Match Report by Fred Deveson

A bright afternoon in Wiltshire saw Dover narrowly lose to Chippenham Town 2-1, but the performance from the Whites showed significant improvement.

The away side changed their thinking and approach for the game yesterday, with there being an increased emphasis on keeping the ball and looking to build attacks slowly from the back.

The Whites made the best start to the game. Baptiste was looking lively on the left and Nikaj was working hard on the right and getting some joy against their left back.

Dover won some early corners and looked threatening from them but there was no goal yet.

The majority of possession was Dover’s and they looked ever more threatening when building from the back. However, it was Chippenham who had the best chance of the half, when their number four went in behind Ojemen and hit the bar.

Soon after, the ball was picked up in the middle by Naylor, who ran into the box and was bundled over but no penalty was the decision. The hosts then counter but it comes to nothing.

The visitors looked threatening from set-pieces and that is exactly how they took the lead. A good ball from Wilkinson came in and it was Holding who rose highest and the ball dribbled in. Dover were one up.

The second half started similarly, with Dover dominating the ball. The hosts came out with more energy and enthusiasm as they sought an equaliser. 

The Bluebirds got themselves a free-kick in a good positionoutside the area but Jinadu saved easily once again. The away side then went up the other end, earnt themselves a corner and almost doubled their lead but Naylor headed just over.

Not long after, the hosts were back on level terms. Some poor defending from Dover and confusion in the penalty area gave their forward an open goal to tap the ball into.

The pressure from the home side grew as the game wore on. The Whites were getting tired towards the end and this only helped the hosts.

Then in the 87^th minute, it was Chippenham Town who took the lead. A corner came in and was headed out but not far enough, as their number four crashed a shot off the bar which just went over the line. The referee gave the goal much to the delight of the home fans.

Dover made a late surge to try and level the game but their hopes and efforts came to nothing and it was the hosts who took all three points.

It’s Maidstone at home next Saturday for Dover who will look to bounce back against the FA Cup story of the season.

Chippenham Town: 1 HENRY 2. HEWLETT 4. FASANMADE 6. HAINES 9. MCCLURE (C) 10. OWEN-EVANS 12. MEHEW 14. SPOKES 15. ELLISON 16. BRADBURY 20. KING

Subs: AMADI-HOLLOWAY, 7. JOHNSON, 8. EVANS, 17. WILLIAMS, 19. JONES

Dover Athletic: 1 JINADU, 3 CHARLES-COOK 16 MENSAH (C), 26 HOLDING, 4 OJEMEN, 15 NAYLOR, 14 WILKINSON, 8 OLIVER, 22 BAPTISTE, 10 NIKAJ, 20 DEMBELE

Subs: 7 OLADIPO, 17 HATCHER, 18 YOUNG, 11 ALLEN, 23 STEWART

Match report by Fred Deveson.

The fans were in full voice for last night’s match against St Albans, but it was the away side who took all three points.

The away side started the game on top and had lots of the ball and some good chances. Dover couldn’t get near the visitors at the start of the game.

Daniel Jinadu was called into action a couple of times early on and the Dover goalkeeper made a number of good saves to keep the score level. 

The away side were efficient in attack and were making some good combinations that were working well for them and Dover just couldn’t handle it. 

Destiny Oladipo made his first start for the club in the league but did not have much to do due to the visitors pinning Dover back, but when he did get the ball he used his strength effectively and was a very good outlet.

George Wilkinson had a long range effort from the half way line go wide of the goal and that was Dover’s only real threat in the first half. 

It wasn’t long after this that the visitors took the lead however. Shaun Jeffers, St Albans’ main man, found the back of the net after a good passing move by the away side. The goal had been coming.

The second half started much brighter for Dover. Two substitutions were made by Jake Leberl at half time which saw Dembele and Young come on, both of which provided an injection of energy and enthusiasm.

Dembele made some positive runs in behind the defence and worked incredibly hard to try and level the scoring. 

The chances did eventually come thick and fast for the hosts. Dembele chased a hopeful ball in behind and managed to get the better of the defender but his effort was saved. He then picked up the loose ball and tried to lift it over the goalkeeper but the ball bounced back off the bar. Nikaj then had a chance to finish but his effort was blocked and the chance to equalise went amiss.

Dover continued to have lots of the ball but chances for either side were few and far between.

Towards the end of the game St Albans had a shot crash off the post after a brilliant effort left the goalkeeper rooted to the spot. 

