Dover Athletic 3-5 Eastleigh - We don't become a bad side overnight - Hessenthaler

Saturday 24th October 2009

DOVER ATHLETIC 3-5 EASTLEIGH
FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) Fourth Qualifying Round
Saturday 24th October 2009
Stephen McCartney reports from Crabble

EASTLEIGH look forward to being in tomorrow’s FA Cup first round draw for the very first time in their history, as they became the first side to inflict back-to-back defeats on Andy Hessenthaler in over two years at Crabble.

Eastleigh, in fifteenth place in the Blue Square South table going into this fourth qualifying round tie, fully deserved their victory, as Dover Athletic’s miserable history in the FA Cup continues.

The writing was on the wall for injury-hit Dover, as Eastleigh took a 12th minute lead, through Tony Taggart, but Dover hit back when Olly Schulz smashed in his fourth goal of the season.

But an excellent volley from Taggart regained Eastleigh the lead over second placed Dover Athletic, and things went from bad to worse for the Whites during the second half.

Tom Jordan nodded in a third inside the opening two minutes of the second half, before Richard Gillespie hooked in a fourth on the hour.

Lee Browning’s dink swiftly pulled a goal back for the home side, who had a third goal controversially ruled out when referee Nigel Lugg disallowed Shaun Welford’s effort, after Eastleigh keeper Jason Matthews had spilt the ball, before Andy Forbes tapped home Eastleigh’s fifth and final goal from close in.

The controversy, which appears to follow the hapless Chipstead based referee, followed as he sent off substitute Hessenthaler (who was only on the pitch for six-minutes) and decided a yellow card was the punishment for Eastleigh substitute James Taylor, who was guilty of a goal-line handball.

Adam Birchall’s eighth goal of the season followed from the resulting penalty, but it was too little, too late for stunned Dover Athletic.

Hessenthaler was forced into making four changes that lost their first home game of the season to Basingstoke Town in midweek, as Lee Hook (suffering from a loss of confidence), Dean Hill (calf), Jon Wallis (suspended following his fifth booking) and Sammy Moore (foot) were all ruled out and were replaced by keeper Dave Wilkinson, Danny Walder, Craig Rocastle and Browning respectively.

Wilkinson’s third debut for Dover is one that he would like to forget in a hurry, as he was beaten inside the opening 12 minutes.

Eastleigh started well, and Taggart picked up the ball and cut through a rocky Dover defence and slammed a low, left-footed angled drive to beat the 21-year-old keeper at his near post from 20-yards.

The Spitfires almost doubled their lead when Peter Adeniyi stroked a low shot across Wilkinson, but thankfully for the Kent side, Walder was there to prevent the ball crossing the line.

Dover’s first chance arrived in the 17th minute when leading goalscorer Birchall drove a low left-footed drive on the angle, and this was tipped around the near post by an alert Matthews.

And Dover got back into the game, as Schulz lifted the gloom by equalising in the 28th minute.

Nicky Southall’s free-kick was punched down by Eastleigh keeper Matthews and Schulz slammed a right-footed shot past the keeper and into the net from eight-yards and Dover were able to celebrate in the rain.

But that was as good as it got for the Kent giants, as Eastleigh regained the lead within four minutes - and never looked back.

Mr Lugg showed Southall a dubious looking yellow card, and the resulting free-kick was floated into the penalty area and Adeniyi headed the ball across the penalty area and Taggart smashed a stunning curling left-footed volley across the diving Wilkinson to find the far corner.

Visiting keeper Matthews made comfortable saves to prevent Walder and Wellford - before a slick move involving Welford and Southall, resulted in right-back Walder going close with a 25-yard right-footed drive.

Whatever Hessenthaler said to his under-performing stars during the half-time interval went through one ear and out the other, as Eastleigh made it 3-1 within two minutes.

Adeniyi swung in a corner from the left and this was met by a near post downward header from Tom Jordan - son of Joe - which crept over the line through a crowded goal-mouth.

Half-time substitute, impact player, Jerahl Hughes, worked his magic down the right to reach the by-line, but his pull-back was flicked over the bar at the near post by Browning.

