AFC Wimbledon 2-0 Dover Athletic - Dover rue their missed opportunity

“A very hard earned victory over two games,” a delighted Brown told www.kentishfootball.co.uk  afterwards.

“Fair play to Dover, I thought they were the better side Saturday. We just edged it today, there weren’t a lot in it and good luck to Dover. They really are the hardest working side that we’ve played this year.”

He added: “Overall, I’m just delighted to have beaten a very, very good side over two games.”

The Kent side were made to pay for their numerous missed chances during the first game at Perrys Crabble on Saturday, where they settled for a goal-less draw, and they were punished as their highflying Blue Square South opponents took advantage of home soil to win tonight’s replay 2-0.

Impressive winger, Anthony Finn, scored at the wrong time for the table-topping Ryman Premier League Whites - eleven seconds into stoppage time at the end of the first half - and former Welling United striker, Danny Kedwell sealed their trip to Maidstone United in the fourth and final qualifying round on Saturday week.

Dover Athletic boss, Andy Hessenthaler, 43, returned to the side and played the entire 90 minutes as he relegated Alan Pouton to the substitutes bench.

But the bigger surprise was to see John Whitehouse in goal. The former Chatham Town goalkeeper withdrew from Saturday’s team late, injuring his thumb during the warm-up, where he was replaced by Rob Lindley.

AFC Wimbledon, a side that are fourth in the Blue Square South table after eleven games, started a lot better than they did in east Kent at the weekend; the talented Finn firing over Whitehouse’s crossbar after just sixteen seconds.

But they really should have opened the scoring after twelve minutes, when midfielder Tom Davis was guilty of a gilt-edged miss.

Striker Jon Main stole the ball off Dover defender, Dean Hill, down the left channel and cut along the by-line before sliding the ball to the unmarked Davis, who blazed his right-footed shot over from just eight-yards out.

Dover Athletic striker, Shaun Welford, who was guilty of missing three excellent chances in the first game, should have broken the deadlock three minutes later.

Latching onto Hessenthaler’s through ball, the striker burst through on goal, but his right-footed shot was well blocked by Andy Little, the advancing AFC Wimbledon goalkeeper.

Brown admitted afterwards that he changed the style of play from his side and Main and Finn wasted good opportunities, following balls over the top off Dover’s back four.

He said: “From our point of view, we had to abandon some of the football principle just go a little longer and a little direct because Dover’s play absolutely shut down or midfield today, so we had to play a little bit differently.”

Kedwell, who had a headed goal ruled out during the first half on Saturday, climbed the highest in the 32^nd minute to plant Chris Hussey’s corner from the right just past the post.

And Whitehouse was nearly left with egg on his face three minutes later.

A penetrating run from Finn saw him slip the ball to the unmarked Davis, and seeing that Whitehouse had stepped away from his goal-line and left a gaping hole to his right, Davis seized this opportunity, drilling a right-footed shot towards goal, but his low shot bounced off the foot of the near post, with the goalkeeper rooted to the spot.

However, stunning saves from Little prevented the Kent side going into the break a goal up, as immediately afterwards, Finn scored his fourth goal of the season at the other end.

Midfielder Sam Moore was released down the right and after cutting inside, cracked a right-footed curling drive, which was heading towards the far corner, but Little, diving to his right, did brilliantly to beat the ball out.

The ball dropped kindly for Lee Browning, following-up, but he was denied by yet another stunning acrobatic save from Little, tipping the ball over the bar and into the home fans behind that goal.

But slack Dover defending, eleven minutes into stoppage time, presented Finn with the chance and the former Metropolitan Police player accepted.

Noticing that no-one closed him down, Finn had time and space to lash a left-footed drive into the net, leaving Whitehouse rooted to the spot.

That stunned the Kent giants and they almost fell further behind before Hertfordshire referee, Mr David Rock blew for half-time.

Sam Hutton was left unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box to plant Hussey’s corner from the right over the crossbar.

AFC Wimbledon’s record signing, Jon Main, cracked a right-footed drive, which took a wicked deflection before sailing just past the far post inside the opening four minutes of the second half.

The former Tonbridge Angels striker then turned provider, hooking the ball clear from inside his own half to release Finn, but despite seeing Whitehouse off his line, the right-footed shot from 40-yards was horribly wide.

Whitehouse, however, produced his best save of the game after 53 minutes. A cross from the right-flank from Luke Garrard was knocked down by Kedwell for the unmarked Main to lash a right-footed shot towards goal, but the goalkeeper made a stunning save.

But Kedwell sealed their trip to Bourne Park with the decisive second goal on 62 minutes.

Main held up play following another long ball down the heart of Dover’s defence before spreading the ball to Finn, who slipped the ball in behind the defence for Kedwell to drill a right-footed shot across Whitehouse and into the corner of the net.

