Kentish Football 
Dover Athletic 1-2 Woking - Fans are not seeing us do as well as I know we can, admits Hayes
Saturday 20th November 2010
DOVER ATHLETIC 1-2 WOKING
FA Carlsberg Trophy Third Qualifying Round
Saturday 20th November 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Crabble
DOVER ATHLETIC manager Martin Hayes felt his side’s first half sorry performance was “not acceptable” as they crashed out of the FA Carlsberg Trophy at the first attempt to three-times winners Woking.
It appeared that Dover players had next Saturday’s home FA Cup Second Round clash against League Two Aldershot Town on their minds, as Jerome Federico struck twice inside the opening eighteen minutes to send Woking through.
Dover increased their urgency during a one-sided second half and pulled a goal back when striker Ben Hunt converted a 69th minute penalty, to score his third goal of the season, before Harry Baker and the prolific Adam Birchall struck the woodwork, but the Surrey side held on to claim the victory and bank £4,000 in FA prize money.
“We were second best in the first half,” an honest Hayes told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.
“To be fair they were quite well worked goals. We could’ve done better to deal with that but we were second best in the first half, it gave us a mountain to climb.
“Second half, yes, they tried and we played and we pressed, made some chances; didn’t score at the right times; could’ve got ourselves a draw in the end, but we can’t play the way we did in the first half really.
Hayes added: “I was pleased with the performance in the second half. We got a lot tighter, we played a little bit quicker and better and we made chances.
“Unfortunately Birchy (Birchall) at the moment can’t seem to score, which he is beating himself over. He’s had two chances but for one reason or another they’re not going in. He must be saving them all for Saturday (against Aldershot Town), but we had chances to get back in the game.
“We could’ve sneaked a draw, we were the better team second half, but when they’re sticking nine men behind the ball all the time and they were doing that for pretty much for an hour, so it get’s very frustrating.
“I look at the first half and that’s not acceptable, that’s poor and we just can’t turn up for the second half. That’s happened to us a few times now. There’s a few players at the moment who may have played against Gillingham (in the FA Cup First Round) may not even play against Aldershot because their form’s not good enough, so we’ll see.
“Do I go and get a couple of players in on loan because at the moment we’re dropping below standards so we’ll see what happens in the week.”
Dover Athletic were selling Aldershot tickets before and during the first half today and the queues were at least 50 yards long and chairman Jim Parmenter confirmed after today’s game that there are only 700 tickets for the FA Cup Second Round clash available for Dover supporters.
Woking went into this game on the back of a brave effort against League One high-flyers Brighton & Hove Albion, losing their midweek FA Cup First Round replay on penalties.
But Graham Baker’s side showed no sign of tiredness and were by far the better side during an impressive first half display.
Lee Sawyer, picking up a through ball that split open right-back Bobby Aisien and Olly Schulz, rolled a low shot into Ross Flitney’s arms, before Sam Long did the same at the other end.
Dover created a half-chance when Birchall released Sam Long down the right and his cross was met by Baker on a hooked volley, but unfortunately the ball ballooned over.
Woking silenced the Crabble faithful when they took the lead in the 15th minute, with a clinical finish from a player who is on-loan from Wycombe Wanderers.
Sawyer burst through the heart of the Dover defence and slipped the ball through for the running Federico, who swiftly buried a right-footed shot past Flitney.
Woking doubled their lead - just 163 seconds later - and effectively booked their place in the first round.
Jerome Maledon released Moses Ademola down the inside right-channel and the former Welling United striker - now a winger - centred for Federico who placed a right-footed shot across the sliding Rob Gillman and Flitney to find the bottom far corner.
Central midfielder Joe Tabiri brought a good save out of Woking keeper Andy Little, who beat the right-footed drive up and over his crossbar as Dover sought an immediate reaction.
Federico squandered an excellent chance to bag his hat-trick when he stroked a right-footed shot into Flitney’s arms after a move involving Ademola and Adam Doyle.
Flitney made a smart near post save to turn Elvis Hammond’s angled drive around his near post and the unmarked Maledon squandered an excellent chance just before half-time when he met Richard Anane’s cross with a glancing header, which sailed just wide of the far post.
Dover Athletic simply couldn’t play that badly during the second half as Hayes rallied his troops during the interval and they responded by dominating the rest of the game.
The Kent side upped their tempo and urgency and threw the kitchen sink at Woking.
Jon Wallis released Baker down the wing and his cross found Hunt at the near post, but unfortunately the striker flicked his shot across Little and agonisingly past the far post.
The Dover boss was impressed with debutant Barry Cogan, 26, who came on for Sam Long after 58 minutes.