The game then petered out with the away side wasting time and seeing out there 0-1 win to make 9 wins in their last 13 games. 

Dover Athletic: 1 DANIEL JINADU, 3 ROMAN CHARLES-COOK, 16 JACOB MENSAH (C), 26 SCOTT HOLDING, 4 PETER OJEMEN, 25 JOHN OYENUGA, 14 GEORGE WILKINSON, 8 FREDDIE OLIVER, 22 LUKE BAPTISTE, 10 GEORGE NIKAJ, 7 DESTINY OLADIPO

Subs: 9 ZIDAN SUTHERLAND, 15 CHARLIE NAYLOR, 18 HENRY YOUNG, 11 IFFY ALLEN, 20 NICK DEMBELE

St Albans City: 1 JOHNSON, 2 JAMES, 3 BROWN, 4 SMITH, 6 CLARK, 8 RASULO, 9 JEFFERS, 11 BANTON, 15 HUTCHINSON, 18 FRANCIS-CLARK, 28 HODDLE

Subs: 5 BOWRY, 7 BLACKMAN, 12 WEISS, 19 BURGER, 31 MENSAH

Attendance: 410

Referee: Steven Hughes

Match report by Fred Deveson

A milder afternoon saw Dover fall short once again, as they lostout to Billy Terrell and Dartford in a narrow 1-2 defeat.

The game kicked off was Dover kicking from left to right, and it was the hosts who dominated the start of the game, having plenty of the ball in the Dartford half.

George Nikaj was looking positive on the right for the hosts and had a penalty shout waved away in the early exchanges. The away side then broke away but they attack came to nothing.

The Whites were utilising the wide areas well and Baptiste found himself in some good space in the wide area, but his ball came to nothing, and Dartford survived again.

The visitors did make a comeback halfway through the first half. A close-range effort was saved by Jinadu after a well worked move by the away side. 

Dartford then picked up the ball around the edge of the area and fired a shot at Jinadu, who made a great diving save to his right to keep the score level.

The visitors kept the pressure up and Jinadu was called into action again, as were Mensah and Holding, who kept the away side at bay well for large parts of the first half.

The number 7 of Dartford had a shot that went just over, but that wasn’t it for the first half, as the visitors did eventually take the lead. George Wilkinson said pre-match that Dover had been working on set-pieces during the week, but that was exactly how Dartford went ahead. A corner came in from the visitors and the header away only fell to a purple shirt and he fired it past the goalkeeper to put the visitors in front.

The Whites started the first half much like they started first; on the front foot, and whatever the manager said at half time definitely had an impact.

Baptiste found some more space in the wide areas and delivered a great ball, only for Billy Terrell to stop it reaching Zidan Sutherland with a good save.

Another chance came soon after for The Whites as George Nikaj fires the ball across the face of goal, with no one there to meet it.

George Nikaj had some more joy down the right hand side, as another ball in from him fell to Wilkinson, who’s effort crashed off the bar. 

Substitutions started to come for Dover, as manager Jake Leberlbrought on Destiny Oladipo and Iffy Allen in a bid to get the equaliser. 

And shortly after bringing on Oladipo, it was the big number 7 who got the goal for Dover to level it up. Roman Charles-Cook made a good overlapping run into the box and delivered a perfect ball to Oladipo who squeezed it in from close range.

However, just eight minutes later, a corner came in from Dartford and Jacob Mensah was adjudged to have handballed and a penalty was given. 

The visitors converted the penalty, sending the travelling fans into delirium. 

That wasn’t it for Dover’s chances however, as a free-kick came in from the left by Wilkinson which was met by Nikaj, who headed it goalwards but it was somehow cleared off the line.

Dartford then survived the final few minutes to take all 3 points back home with them for the first time since Boxing Day.

Dover Athletic: Jinadu, Charles-Cook, Mensah, Holding, Naylor (Oladipo 69mins), Oyenuga, Wilkinson, Oliver, Baptiste (Allen 61mins), Nikaj, Sutherland. Subs not used: Ojemen, Young, Dembele.

Dartford: Terrell, Wynter, Smith (Maloney 86mins), Nembhard, Rooney (Adebowale 86mins), Romain, Coulson, Shomotun, Box (Wall 77mins), Clifford, Statham, Subs not used: Whitefield, Boulton.

Referee: Dan England.

Attendance: 794.

