Dover Athletic 0-1 Chelmsford City - Hessenthaler: We let down the fans

Monday 28th December 2009

DOVER ATHLETIC 0-1 CHELMSFORD CITY
Blue Square South
Bank Holiday Monday 28th December 2009
Mike Green reports from Crabble

DOVER ATHLETIC’S Christmas is in danger of being a complete disaster as Andy Hessenthaler’s side slumped to their second defeat of the holiday season and had Dean Hill and James Rogers sent off on an afternoon when nothing whatsoever went right at Crabble.

Speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the game, the normally lively Hessenthaler seemed down.

“It’s been a frustrating Christmas really so far – we capitulated on Boxing Day and simply weren’t good enough and we all let ourselves down, the club down and the fans down,” the Dover boss bemoaned.

“We all came in yesterday and had a heart to heart and we knew what to expect today as Chelmsford are a good side and have been in the Conference Premier and Conference South for quite a few years, and they really are an established team.

“We’re new to it and were always going to be tested today, yet under the circumstances I don’t think that the players could have given anymore today – I don’t think I could have asked anymore of them and neither could the fans. After the performance against Lewes on Boxing Day we had to respond and I think we did that today.”

At least the manager wasn’t too downhearted despite the fact that he himself played for 77 minutes – coming on as a 13th minute substitute for the unlucky Jon Wallis.

He said: “Unfortunately if we’d have taken one or two of the chances that we created in the first half it might have been a different game but who knows. But then we had two players sent off which certainly doesn’t help and with the injuries that we had earlier on with Jon Wallis going off, the team had to see me coming on being 44 and not having many minutes on the pitch this season it was never going to be easy and with Nicky Southall and me in there you’ve got a combined age of 82 I think in centre midfield – Trigger’s worked his socks off again today – two game sin three days I thought he was great today and his set players were fabulous.

“But then we lose Danny Walder at half time and have to bring on Craig Cloke for his first game in 15 months without a practice match and we’ve had to throw him on, and we had to put on a young boy, Dean Grant who started the game, he’s not on a contract but has been training with us and then he picked up cramp and we had to put the academy boy Jake Marsh on at the end.

“To say that we’ve been tested with injuries at the moment is an understatement and add to that the two sending’s off and we’ll lose them in two weeks.

“But if we can show that resolve and commitment we’ll be alright and hopefully we can get into the market and shake things up a bit which wont be easy at this stage of the season, and that wont be easy as everyone’s got their squad in place, and they’re not going to let the players go, and its not been easy.”

And indeed it was Southall who had Dover’s first and what proved to be their best chance in the first minute.

Rogers’ deep cross was nodded back across the face of goal by debut making Grant, and Southall arriving late sent a glancing header inches past the right post.

Southall then nearly turned provider on 14 minutes when Jake LeBerl got on the end of a beautifully flighted free kick, but just couldn't keep the ball down and his header sailed into the crowd.

If the manager had called for a response form his players following Boxing Days drubbing then he got it – the only thing missing was a goal.

Adam Birchall shot straight at the keeper on two occasions – the first after Frannie Collin had threaded through a pass and the second from Ollie Schulz’s ball down the line.

Chelmsford’s raids to this point hadn’t really troubled Lee Hook (restored to the Dover goal after a Boxing Day injury to John Whitehouse) but on 33 minutes, Hook demonstrated why he is such a highly rated keeper at this level with a miraculous save to deny Rob Edmans.

Matthew Lock’s free kick was headed straight up into the air by a Dover defender and as it dropped Ricky Holmes drove the ball goal wards only for Edmans to stick out a foot and seemingly wrong foot Hook.

Yet somehow the keeper managed to change direction in mid step reach out an arm and palm the ball from behind him over the bar!

Hessenthaler then went close himself to opening the scoring on 37 minutes with a low drive that skidded off the wet surface only just wide before Chelmsford keeper Ashley Harrison denied Birchall with a brave save at the edge of the box!

Less than 90 seconds into the second half; the visitors scored what proved to be the winner.

Holmes was again the provider scampering down the right before driving the ball across the face of goal for Edmans and the giant striker couldn’t miss from three yards.

It was so nearly two on the hour when a Chelmsford corner wasn’t cleared and Dave Rainford fired a shot goal wards only to see Ben Martin (who was still in the Dover box for the original corner) stoop to head a fraction wide with Hook this time completely wrong footed.

The visitors were enjoying a purple patch now and on 68 minute sonly another brilliant Hook save kept Dover in the game.

Cook’s cross from the right was too deep and when the ball was delivered back into the box Edman’s long legs again diverted the ball goal wards only for Hook to pull off another stunning save.

Then the game’s ugly side reared its head. Hill and City full back Mark Haines both launched themselves at the ball, and it was Haines who was there first by a milli second and as a result the City number two was caught by Hill who was promptly sent off by referee Breakspear.

An angry Hessenthaler said after the game, “We’re thinking about appealing for about Dean’s sending off – its one of those where the balls gone in – a 50/50 with the ball on the ground – the lads just nicked it away from Dean and Dean’s caught the lad. I would say that it’s very harsh to give him a straight red.”

Worse was to follow for Dover as Rogers lost the plot completely and he kicked out on the prone Cook and was promptly shown a second yellow card – a decision that the Dover boss agreed with – “Well when you’re on a yellow James knows that you cant do that – he’s on a yellow and he’s kicking away at the ball and the fella was on the floor, so very naive of James and he knows that – he’ll miss a game now.”

Overall the visitors got more than they came for and there is little doubt that a fully fit Dover side would have won this Holiday Monday clash – but that is Hessenthaler’s problem at the moment – as a steward put it as we were leaving the ground “what hope have we got when half the first team are sitting in the family stand!”

Dover Athletic: Lee Hook, Danny Walder (Craig Cloke 46), Dean Hill, Jake LeBerl, Ollie Schulz, James Rogers, Nicky Southall, Jon Wallis (Andy Hessenthaler 13), Adam Burchall, Frannie Collin, Dean Grant (Jake Marsh 77).
Subs: Andrew Miller, Ben Humphrey

Booked: Ollie Schulz 32, James Rogers 63, Andy Hessenthaler 84

Sent off: Dean Hill 75, James Rogers 88

Chelmsford City: Ashley Harrison, Mark Haines, Marlon Patterson, Ben Martin, Steve Ward, David Rainford, John martin, Anthony Cook, Rob Edmans, Matthew lock, Ricky Holmes (Antonio Murray 86).
Subs: Ollie Berquez, Grant Cooper, Ricky Modeste, Chris Elad

Goal: Rob Edmans 47

Booked : Matthew Lock 39

Attendance: 1,261
Referee: Mr Charles Breakspear
Assistants: Mr Vincent Penfold & Mr Dele Sotimirin