DOVER SHOW THEIR SOUL AS TERRAS ARE DENIED

BOTTOM club Dover Athletic’s long trek to Dorset bore fruit as Andy Hessenthaler’s side took a well deserved point from Weymouth in front of the live BT Sport cameras at the Bob Lucas Stadium.

Koby Arthur’s stunning drive midway through the first half was cancelled out by Josh McQuoid’s leveller for the home side but still handed the Whites a deserved share of the points in a game where they conceded a large share of possession without really ever looking in trouble.

Visiting boss Hessenthaler heaped praise on his opposite number, Terras boss Brian Stock, saying: “His sides play the right way from his time at Bournemouth but my players defended for their lives and we kept grinding away. They are an honest bunch and battled and grew into the game.”

It was lowly Dover who settled first and looked the busier in the Dorset sun with McQuoid losing out to Junior Tiensia but he was rescued by a blocking tackle. McQuoid then linked well with Travis Gregory and his cross found the industrious Cameron Murray but his shot was saved by Adam Parkes.

Dover had a big shout for a penalty on 18 minutes when Ben Williamson went down in the penalty area under a challenge but referee Scott Tallis was unmoved.

But Weymouth failed to heed the warning and Tiensia picked up a loose ball and fed Arthur, whose right foot bullet flew past home keeper Ross Fitzsimmons.

Weymouth responded with Taofiq Olomowewe firing just wide from a corner then Tyler Cordner and McQuoid set up Brandon Goodship but he fired over.

Indeed, it was no surprise when the equaliser came on 41 minutes – McQuoid and Murray worked a move and the latter tucked away his third goal of the campaign from ten yards.

In front of a 1,000+ crowd, the Terras were expected to go on and make the game safe but Bradley Ash curled a shot just wide of Adam Parkes’ goal, while Omar Mussa and Calvin Brooks both tested the stretched defence.

Dover, however, had not come to defend for a point and gradually sensed that they could snatch the game as Weymouth wilted.

The dangerous Tiensia was given the freedom of the park to wander through with 15 minutes left but shot wide as the home side were left holding on for a point.

Terras boss Stock admitted the quality was missing from his side in the final third of the pitch saying: “The first 20 minutes was well below our standards but the positive was that we did not lose but we came away from Dagenham and this game disappointed although the performances are almost there.”