Dover lose in goal-fest on the West Sussex coast with 4 goals from Dover Academy graduates.

The first 15 minutes saw early chances for either side with the Whites getting the first shot on goal. At the other end a scrappy goal mouth scramble from a Worthing corner was cleared off the line by Ojemen.

Not long after Worthing hit first after a turnover of possession in midfield resulted in a ball over our defence. Jinadu was caught outside of his box trying to claim the ball and was lobbed.

Just five minutes later Whites failed to clear a couple of corners and Worthing grabbed a second.

On the 32nd minute Nick Dembele had a chance through on goal and was taken out by the Worthing keeper just outside of the box. Jeffries was seriously injured in the challenge and was stretchered off after a 15 minute stoppage. We wish him all the best in his recovery.

Soon after the restart Worthing’s Ollie Pearce got his first of the game. George Wilkinson gave an instant reply for Dover with an incredible free kick from near the corner flag which went straight in at the keepers near post. 

A couple of minutes later Luke Baptiste is bought down inside the penalty box and neatly converts the resulting spot kick. At the eventual half time whistle Dover found themselves just one goal behind the opposition after a tough first 45 minutes.

A substitution at half time saw Peter Ojemen make way for Roman Charles-Cook in defence. 

Just 6 minutes into the second half Ollie Pearce struck for a second time and 10 minutes later got his third from the penalty spot. The prolific Worthing goalscorer then got a fourth in the 71st minute.

Wilkinson was able to grab his second of the game in the 77th minute before Archie Hatcher got our fourth goal in the 91st minute, heading into an empty after some great team play to work the ball up the pitch.

Whites host Dartford at Crabble next Saturday after our away trip to Truro on Tuesday was postponed.

Worthing: 13 JEFFRIES, 23 FELIX, 27 YOUNG, 2 COLBRAN, 15 LIVESEY-AUSTIN, 20 WADHAM, 8 KLASS, 28 CASHMAN, 22 FAGE, 17 WILLARD, 10 PEARCE

Subs: REES, WILLS, ROBINSON, O. STARKEY, CHADWICK

Dover Athletic: 1 JINADU, 4 OJEMEN, 16 MENSAH (C), 26 HOLDING, 15 NAYLOR, 25 OYENUGA, 14 WILKINSON, 8 OLIVER, 22 BAPTISTE, 10 NIKAJ, 20 DEMBELE 

Subs: 7 OLADIPO, 17 HATCHER, 18 YOUNG, 3 CHARLES-COOK, 9 SUTHERLAND 

Attendance: 1581

With both teams sitting bottom of their respective leagues, a Kent Senior Cup game (which had already been postponed on more than one occasion) didn’t seem high on the priority list for either side. 

Despite playing a squad largely comprised of current academy players and graduates,  the Whites progressed with ease. 

The ball was in the back of the net in the first 5 minutes with Whyte heading the ball past the keeper from a cross originally intended for Oladipo, who was adjudged offside.

Consistent pressure from Dover returned some decent attempts but many failed to hit the target. In the 22nd and 26th minutes respectively both Nico Jones and Charlie Naylor were booked by the referee.

Just before half time Dover got their reward with a goal from Whyte on the left hand side of the box, striking low under the keeper from a tight angle.

Whites had the better of the first half and could easily have been a couple up despite Beckenham threatening from some set pieces.

Half time substitutes for the Whites saw Naylor make way for Mensah and Dembele for Baptiste.

In the 54th minute Nico Jones was shown a second yellow for a very soft foul and was given his marching orders. Dover quickly responded, despite now being a man down, with Destiny Oladipo finding the back of the net.

Gaps began to show for the Whites with Beckenham pressing high up the pitch, their best chance of the night was blocked on the goal line by Jacob Mensah, stopping a certain goal.

A few moments later Whyte made way for Nikaj which quickly followed a second goal for Destiny Oladipo. His drive struck a defender and flew into the net.  

A flurry of goal mouth scrambles and late attacking threat from Beckenham was cleaned up effectively by the Dover defence who then went on to score in the final moments of the game when brilliant work by Baptiste put it on a plate for Gray who made no mistake from a few feet out.

Dover now head to Ebbsfleet in the Quarter final of the Kent Senior Cup, date tbc.

Beckenham Town: Taylor, Aina, Griffin, Travers, Wright, Ikudehinbu, Britnell (Nyhus 63), Allen (Wyborn 71), Falade, Akintimehin, Pink.

