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To be fair having seen the previous two home match's I didn't give the team a chance today either, and on evidence to predict a long afternoon wasn't the wrong thing to do.

For the first time so far this season I can talk about our teams performance, because us fans were treated to a performance from our team. Individually and as a team our players looked fitter, and mentally stronger, the team fought hard, closed Dover down, forced them into mistakes, and despite some blind panic from the Gulls back line in the closing moments where Dover could have nicked a point, I thought on chances and possession alone the Gulls were worth the win.

Think we all know Richards is no footballer, and personally I would not have been sorry if the club hadn't resigned him, however when I'm wrong , I say I'm wrong. Richards is still not the best footballer, but we saw just what a massive influence he has on the team, his leadership is outstanding, work rate faultless as always, fair play to the lad.

Thought the man of the match was a real toss up today between Ward and Reid, Ward worked tirelessly and was behind every good the team did today, ward was the creator of so many chances, however Reid just edged for me, also faultless work rate, caused problems through out for the Dover back four, and scored.

finally what's happened to LRT, he, to me was an utter liability v Bromley and Barrow, today LRT looked physically stronger, faster, and although his distribution is pants, when the team needed some one to just defend, he was equal to everything thrown at him, good performance today from him, and all, massive well done, and keep it up, the team have set the bar today, now have to build on it.

What an exciting game but boy were we lucky to win, when the result could have been 5-5. Richards,Young and Sparkes worked tirelessly in midfield with Ward just behind the strikers in the hole. It looked as if we had no tactics and told just go out and play as this game was end to end with both defenses nervous. Richards played what I thought was his best game for the club. Loan signing Ward has class and is sure to have a future at WBA.

Playing games like this should bring back our supporters as this was true entertainment.But Nicho will know we will lose more than win playing like this and needs to change the formation when your ahead as we could so easily have lost the game in the last ten minutes. It was good to see Blissett back to his best holding it up and laying it off and he bossed their centre halves.

A good team performance but please don't play so open in our next game unless you have a plan B.to tighten up. WE WERE BLOODY LUCKY.Try keeping the ball so the opposition can't play!

Well done everyone great game.

When we lose, we're rubbish. When we win, we're lucky.

Dover have no money, apparently. They must pay their airfare in magic beans.

What alternative universe, Stephen King, bullshit hell do I find myself in?

Couldn't see a win but a welcome one nonetheless. Pleased to see that luck was on our side but its the three points that mattered.

forevertufc wrote:
finally what's happened to LRT, he, to me was an utter liability v Bromley and Barrow, today LRT looked physically stronger, faster, and although his distribution is pants, when the team needed some one to just defend, he was equal to everything thrown at him, good performance today from him, and all, massive well done, and keep it up, the team have set the bar today, now have to build on it.

Agree with your point, but LRT was responsible for the best run and cross of the afternoon. Before today he was the first player I would have replaced. However, if he can workout in his own mind what his strengths and weaknessess are and play to them, then he could be an asset.

To suggest our team were overly lucky to win this game is unfair. Yes, if we take into account the fact Dover hit the post with the last kick of the game, we've perhaps got away with one, and Dover did have us penned in towards the end of the game, but for me you have to look at the over all 90 minutes.

Torquay had by far the greater number of chances, and possession, and dominated for longer periods of the game, if we look at the fact the Dover keeper twice saved from Sparkes efforts, including one fantastic save, Richards was millimetres wide, as was ward with a speculative effort, and in the first half Blisset narrowly fired over the crossbar, just name a few chances, yet apart from picking the ball out his net, Moore barley dived in anger.

Yes Dover could easily have nicked a point on 2-3 occasions late on, but nicked would have been the key word, a deserved win for the Gulls, maybe you make your own luck.

Today was a very good day at Plainmoor. Really enjoyed this game which we thoroughly deserved to win. We really should have scored more. Have to say that was probably the best game I have seen NRT and Reid play. Ward made a big difference in midfield and was popping up all over the place. Good player!! Extremely entertaining game and what a 2nd goal from us. Sparkes deserved that, great move and execution. Great header from Blissett, cant believe Im saying that. Really good performance from all today. Thank You TUFC I enjoyed that.

forevertufc wrote:To suggest our team were overly lucky to win this game is unfair. Yes, if we take into account the fact Dover hit the post with the last kick of the game, we've perhaps got away with one, and Dover did have us penned in towards the end of the game, but for me you have to look at the over all 90 minutes.

