Dover Athletic 2-0 Lewes

Friday 01st January 2010

DOVER ATHLETIC 2-0 LEWES
Blue Square South
Friday 1st January 2010
Mike Green reports from Crabble

Dover Athletic finally gave their fans something to cheer about this Festive season with an extremely comfortable 2-0 win over Lewes at Crabble. It was even more remarkable as it was the same Lewes side that just six days earlier had put six past Andy Hessenthaler’s side on Boxing Day, yet on New Years Day it was Dover who could have had six or even more such was the home sides dominance.

Yet when he spoke to kentishfootball.co.uk after the game, Hessenthaler’s number two Darren Hare was just happy to claim the victory. He told us “It was very important to get the three points today - it was a massive game. We didn’t try and build it up too much for the players before the game, but both Andy and I said before the game that we would have taken 1-0 - it was so important that we won. Its the first season we've had here where our Christmas return hasn’t been great, and after a really poor performance away to Lewes on Boxing Day we felt that we had to bounce back today and I think that we edged it and deserved it in the end!”

Referring to their Boxing Day hammering, Hare said, still with a note of disbelief in his eyes, “We never felt like we were in control of the game at Lewes despite going 2-0 up. But today even at 0-0 we felt that we were - we weren’t as loose, we changed our shape slightly and that helped us and with hindsight we should have made the same adjustments down there. But 2-0 up and we honestly felt that we were going to concede though neither of us expected what we got! That made us a little bit edgy today - lacking a bit of confidence in the attacking third but we still deserved the result in the end!”

And deserve the points they did, as Lewes looked like a side simply at Crabble for a point, and one who simply had no response once Dover went in front – but that did take 71 minutes to happen!

Dover had the games first chance on 16 minutes when the returning pair of Matt Fish and Sammy Moore combined only for Moore to be denied by a fabulous finger tipped save from Lewes keeper Rikki Barnes. Fish then had the next chance – sending a 30-yard swinging volley thudding into the keeper’s chest. Another player returning from injury, Shawn Welford, showed the Crabble crowd what they had been missing when he brilliantly combined with strike partner Adam Birchall only to shoot just wide on the half hour, before flicking on Lee Hook’s huge clearance for Birchall who also warmed Barnes’ mid rift from 25 yards.

The second half began in the same vane with Dover pushing and probing and Lewes sitting back and soaking up the pressure. Just past the hour mark, Fish’s driven centre caused chaos and Moore was only denied a far post tap in by a fine block from Joe Keehan, before Birchall was released again (this time by Jake LeBerl) only to snatch at his shot.

Lewes almost nicked an undeserved lead on 69 minutes when Jean Michel Sigere battled well down the left. His pull back found Keehan who’s low skidded drive seemed to be destines for the bottom corner especially after it nicked off a Dover defender. But Hook diving full length to his right somehow got down to turn the ball away as it threatened to creep inside the right post.

It was as if this scare kick started the home side as almost immediately they finally took the lead. Birchall flicked Moore’s driven left wing corner on and big Ollie Schulz was on hand at the far post to bundle the ball over the line. That came on 71 minutes and eight minutes later, Schulz was denied his second and Dover’s second by a wonderful reflex save from Barnes. Nicky Southall’s free kick was met by a thumping header from the big central defender yet the reflexes of the Lewes keeper brilliantly kept the ball out. The second goal did come in the last minute when the referee spotted a handball by Chris Breach as a free kick came into the Lewes box and despite the protests of Barnes (which earned the keeper a yellow card), Birchall was coolness personified as he drove the penalty into the bottom left corner as the keeper dived to his right.

All in all then a very satisfactory way for Dover to start the New Year. Rest assured though there will be tougher games ahead for Hessenthaler and his side – beginning in the FA Trophy at Fleetwood next weekend!

Dover Athletic: Lee Hook, Matt Fish, James Rogers, Dean Hill, Olly Schulz, Jake LeBerl (Craig Cloke 66), Nicky Southall, Sammy Moore, Shaun Wellford (Andrew Miller 90), Frannie Collin (Jake Marsh 83), Adam Birchall.

Subs: Dean Grant, John Whitehouse.

Goals: Olly Schulz 71, Adam Birchall 89 (pen)

Booked: Matt Fish 59

Lewes: Rikki Banks, Anthony Barness, Ross Sutton, Andy Pearson (Ryan Pimms 84), Jack Walder, Chris Breach, David Wheeler, Joe Keehan, Jean-Michal Sigere (Kane Louis 80), Williams Peauroux (Danny Royce 80), Steven Brinkhurst.

Subs: Scott Chamberlain, Fred Foreman.

Booked: Williams Peauroux 67, Rikki Banks 89

Attendance: 918

Referee: Mr Lee Venamore

Assistants: Mr Michael Webb & Mr Ian Kitchen