Subs not used: Townsend, Wanogho. Paul-Lavaly.

Yellow card: Wyborn

Dover Athletic: Simmons, Holness, Odeniran, Young, Naylor (Mensah 46), Jones, Dembele (Baptiste 46), Hatcher, Oladipo, Gray, White (Nikaj 69).

Subs not used: Kray, McCarthy.

Goalscorers: Whyte (43), Olapido (58), (73), Gray (89)

Yellow card: Jones, Naylor

Red card: Jones 

Referee: Ben McDonald

Attendance: 80

Match Report by Fred Deveson

A mild afternoon in Essex saw Dover Athletic well beaten by a strong Braintree side, who ran out 3-0 victors. 

Before the game, recent player of the month winner Jacob Mensah spoke to me and said that he was feeling positive about the game after last week’s win and said that spirits were high in the dressing room.

Mensah went on to say that the team were looking to come and get a point or three points after the victory last week and he said it was “a challenge and we are all looking forward to it” before the game. 

Unfortunately for Dover, the game did not start as Mensah and the rest of the team would have wanted. The chances for Braintree came thick and fast right from the off, with an early chance for the hosts going wide of the post.

The opening goal came inside the first few minutes, after a long shot took a big deflection and went into the bottom corner after Jinadu was sent the wrong way. 

Ojemen had a tough start to the game at left back; the hosts were exploiting his side and causing overloads on his side, making it difficult for Dover to contain.

The referee was already a big talking point during the first half, making some controversial decisions, much to the anger of the travelling Dover fans.

Braintree continued their dominance in the first half, showing their class on the counter-attack time and time again. They had pace and quality in the final third and Dover could not cope.

Dover weren’t completely out of it in the first half, and they did have a couple of chances of their own. Baptiste was positive on Dover’s left and caused some trouble, with one leading to a corner which came out to Naylor, who’s effort went straight into the hands of Sims in the Braintree.

The hosts kept coming, however and it was not long before it was 2-0. The Essex side got a free-kick outside the area, which was delivered perfectly to the back post and was met with an even better header, doubling their lead.

The third came soon after. A simple ball in behind the Dover defence put their attacker through on goal. He then took it round the goalkeeper and prodded into an empty net. Game over.

The second half hardly saw any action at all. The visitors brought on Destiny Oladipo for the start of the second half and he brought a big presence to the team that wasn’t there in the first half.

Dover had a couple of chances in the second half; a ball across the box almost found substitute Dembele but the striker was just beaten to the ball by their centre back.

The hosts had a good chance later on in the second half, when one of their attackers ran through the away side’s defence and tried to round the goalkeeper, but Jinadu was having none of it and he kept it from being 4-0. 

This was it for all the action in the second half and the game eventually drew to a close, with the hosts winning 3-0.

It’s Worthing away next week for the Whites but not before a trip to Beckenham Town in the Kent Senior Cup on Tuesday.

Match Report by Fred Deveson

A wintery afternoon sees Dover come out on top against Slough Town, with the Whites taking a deserved win and lifting themselves off the bottom.

The starting lineup saw just one change from the defeat midweek and that was Zidan Sutherland coming in up front.

That change paid off for the hosts as Zidan was lively from the off and had plenty of energy.

George Nikaj also had a bright start to the game as he found himself in behind on the right but the chance came to nothing. The positive signs were there, however.

Zidan had a chance again in behind the Slough backline and he took it round the goalkeeper but couldn’t quite find anyone in the box to finish the chance.

The visitors then had the chance to counter and did so effectively until they met the brick wall of Jacob Mensah, who cleaned up for Dover.

The away side shortly after had another chance but the ball went just wide of the post and the hosts could breathe again.

Dover had the chance to bring the ball forward again and Wilkinson found Baptiste on the left but his effort was wide. 

The front three of Dover was looking dangerous and like they could score at anytime.

It wasn’t long before the Whites were on the attack again; this time it was Nikaj who picked up the ball on the left but his ball across the box came to nothing.

The game started getting feisty as half-time drew closer, with Nikaj getting involved on the receiving end of a nasty tackle, and then being the one getting booked for a challenge on a Slough player.

The first half ended with Nikaj in behind on the right, who then fired a ball into the box which more hit Zidan and went over the bar.

