Dover 2
(Soares-Junior 4′, Hanson 11′)
United 3
(Cooke 27′, 33′, Dreyer 65′)
United’s battling spirit was once again on full show on Tuesday evening, as United came back from two goals down to secure a gritty win at Dover.
Having fallen two goals behind to goals from Ruben Soares-Junior and Ryan Hanson, Cody Cooke’s brace saw things all square by the interval, before captain Sam Dreyer’s goal completed the comeback in the second half to seal another big victory on the road.
Boss Paul Wotton made two alterations to the side that began the 2-1 success at Hornchurch last time out, with Jordan Thomas and Cooke recalled at the expense of Munashe Sundire and Dylan Morgan, who both dropped down to the bench.
United made the worst possible start, as Soares-Junior capitalised on a mix-up at the back to fire a low drive past James Hamon on four minutes.
Having seen a second goal ruled out seconds later, Torquay couldn’t be saved on 11 minutes, as former Gull Ryan Hanson pounced upon more hesitant defending to fire home a rising drive from the edge of the box to make it 2-0.
Not for the first time though, Wotton’s men responded to the challenge in front of them.
In the 27th minutes, Foulston’s long ball forward found the run of Dan Hayfield perfectly, and with Cooke unmarked to his right, the pass was just what the United target man was after, and he duly slotted home to halve the deficit.
Six minutes later, parity was restored.
This time it was all about The Gulls’ No.9, as he made the most of a partial clearance on the edge of the box by looking up and curling a right-footed shot into the top corner of the net – via the far post to make it 2-2.
Kieran Wilson nearly gave Wotton’s men a lead before the break, as Wotton’s men ended the first period the stronger.
In the second half, United continued with the momentum they had built up before the interval, and after going close on a couple of occasions, they were rewarded in the 65th minute.
After Jay Foulston saw his sot from the edge of the box headed behind, substitute Ed Palmer followed that up by heading the resultant corner into the path of fellow centre-back Dreyer, who drilled through a crowd of bodies to turn the scoreline on its head.
Having worked so hard to scale the mountain built up before them, the men in yellow were in no mood to give up that lead thereafter, although a last-gasp smother from Hamon in a packed goalmouth was needed to seal the deal just before the final whistle.
Another away win chalked up, and all of a sudden, United’s travel sickness is becoming a distant memory.
Onto Saturday, and another big test as Dorking head to Plainmoor.
DOVER: 1. Mitch Walker (c), 4. Jallen Jones, 6. Luca Cocoracchio (8. Alfie Matthews, 75′), 10. George Nikaj, 11. Decarrey Sheriff (24. Francis Mampolo, 73′), 14. Ruben Soares-Junior, 15. Harrison Sodje, 18. Bivesh Gurung (9. Kenny Coker, 83′), 21. Jacob Mensah, 22. Momodou Jallow, 25. Ryan Hanson.
SUBS NOT USED: 3. Fuad Sesay, 7. Luke Baptiste, 23. George Wilkinson, 27. Jordan Gillmore
Yellow Card: Cocoracchio 70′, Nikaj 88′, Hanson 90′
UNITED: 1. James Hamon, 3. Jay Foulston, 4. Jordan Dyer (16. Ed Palmer, 19′), 5. Sam Dreyer (c), 8. Jordan Young (6. Munashe Sundire, 79′), 9. Cody Cooke, 18. Matt Worthington, 20. Dan Hayfield, 23. Kieran Wilson (11. Dylan Morgan, 84′), 24. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, 26. Jordan Thomas.
SUBS NOT USED: 2. Denzel Akyeampong,19. Joe Hatch, 21. Adam Seedhouse-Evans (GK), 27. Matt Jay.
Yellow Card: Palmer 73′, Cooke 81′
Attendance: 580
