Dover Athletic 2 Torquay United 2 match report: Debutants Zidan Sutherland and Roman Charles-Cook score as Whites recover for opening-day National League South point

A fine fightback saw Dover defy their critics and earn an opening-day National League South point against Torquay on Saturday.

Having only avoided relegation on the last day last term, Whites were 2-0 down inside 20 minutes against promotion favourites Torquay, with one of their debutants Chevron McLean scoring an own goal and skipper Asa Hall doubling the Gulls lead.

But Dover rapidly improved and Zidan Sutherland cut the deficit in the first half before Roman Charles-Cook made it 2-2 after the restart.

There was a nightmare start for Whites who fell behind in the fourth minute at Crabble in largely wet and gloomy conditions.

A left-wing Lewis Collins cross inadvertently went off one of Dover’s summer signings in McLean and past a helpless Billy Terrell.

The visitors’ tails were up and, had it not been for some decent interceptions by centre-half Connor Naylor, they could easily have doubled their tally.

Dover then created their first opportunity of the game on the 15-minute mark. George Nikaj won a header after a big clearance by Bournemouth loanee Terrell and the ball broke kindly back to him but he dragged inches wide.

At the other end, however, Brad Ash found all kinds of space for Gary Johnson’s side. He dinked Terrell, who is 20 later in the month, only to see his strike come off the post and be cleared.

But the 19th minute did see the away team double their lead when 36-year-old veteran midfielder Hall simply stroked home a right-wing cross as visiting players lined up at the far post to convert.

Two minutes later, Naylor nodded an Allen corner over at the other end. But Sutherland initially looked somewhat isolated, playing slightly ahead of Nikaj and having long balls regularly pumped in his direction.

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