The second half started very well for the hosts. Baptiste had achance to get on the end of a beautiful pass by Nikaj, but he just couldn’t get his foot to it.

Zidan then helped to create an overload on the left with Baptiste and Ojemen. The number 9 then cut inside but his effort was dragged just past the near post. 

Zidan again proved why he was in the starting lineup, as his good work on the left resulted in the ball coming to Baptiste who couldn’t convert. 

Dover should arguably have had a penalty, as a scramble led to Zidan being held and pulled to the ground, but the referee was having none of it and the game continued.

The referee was not a fan favourite amongst either set of fans throughout the course of the game.

The visitors did have a chance of their own in behind after their number 23 beat Peter Ojemen, but his effort was dragged wide of Jinadu’s goal.

It wasn’t long before Dover were in again and it was Sutherland in behind. He found a pocket of space in behind but was denied by a brilliant save by the visiting goalkeeper.

The resulting corner forced another great save after Mensah’s header was tipped over. 

Dan Jinadu was called into action, however, after some good work by their number 23 once again, who was lively for the visitors. 

The away side were putting on some pressure but that did not last long.

Substitute Oladipo came on to replace Sutherland and he was excellent. A throw in on the left fell to Oladipo who held the ball up well. He flicked the ball up and looped a hopeful ball into the box which the goalkeeper spilled, straight into the path of Nikaj who spun and fired home much to the delight of the home fans.

However, no sooner had he scored, he saw red as his challenge earned him a second yellow and an early bath, meaning Dover had to see out the game with ten men.

The hosts did eventually hold out for a priceless win which lifts them off the bottom of the table and sees them do the double over Slough.

Dover Athletic: Jinadu, Ojemen, Mensah, Holding, Naylor, Baptiste, Oliver, Charles-Cook, Nikaj, Wilkinson (Oladipo 70mins, Dunne 89mins), Sutherland (Allen 79mins). Subs not used: Dembele, Young.

Slough Town: Lincoln, Dandy, Prosper, Minhas, Davies (Jackman 81mins), Ebuzoeme (Chambers-Parillon 63mins), Eweka, Dyce, Sundire, Ogbonna, Spasov (Goddard 57mins). Subs not used: Bayliss, Hamiga.

Referee: Matthew Norton.

Attendance: 607.

Match report by Fred Deveson.

It was a wet and windy evening at Crabble as the hosts were defeated 1-2 by their Kent rivals Tonbridge Angels, who keep Dover bottom of the league.

There were some changes to the starting lineup for the Whites, with Freddie Oliver making his full debut, as well as Baptiste starting on the left for Dover and Iffy Allen returning to the starting eleven.

The fans were in full voice for the start of the game, but it was the visitors who had the better of the opening exchanges. The returning Paris Lock was looking positive for the Angels, making some good runs and making life hard for Ojemen. 

The visitors controlled the ball well from the start and had the majority of possession. They were making good combinations in and around the box and looked threatening. 

This possession didn’t come without it’s weaknesses, as there were gaps at the back which Dover looked to exploit with long balls looking to find Nikaj. 

Dover found an opening with the long ball route and had a penalty shout waved away by the referee. In the same passage of play, the Whites hit the crossbar after a fantastic effort. Signs were there that Tonbridge could be broken down.

This was until the visitors came forward in another attack after a period of pressure, and after some good footwork in the box, number 8 Higgs netted past Jinadu who could do nothing to stop the shot.

The Dover goalkeeper had previously made a couple of good saves to keep the score level, but Tonbridge’s patience paid off as they went 0-1 up midway through the first half.

After the goal, the chances kept coming for the away side. Jacob Mensah was called into action when the visitors found a pocket of space, and had it not been for Dover’s number 16, the score would’ve inevitably been 0-2. 

The front three of Tonbridge were linking up very well and had the hosts worried every time they came forward, with some good dribbling and movement, creating lots of space for themselves.

Tonbridge Angels kept up the pressure and Jinadu was forced into more good saves to keep the score at 0-1. The goalkeeper was arguably Dover’s best player in the first half, making some very important saves.

This wasn’t all for the first half, as right on the stroke of the half time whistle, Jacob Mensah scrambled the ball in with his knee and levelled up the score before the break.

The second half started similar to the first, with the visitors dominating the ball. They had a chance early on in the second half to make the score 1-2, but were denied by the post. 

The goal did come for The Angels shortly after, with some good work again by their number 7, and after some scrappy play in the box, it was Francis Mampolo who tapped home to make it 1-2. 