The introduction of substitute Jerahl Hughes lifted Dover Athletic’s spirits for a time, and his play down the right-hand side almost brought a goal five minutes later.

The right-winger’s cross was flicked on by a quiet Frannie Collin and Moore dinked the ball agonisingly against the top of the far post from the edge of the six-yard box.

Hughes then cut in from the right, but stroked a weak left-footed shot into Little’s grateful arms, from a central position, 25-yards from goal.

Slick passing from the Dons resulted in Whitehouse making his second fine save to thwart Main with fifteen minutes of their four-match FA Cup campaign left.

Ex-Dover defender, Jake Leberl, stuck out a leg to bring down Hughes later on, but Moore failed to test Little with his right-footed free-kick from 28-yards, which comfortably cleared the crossbar.

An alert Whitehouse raced out of his penalty area to prevent Main scoring from a one-on-one, kicking the ball clear, as the pacy striker tried to latch onto Finn’s through ball down the middle.

But Dover Athletic lost to a much better side in AFC Wimbledon and Maidstone United will have to keep tabs on Finn, Main and Kedwell at Bourne Park on Saturday week if they want to reach the first round proper for the very first time since reforming.

But be warned, they will have to do the job at Bourne Park at the first attempt, because AFC Wimbledon are a formidable side at home.

Dover Athletic’s player-manager Andy Hessenthaler was disappointed that his FA Cup campaign ended in south-west London tonight.

“Yes, disappointed, but we got beat by the better side,” he told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“They were the better side over the ninety minutes. Different story obviously on Saturday. We had our chance Saturday really, the chances we missed, we we’re the better side on Saturday, but they certainly deserved to win tonight.

“It’s our first real disappointment of this season and we have to take it on the chin. We’re out, it’s unfortunate and we’ve now got to get our minds on the FA Trophy on Saturday against Staines.”

Hessenthaler, back in the number eight shirt for the first time in eight games, rued Finn’s 45^th minute opener.

“The goal they scored just before half-time was a bit of a killer really,” he admitted. “A great time for them to score, to go in 1-0 at half-time. Poor from us defending and it gave them a little bit of a grip on the game.

"But I always felt at 1-0 we could come out, we’ve created a couple of decent chances in the first half.

“It (was a) really even first half and it was a little bit of a killer blow just before half time but I always felt second half if we kept plugging away, try to pass the ball, we’ll create something, but unfortunately we didn’t and we ran out of ideas in the end.”

He added: “But you’ve got to give them some credit, they were tremendous tonight. There’s a couple of individuals in their side, the lad Finn in midfield, who kept dropping deep, causing us all sorts of problems and their two up front were a handful.

“Credit goes to them, but it just shows how far we’ve come because we’ve run them ever so close over the two games and after listening to their reaction afterwards the enjoyment of beating us, baring in mind we’re a league lower, again, just shows how far we’ve come.”

There are now only two Kent non-league sides left in the FA Cup. Ebbsfleet United, who start in the final qualifying round, travel to their Blue Square Premier rivals, Woking, whilst Maidstone United have the whole county behind them against tonight’s victors.

And Gravesend born Hessenthaler will be rooting for the Kent side, managed by Lloyd Hume and pal, Alan Walker.

He said: “They’ve got a tough tie against Maidstone in the fourth qualifying round and obviously Alan being a good friend of mine and being a Kent side, we wish them all the best.”

AFC Wimbledon: Andy Little, Luke Garrard, Chris Hussey (Michael Haswell 65), Kennedy Adjei, Ben Judge, Jake Leberl, Sam Hatton, Tom Davis, Danny Kedwell (Chris Sullivan 90), Jon Main, Anthony Finn.
Subs: Jason Goodliffe, James Pullen, Belal Aiteouakrim, Dean Mason, Luke Pigden.

Goals: Anthony Finn 45, Danny Kedwell 62

Booked: Tom Davis 25, Jake Leberl 62, Danny Kedwell 88

Dover Athletic: John Whitehouse, Matt Fish, Sam Gore, Dean Hill, Lawrence Ball, John Keister (Jerahl Hughes 65), Sam Moore, Andy Hessenthaler, Shaun Welford, Frannie Collin (Nathan Bailey 70), Lee Browning (Sam Jones 73).
Subs: Alan Pouton, James Rogers, Rob Lindley.

Booked: Sam Moore 31, Sam Gore 45, Andy Hessenthaler 75

Attendance: 1,939
Referee: Mr David Rock (Hatfield, Hertfordshire)
Assistants: Mr Ronald Albert (Catford, London SE6) & Mr Dean Potter (Battersea, London SW11)