from a resulting throw in, a cross into the box finding the back of the net, only for the linesman to raise his flag for offside.

The excellent Jordan Young made way very, very late on in the game for Jordan Dyer, before a free kick to Torquay allowing us to take in some oxygen and breathe, and while the free kick fizzled to nothing, the ref’s whistle was met by a crescendo of cheers of joy, relief and a performance that did feel a bit too close for comfort taking into consideration our dominance in the first half and our possession as a whole. However, Dover have resilience and stoicism, we conversely had just enough attacking quality to grab the win.

PLAYER RATINGS

1. HAMON – 7: It took a well taken free kick and equally well taken penalty to beat Hammy, but he did just fine.

3. FOULSTON – 5: There will doubtless be better games from our left back, he just didn’t look comfortable today.

26. THOMAS – 6: No man’s land for the penalty decision, from a break away, he retreated, retreated and then….put a foot in that Mr Pratt deemed a foul.

16. PALMER – 8: A colossus, brilliant again this afternoon.

5. DREYER – 7: Dealt with everything and anything Dover could throw at us pretty comfortably.

18. WORTHINGTON – 7: Goes about his game and does a lot of the tidying and unsung work.

6. SUNDIRE – 6: Competent, went off early, hopefully the knee injury isn’t too worrying.

12. PHILLIPS – 6: Showed glimpses of his talent but faded second half.

7. DENNIS- 7: Played well, his first touch and distribution is joyful and when fully fit, no doubt triumphant!

8. YOUNG – 8: Superb performance, on another day could have had 5, or 6!

9. COOKE – 7: Battled well as is Cody’s want, didn’t get much change from their centre half and lucky to still have a shirt on his back the amount of shirt pulling on display.

SUBS

27. JAY- 7: Grabbed the match winner after the cheeky back heel from Ed Palmer following the late corner, now that’s quality not quantity!

20. HAYFIELD – 6: Went about his job with a minimum of fuss.

2. AKYEAMPONG – 5: Shepherded the game well when he came on, very unlucky to pick up a booking from that man Pratt.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – JORDAN YOUNG

He’s here, he’s there, he’s every flippin’ where, Jordan Young. A fantastic performance from Young, in a game where he could have had 5 but scored just the one, another of his trademark efforts, so lovely to watch him in full flow today.

SPECIAL MENTIONS

Ed Palmer, this man is how old? He’s got some engine and a ‘none shall pass’ ethos, not only is he a force in defence but he can play some decent football too, his passing game is often accurate and he grabbed an assist for a back heel that contributed to the winning goal.

TACTICS

4-4-2, I think, or maybe a 4-2-3-1! I mean 4 at the back, with Sundire and Worthington as the ball winners and Josh Phillips and Jordan Young as the ball carriers with a compliment of I would say 80% fit Louis Dennis up front with Cody Cooke.

OPPOSITION

They looked fairly meek without much clout first half, they definitely grew into the second half but Torquay should have been out of sight in our dominance this afternoon, so all power to Dover for making us scramble and fight for the 3 points this afternoon.

THE OFFICIALS

An awful decision for the foul given that resulted in Dover’s opener, clear as day Jordan Thomas won the ball fair and square yet Neil Pratt decided it was nefarious and as a result gave Dover an, at that stage of the game, undeserved lead. Not sure we could have too many complaints about the penalty decision, on this occasion Jordan Thomas clattered into the player in the box. He allowed a lot of shirt tugging to go unpunished and didn’t endear himself to Bristow’s bench, boos at HT and even in victory, time for more pantomime villain booing at Full Time, to which Mr Pratt smiled and cupped his ears. What does he care, it’s our blood pressure, not his and a Christmas card to the linesman who flung his flag in the air like he just don’t care to rule out what would have been a precious equaliser for Dover and a gut buster for the Torquay supporters.

CONCLUSION

Having dominated for the most part, we were still chasing a game that if we had been more clinical and dare I say a bit more cavalier in our attacking forward areas, we could nee should have been out of sight by half time. The reliable, assured confidence of our back four from last season has had a few jittery moments this and the overlap wide roles of our full backs hasn’t really looked too comfortable or potent so far. Injuries have inevitably scuppered how Paul Wotton would want his first XI to look and perform so there’s testament to the quality in the squad that we’ve had players with the ability to step in and step up available.

Cody Cooke manfully holds the line as a lone striker, prepared for the invariably bruising encounters, ideally we’d have a back up option for him, with Sonny Fish out long term, the goals have come from supporting wide midfielders and the impressive Louis Dennis. Ed Palmer continues his great form and with Dylan Morgan 3 weeks or so away we have more potency in the attacking areas.

Matt Worthington has given the midfield a backbone, and we can only hope Nash Sundire’s knock isnt anything too bothersome.

To be this unlucky early on with injuries is somewhat incongruous but the squad is coping pretty well.

There’s still a Jekyll and Hyde element to our displays, and let’s hope our away day form improves.