It did not get much easier for the hosts after this, as the wide players for Tonbridge were doing superbly well and causing all sorts of issues for Dover. Paris Lock danced his way through the hosts’ defence and Scott Holding was called into action, making a good goal line block by the post. 

The half continued much the same until later on in the game, when a chance came for the hosts. Baptiste picked up a long ball on the left and found Wilkinson on the other side of the box in acres of space, but he could not control the ball and a good chance went amiss. 

Dover did up the pressure towards the end of the game, with the biggest threat coming from Wilkinson’s excellent delivery from the succession of corners the hosts had. George Nikaj got his head to a few of these corners and narrowly missed one of the latter chances, much to the delight of the visiting side.

The visitors deployed their time-wasting tactics and eventually saw out the victory, making it back to back losses for Dover in the National League South.

Dover host Slough Town on Saturday, looking to get their first win of the year.

Dover Athletic: Jinadu, Ojemen (Oldapio 85mins), Mensah, Holding, Naylor (Sutherland 80mins), Baptiste, Oliver, Charles-Cook, Nikaj, Wilkinson, Allen (Dembele 65mins). Subs not used: Dunne, Young.

Tonbridge Angels: Henly, Lyons-Foster, Gard, Mampolo, Higgs, Odokonyero (Greenidge 85mins), Lock (Puffette 90mins), Hinds, Dabre, Vincent, Wagstaff. Subs not used: Parkinson, Aransibia, Velvick.

Referee: Constantine Hatzidakis.

Attendance: 455.

Match report by Fred Deveson.

A chilly afternoon in the South West saw the hosts Torquay United pick up their first win in 2024, after a long-range cracker from Brett McGavin sealed Dover’s fate.

There was action before the game had kicked-off at Plainmoor, as sadly Bailey Akehurst picked up a nasty knee injury in the warm-up. The left-back was stretchered off to the applause of all fans. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Peter Ojemen; his first game this year.

After a thoughtful minute silence, the game kicked off and it was high intensity from the start. The Gulls were full of energy and had the crowd right behind them, but it was the visitors who had the edge. Two corners came in from Dover in quick succession, but nothing came from them. 

The Dover pressure continued, and Oyenuga was making good progress until a nasty challenge left him in a heap on the floor.The resulting free-kick came to nothing. 

Torquay had a chance to build their own pressure following this flurry from Dover. The hosts had a penalty shout waved away by the referee, much to the anger of the home faithful. 

Dover came forward again after this, and it was Wilkinson who created the chance with a fantastic flick to George Nikaj, who was in on goal, but a brilliant tackle by the Torquay defender stopped the Dover number 10 getting a shot on goal.

Da Silva for the hosts was beginning to make life hard for Ojemen on the right hand side, and it wasn’t long before Torquay had the ball in the Dover penalty area. Another penalty shout was dismissed by the referee, angering the Yellow Army even more. 

The pressure from the home side continued, however, and Jinadu was called into action when a spin and shot had to be saved down to his left. 

Not long later, there was a succession of corners by the hosts, who crowded the Dover goalkeeper in the hope of forcing a mistake. The Whites dealt with it well, however, and the half time whistle came shortly after.

Torquay started the second half with plenty of energy and intensity, but it was Dover who had the best chance early on. A great ball into the box was just missed by Naylor, who couldn’t quite his head on it, much to the relief of Torquay. 

Torquay then began their onslaught of chances. Some intricate passing in the Dover box lead to a good chance for the Torquay number three, who hit his effort straight at Jinadu.

The goal came soon after, however, and what a goal it was. McGavin picked the ball up just outside the area and he had the time and space to unleash a strike which buried itself in the left corner of Jinadu’s goal. The hosts took a deserved lead.

The Dover boss tried to change things up after the goal, with Oladipo coming off the bench. Roman Charles-Cook later switched to left back, with Allen and Sutherland coming on to try and attack the wings more. Peter Ojemen was brought off to allow these attacking changes.

In the final few minutes, Dover did not go out without a fight. Nikaj received the ball and worked his way towards the penalty area, winning a corner. Following the corner, Allen picked the ball up on the right and entered the box. The winger looked to be brought down, but the shout was waved away once again by the referee, much to the anger of the 13 travelling Dover fans.

Torquay then implemented their time wasting strategies keepingthe ball in the corner, and eventually holding out for their first win of 2024. 

