PREVIEW: TORQUAY VS WHITES

PREVIEW: TORQUAY VS WHITES

Dover won a fourth National League game in a row when they visited Torquay United last season.

Fourth-placed Whites will be aiming to repeat that when they make 520 mile round trip to take on the fourth-last Gulls at Plainmoor on Saturday.

Striker Stefan Payne scored a stoppage time winner to clinch all three points in a 3-2 win last October, his second goal of the night, while Jack Parkinson got the other.

Payne, who moved to Championship side Barnsley in the summer, was also on target in the return match at Crabble as Dover crushed the Devon side 5-0.

Whites moved six places up the ladder after the 3-1 win against visiting Barrow AFC last Saturday while Torquay’s struggles continued after they lost for the second consecutive game on the road, 2-0 at promoted Sutton United.

That defeat means they have lost all three of their road trips (Macclesfield and North Ferriby were the others) so far this season.

Their form at home has seen them beat Bromley 1-0 and draw 1-1 with Barrow AFC.

Despite Whites impressive run of form, boss Chris Kinnear isn’t reading too much into Torquay’s slow start to the season.

He said: “They’ve had an indifferent start, but they’ll be a tough side, don’t worry about that.

“They are doing well in some of the games, but are not getting the results.

“You know me well enough to know that we won’t be getting carried away by our form or theirs We won’t be taking anything for granted.

“Every game is a big, big game in this league and there can be no room for any complacency.”

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT DOVER

Torquay player/boss Kevin Nicholson said: ““Dover are predictable in the way that they play but are probably the best at doing it.

“More often than not their game is based on hard work, endeavour and an understanding that the back lads aren’t going to mess about and the front lads are going to chase everything down.

“If we can match them physically, and we can match their work rate and we can get the ball down and play, then we give ourselves every chance.”

TEAM NEWS

Dover have a clean bill of health following the win against Barrow AFC and are likely to field an unchanged side.

That means striker Ricky Miller and Leyton Orient loanee Sammy Moore will be on the bench.

For Torquay, they hope to have captain Courtney Richards back from injury but midfielder Sam Chaney remains a doubt.

Richards has missed the Gulls’ last two games because of a hamstring strain while Chaney has been suffering with a bruised hip.

West Bromwich Albion loanee, midfielder Joe Ward, could make his home debut for the club.

STAT ATTACK

Dover striker Ross Lafayette will be aiming to find the back of the net for the fourth consecutive game after arriving from Eastleigh.

Lafayette is currently two goals behind the five scored by the league’s leading hitman, Lincoln’s Jonny Margetts.

MATCH INFORMATION

Kick-off is at 3.00pm, but if you cannot make the long trip to Plainmoor we will have live updates on Twitter – @DAFCLiveText – follow us and get all the news as it happens!