The former Republic of Ireland Under 21 winger is on a short-term deal from Blue Square Bet Premier side Crawley Town.
In May 2002 he came off the substitutes bench to play the final sixteen minutes of Millwall’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester United in the 2002 FA Cup Final in Cardiff.
His previous clubs also include Irish side Belvedere, as well as Gillingham and Barnet, and on this performance will become a crowd favourite.
Hayes said: “You could see he is a quality player, you could see he’s good on the ball, he gets in good areas. Hopefully we’re going to get the benefit of that, certainly up to the end of January. We’ll have a look, his here for a little while. If he enjoys it obviously he’ll stay but he certainly brings a bit of experience and stuff to the game and the little time he had today he showed a bit of class.”
Cogan certainly impressed on his first appearance for Dover and he teed up 20-goal Birchall, who was denied by a fine double save from Little.
Dover Athletic were gifted a 69th minute penalty when Wallis (who had just taken a corner) was bundled over by Woking right-back Anane and referee Mr Carl Brook pointed to the spot.
Hunt stepped up and sent Little the wrong way with a clinical right-footed penalty and the Kent side were back in the game and this lifted the atmosphere from the packed River end.
But Woking soaked up the pressure and Anane almost made amends for his error when he picked up the ball following a poor kick from Flitney and sent a right-footed chip towards goal but the approximate 50 travelling supporters behind the goal were disappointed.
Dover Athletic were unlucky not to force a replay when they twice hit the woodwork late on, following good work from Cogan.
He released Baker down the right and the winger’s cross-come-shot bounced on the top of the crossbar and away.
Hunt then released Cogan down the left and he cut the ball back from the by-line and Birchall turned and cracked a right-footed shot, which took a wicked deflection and agonisingly clipped the outside of the far post.
It wasn’t going to be Dover’s day and Hayes cut a disappointed figure afterwards.
“I’m disappointed to go out in the first round, disappointed to lose again,” said Hayes.
“We’ve not played brilliant but we can’t just play for 45 minutes. We’ve paid the price for not doing things well enough, mainly quick enough in the first half.
“We were off them too often, we was going two or three seconds after and they were passing and moving the ball well. They was doing to us what we try to do to other sides so we were a little bit naive today.”
Hayes added: “We struggled with a couple of players missing, but it’s just a frustrating day. We’ve played really poor first half and that doesn’t come down to tactics, it just comes down to (Woking’s) players working hard and being a bit clever and I thought we played a bit stupid first half so it’s educated them a little bit.”
Hayes, who was without Elliott Charles, Jason Norville, Tom Wynter and flu-victim Luke I’Anson, refused to start panicking that Birchall has now gone three games without scoring.
He said: “Birchy had a good chance, just before (the penalty) so when the penalty’s gone in it could’ve been two-all and I thought if we got level I still think we could’ve gone on.
“He had a few (chances) against Dartford, he couldn’t score. He didn’t get much against Boreham Wood and today he’s had a couple of chances that you’d fancy him to score.
“With strikers you have a run where you go on a little barren patch, that’s three games, people will look at it but he’s still a threat. He makes opportunities and I’m sure he’ll get back on the goal trail soon.
“Other people have got to step up now and put the ball in the net.”
Hayes added: “Of course it’s disappointing to go out of the Cup, it’s disappointing to lose at home. At the moment home fans are not seeing us do as well as I know we can do.”
Dover Athletic: Ross Flitney, Matt Fish, Bobby Aisien, Jon Wallis, Olly Schulz, Rob Gillman, Harry Baker, Joe Tabiri, Ben Hunt, Adam Birchall, Sam Long (Barry Cogan 58).
Subs: Sam Cutler, Nicky Nicolau, Sam Raggett, Lee Hook.
Goal: Ben Hunt 69 (pen)
Booked: Joe Tabiri 37, Bobby Aisien 90
Woking: Andrew Little, Richard Anane, Aswad Thomas, Mark Ricketts, Joe McNerney, Adam Doyle, Moses Ademola (Ola Sogbanmu 61), Jerome Maledon (Francis Quarm 66), Elvis Hammond (David Gilroy 73), Lee Sawyer, Jerome Federico.
Subs: Craig Faulconbridge, Daniel Sintim.
Goals: Jerome Federico 15, 18
Booked: Mark Ricketts 29, Moses Ademola 61
Attendance: 818
Referee: Mr Carl Brook (St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex)
Assistants: Mr Kevin Roberts (Eastbourne, East Sussex) & Mr James Slaney (Brighton, East Sussex)
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