Torquay had by far the greater number of chances, and possession, and dominated for longer periods of the game, if we look at the fact the Dover keeper twice saved from Sparkes efforts, including one fantastic save, Richards was millimetres wide, as was ward with a speculative effort, and in the first half Blisset narrowly fired over the crossbar, just name a few chances, yet apart from picking the ball out his net, Moore barley dived in anger.

Yes Dover could easily have nicked a point on 2-3 occasions late on, but nicked would have been the key word, a deserved win for the Gulls, maybe you make your own luck.

Moore barley dived?
Anyway, You too, SBP. I agree.

This was an eventful game and the last 5 minutes were sheer agony! But we held on just.
This was a real team performance with each and every player doing his best.
The referee was very poor and the free kick which resulted in Dover scoring was never a free kick as Miller lost control of the ball.
Kevin Nicholson proved again that he is not afraid to make changes and he preferred Reid to Williams which was surprising.
Reid is a frustrating player but today he played well above his previous efforts and took his goal very well.
Nicho clearly thinks Brett Williams does not work hard enough for the team.Come on Brett give it everything football is a short career make the most of it and score 20 goals this season. You know you can do it.
Ward was excellent despite a booking in the 2nd minute. One reverse pass in the first half was sheer class.
Dan Sparks is a great signing and his goal 30 seconds after Dover equalised really rocked Dover.
Courtney is an excellent Captain and another wise choice by Nicho.
GG is not too good in the air and a lot of his headers seemed to go sideways rather than forward. A little disappointing if I am honest.
Miller made a huge difference to Dover when he came on. The Dover keeper spent 2 of the 3 added minutes in our penalty area! Never seen that before.
Just shows how desperate Dover were to get a point out of the game.
Well done the lads.

Well done Jim, a good prediction.

We weren't 'lucky' today. We should have had a clear lead by half way through the second half. I thought that the ref was very poor and we seemed to get the worst of his decision making on a number of occasions.

The team played as a team.

Was Sparkes's goal our fastest ever from a restart ?

You won't get a definitive answer to that I'm afraid. Jordan Chappell's goal after 17 seconds vs Portsmouth in 2013 is credited as our fastest ever recorded goal, but as with your question records don't go back far enough to answer either of them.

Well, that was MUCH, MUCH better ! Worrying that the gate was 500 down on the last home match but more displays like that, and the luke-warm 'only go when we're winning' fans will return. This was more like the team we saw at the end of last season and I would imagine today's display was more like Nicho is looking for. I'm surprised that some fans thought we were lucky to win. I thought we fully deserved the three points and it would have been rough justice if they had got an equaliser at the end.

It was a good high-tempo display with tremendous effort all over the pitch. Jamie Reid took his chance well of being in the starting eleven in place of the lethargic Brett Williams. Joe Ward looks a very good player and the midfield looked much stronger with him in the side. Luke Young had an okay game but he is not showing the form we know he's capable of. And as Forever posted above, Brendan Moore earned his corn and reaped his rewards because he 'barley dived in anger'.

Not much has been said about the referee. Absolutely dreadful. The refs for our first two league games were very good I thought, but today's prat had a shocker - even by what we have come to expect in the National League. I see he's called A. Quelch. The name doesn't ring any alarm bells - does anyone know anything about him? Is he new this season?

Finally, commiserations to Dover fans who travelled down - you were unlucky to play us when we at last hit a bit of form. You look a decent side - far better than Bromley or Barrow who we have played at home so far. As a team of mostly part-time players, they were very fit and kept going for the full 90 minutes. We were on the ropes for the last five minutes or so.

I cannot understand people who are saying that we were lucky !! Just count the number of chances or strikes at goal that were smidgeons (? ! ) away from going in the back of the net and how many did Dover have in comparison ??

We are too quick to deride our team and very slow to praise it when it does well !! I know it happens too infrequently but lets be happy that for once we got three points !!!

Dutchgull wrote:I cannot understand people who are saying that we were lucky !! Just count the number of chances or strikes at goal that were smidgeons (? ! ) away from going in the back of the net and how many did Dover have in comparison ??

We are too quick to deride our team and very slow to praise it when it does well !! I know it happens too infrequently but lets be happy that for once we got three points !!!

We were lucky because once again towards the end of a game we needed to close out we defended too deep and encouraged the opposition to come back at us by walloping the ball to them rather than either playing out or at least finding touch up the field. I don't think I've ever seen a keeper spend so much time in the opposition penalty area - it was a measure of how little control we had for the last 5 minutes. And - hitting the post too - yes, of course we were lucky to get the 3 points.