It was another disappointing afternoon for Dover Athletic, who are winless so far this year. 

Torquay United: 1. Mark Halstead, 3. Dan Martin, 6. Ross Marshall, 8. Asa Hall (4. Tom Lapslie,  67′), 11. Brad Ash (10. Lewis Collins, 75′), 14. Brett McGavin, 17. Dillon De Silva, 18. Will Jenkins Davies, 21. Dean Moxey (c), 23. Ollie Tomlinson, 30. Ethon Archer.

SUBS NOT USED: 22. Rhys Lovett, 26. Archie Harris, 32. Osman Foyo.

DOVER ATHLETIC: 1. Daniel Jinadu, 3. Roman Charles-Cook, 4. Peter Ojemen (11. Ifeanyi Allen, 66′), 6. James Dunne (c) (9. Zidan Sutherland, 83′), 10. George Nikaj, 14. George Wilkinson, 15. Charlie Naylor, 16. Jacob Mensah, 20. Nick Dembele (7. Denstiny Oladipo,62′), 25. John Oyenuga, 26. Scott Holding.

SUBS NOT USED:  8. Freddie Oliver, 22. Luke Baptiste.

Attendance:  1,889 (13 away)

Match report by Fred Deveson. Photo by Debbie Gould

An icy afternoon in the South West saw the Whites take a point back home with them, as Taunton fail to win for a 6^thgame in a row.

The lineup was slightly different for the game in Somerset, with new goalkeeper Jinadu getting his first start for the club, and Zidan Sutherland dropping to the bench, with Iffy Allen replacing him on the left. 

The game started positively for Dover Athletic, with Wilkinson dancing in and around the Taunton penalty area with quick feet. Whilst it came to nothing, it was a promising start, with the Whites having lots of the ball. 

This was until Taunton did manage to get forward and with their first attempt on goal, they hit the bottom corner and went 1-0 up, until the linesman flagged for offside. However, after a conversation with the referee in the middle, the goal was given and Taunton had the lead on 4 minutes. 

This inevitably got the home crowd up, and they were in full voice for some time after the first goal, taking a particular dislike to Dover defender Scott Holding, after some scrapping in the box saw the Dover man holding his head on the floor. 

The Whites did not let this get to their head however, and continued to push for a goal which would see them back on level terms. Nick Dembele had a shot which was blocked and headed out for a corner, and then shortly after our number 20 had another shot saved which then came to George Wilkinson, who couldn’t convert, after some good work to win it back in the first place. 

Another chance came for Dover, this time for Nikaj, who stole it on the right but placed his effort into the stands behind the goal. Akehurst also picked the ball up in a good position and fired a ball across the box but no one was there to meet it for Dover, who were left frustrated.

Taunton Town regained some possession after this promising spell from Dover, and they worked the ball into the box, where they drew a penalty from new goalkeeper Jinadu, who brought down their attacker near the edge of the box. Ross Stearn stepped up, but was denied by the new number one, who got down well to his left.

Dover started the second half brightly. A ball across the box was saved by goalkeeper Slavercombe, who got down quickly to stop it reaching a Dover forward. Another chance followed, with Wilkinson putting his effort just wide of the post after a good lay off. The signs were positive.

Not long later, Dover won a free kick from a wide position and hopes were high of a good delivery from Akehurst. The left back then swung in an absolute peach of a ball, and it was Nikaj who got his head to it and nodded home for the Whites, much to the delight of the travelling fans. 1-1, game on. 

Slightly nervy times followed, as the hosts launched a long throw into the box which was missed by Jinadu. Taunton looked certain to score, but Mensah was there on the line to stop the hosts from going 2-1 up.

Our goalkeeper was called into action again soon after, making a fantastic save after Taunton were in on goal. He then got down to his left to stop the ball heading in the bottom corner after a corner from the hosts found a Taunton head. 

Substitutions were made by the Dover boss as he looked to swing the game back in Dover’s favour. New striker Destiny Oladipo replaced Nick Dembele and he started very brightly, winning long balls and getting out of tight spaces using his physical presence. 

Zidan Sutherland also replaced Iffy Allen on the left for the last 15 minutes, and worked hard but saw little of the ball on the left in the closing minutes. 

The game then petered out, with neither side wanting to full commit to winning the game, for fear of losing it, so a draw is how it ended, and Dover take a point back to the South East.