Torquay United 3–2 Dover Athletic
National League South — Mon 25 Aug 2025
Venue: Plainmoor • Attendance: 3,957 (49 Dover)

Dover suffered late heartbreak at Plainmoor as substitute Matt Jay poached an 89th-minute winner to deny the Whites a battling point after Alfie Matthews twice put Jake Leberl’s men ahead.

Dover went into the game with an unchanged XI and Ruben Soares-Junior back on the bench. Torquay’s early surge had the home crowd in full voice, but Mitch Walker produced a stunning flying stop on 14 minutes to turn Jordan’s rising drive over the bar. Moments later Francis Mampolo, back on his feet after treatment, won a free-kick 20 yards out; up stepped Matthews, and in trademark fashion he arrowed the set-piece into the top corner to put Dover in front.

The Gulls responded with pressure and, after a scramble, were awarded a penalty when Jacob Mensah was adjudged to have pulled Dreyer. Cooke buried it despite Walker diving the right way on 35 minutes to level the contest. Torquay flashed one across goal in stoppage time, but it was all square at the interval.

Leberl made a double change at the break — Soares-Junior for Sheriff and Baptiste for Mampolo — and Dover struck immediately on the counter. George Nikaj burst from deep, surged into the box and was tripped; Matthews converted the penalty just four minutes into the half to restore the lead.

Torquay hit back around the hour mark as skipper Young weaved into the area and drilled low across Walker for the equaliser. Harry Beadle replaced the injured Ryan Hanson shortly after, and while Torquay carried the territory, Dover defended stoutly — stepping up expertly to catch the hosts offside on several occasions — and threatened on the break, with Sesay’s driven cross nearly forced in by a retreating defender.

As legs tired, Wilkinson came on for Matthews with nine minutes left and Coker replaced Cocoracchio in the closing stages. But with the clock ticking down, a Torquay corner wasn’t cleared; a back-heel at the near post squirmed through a crowd and Jay reacted quickest to stab home from point-blank range. Dover thought they’d equalised instantly, only for the flag to cut short the celebrations. After four minutes of added time, the whistle confirmed a narrow defeat that felt cruel on the Whites’ effort and organisation.

Dover Athletic:

Walker (C), Charles-Cook, Jones, Mensah, Sesay; Cocoracchio, Matthews, Hanson, Nikaj, Sheriff, Mampolo.
Subs: Soares-Junior, Baptiste, Coker, Beadle, Lukombo, Wilkinson, Gillmore.

Torquay United:

Hamon (GK), Foulston, Dreyer, Sundire, Dennis, Young, Cooke, Phillips, Palmer, Worthington (C), Thomas.
Subs: Akyeampong, Dyer, Wonnacott (GK), Crosbie, Hayfield, Jay, Edwards.