United 2
(Dolan 78′, 79′)
Dorking 2
(Rutherford 13′, Enslin 84′)
An action-packed encounter finished all-square at Plainmoor, as Jimmy Ball’s side battled it out for a point with the league leaders.
Alfie Rutherford’s opener gave the league leaders an early advantage, but the latter stages saw a quickfire double from the returning Callum Dolan almost secure United a remarkable win, before Kai Enslin’s late leveller ensured the points were shared.
For his first home game in charge, Gull boss Ball made three changes to the side that lost out to Dagenham on Saturday, with Sam Dreyer, Jordan Young and Will Tizzard taking the places of Ed Palmer, Sonny Fish and Matt Carson. Those three players all dropped down to the bench, where they were joined by the warmly-welcomed fit-again trio of Dennis, Dolan and Jordan.
United began the game well.
Young went close twice early on, with one audacious 20-yard volley forcing a fine low parry from Wanderers goalkeeper Harrison Foulkes before going even closer moments later, as the winger fired wide of goal following some superb hold-up play from home debutant Deon Moore.
Those misses appeared even more costly five minutes later.
An attack down the Wanderers left ended with a cross onto the head of Rutherford eight yards out, with the Dorking attacker only too happy to nod the ball past Seb Stacey and into the net.
The remainder of the half saw Ball’s side respond well to the setback, and although Dorking continued to show the quality expected of league pacesetters on occasions, Torquay were entitled to feel unlucky to be behind at the interval, with a number of dangerous forays into the away box just lacking the crucial final touch.
After the restart, things took a little while to really get going, but once it did, there was little time to catch breath.
The spark from which things ignited came following the introduction off the bench from Dolan, who despite not kicking a ball in anger for months, needed just fifteen minutes to announce his return.
In the 78th minute, with Dorking defenders happy to back off 20 yards from goal, Dolan looked up and let fly, with his shot beating Foulkes all-ends-up.
He wasn’t done there. Young’s right-wing cross was bang on the money this time, and with Dolan unmarked at the back post, he repositioned himself superbly before slamming his volley into the far corner to turn the scoreline on its head.
Plainmoor was now rocking, but sadly, United couldn’t quite hang on, as Dorking drew level with five minutes left on the clock.
After Sam Pearson’s close-range effort was ruled out in the 82nd mate, two minutes later Dorking celebrations were for real.
After Kai Ensilin cut in from the right, his low drive towards goal saw a number of bodies from both sides fling their way it’s direction with opposing aims, with a United player getting an unfortunate final touch, with the deflection took the ball past the stranded Stacey.
It was United that went closest to a winner in the dying stages.
Moore chipped the ball over the goalkeeper, and with Louis Dennis looking to pounce, Liam Vincent produced a miraculous goal line clearance to prevent The Gulls celebrating once more.
Dolan’s rising drive from the edge of the box forced a superb tip-over from Foulkes, before Moore’s injury-time flick into the path of another sub, Dennis, saw the frontman’s lob go agonisingly over the crossbar.
A point from a pulsating encounter was the least Ball’s Gulls deserved.
UNITED: 15. Seb Stacey, 3. Jay Foulston, 4. Jordan Dyer, 5. Sam Dreyer, 8. Jordan Young (16. Ed Palmer, 85′), 11. Dylan Morgan (10. Callum Dolan, 65′), 19. Deon Moore, 20. Dan Hayfield, 24. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, 27. Matt Jay (7. Louis Dennis, 69′), 28. Will Tizzard.
SUBS NOT USED: 1. James Hamon (GK), 14. Matt Carson, 17. Sonny Fish, 26. Jordan Thomas.
Yellow Card: Dyer 46′
DORKING: 1. Harrison Foulkes, 3. Jordan Norville-Williams (14. Ted Sullivan, 82′), 4. Dan Pybus, 10. Alfie Rutherford (26. Paul McCallum, 69′), 16. Charlie Carter (c), 33. Frank Vincent, 37. Kai Ensilin, 39. Liam Vincent, 40. Sam Pearson, 41. Harry Pinchard, 46. Louie Annesley.
SUBS NOT USED: 5. Tony Craig, 15. Dillon Grass, 25. Jake Lawrence, 27. Harry Sidwell, 28. George Knight.
Attendance: 3,917 (210 away)