Eastleigh full-back, Brett Poate, was booked for a challenge on Hughes, and Walder’s resulting free-kick was met by Schulz’s towering header, which sailed agonisingly past the far post.

After central midfielder, Riviere cut open the Dover defence, releasing Gillepsie, the Eastleigh striker was denied as the ball ricochet off Wilkinson and Walder was in the right place at the right time again to clear.

Adeniyi was then thwarted by Wilkinson, and the ball rolled just past the near post.

But Eastleigh made the score 4-1 on the hour mark, thus ending the game as a contest.

Danny Smith swung in a corner from the left and Wilkinson flapped at the ball and Gillespie was on hand to hook the ball into the net from close range.

Dover pulled a second goal back in the 64th minute, when Birchall released Browning through the heart of the Eastleigh defence and the former Sittingbourne man dinked the ball over the advancing Matthews and the ball had enough power on it to trickle over the line - but only just though!

This sparked a mini-revival from the home side and Southall’s snap shot from 25-yards brought the very best out of the diving Matthews.

Controversy followed as Dover had a third goal ruled out in the 66th minute. Southall’s second fierce drive was spilt by Matthews and Welford reacted first to prod the ball over the line from an acute angle.

As Crabble celebrated and players ran towards the half-way line in participation of Eastleigh restarting the game, as we thought the officials had given the goal, Matthews went down injured and once treatment was administered, it became evident that Mr Lugg had ruled the goal out - much to the anger of a baying Crabble crowd.

With twenty minutes remaining, Walder’s cross from the right was met by a downward header by Welford and it appeared that the ball struck Warren Goodhind’s hand.

But poor defending gifted Eastleigh their fifth goal in the 79th minute.

Riviere released substitute Shaun McAuley - who missed a later chance - down the left and his low centre from the left was tapped in by Andy Forbes from just a couple of yards out.

Dover’s misery continued when Matthews turned aside Andrew Miller’s low effort and Hessenthaler was red-carded in the 81st minute, for what he felt was a fair, two-footed challenge.

Mr Lugg forgot the laws when he brandished Eastleigh substitute Taylor just a yellow card, despite using his hands on the goal-line.

Birchall stepped up and slotted home the resulting spot-kick, right-footed, beating Matthews’ despairing drive, but by then, it didn’t matter, as Dover Athletic’s poor run of form continues.

Despite his early shower, Hessenthaler emerged from the dressing room at around half-past-five and during a nine-and-a-half minute press conference admitted losing in the final qualifying round of the FA Cup was a bitter pill to swallow.

“Very disappointed,” the FA Cup veteran told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards. “It’s FA Cup day, you don’t want to fall at the fourth qualifying round because that’s the hardest one to take because you know there’s a carrot at the end of it, a League club, so we won’t be watching the telly tomorrow will we, when the draws being made.”

Hessenthaler described the referee’s performance as “poor” and gave his views on Welford’s disallowed goal and his own red card.

“It’s a goal, isn’t it?” he insisted. “The referee’s had a poor game. The third goal should’ve counted. He (Matthews) dropped the ball, the keeper, he dropped the ball and it should’ve been a goal.

“That would’ve made it 4-3 and all of a sudden its - but we’re our own worse enemies. To concede the goals we did, the two in the first half, we get a goal back, 2-1 at half-time we’re in a decent position. Even though we’ve conceded two poor goals and then it’s criminal. If you’re going to concede just after half-time, if you’re chasing the game here it’s very difficult.”

Hessenthaler criticised the referee, Mr Lugg over his red-card, six minutes after coming off the bench along with Miller.

“I’m disappointed with the referee,” said the boss. “It sums him up! I’ve won the ball! You’ve got to protect yourself when you’re going in for a challenge. The kid looks like he’s going to come in, jump in with me. I’ve gone in, it might have looked two-footed, but I’ve clearly won the ball, all (of the) ball!

“The lad stayed down. It summed the referee up, all afternoon really. He didn’t cost us the goals, we lost the goals ourselves, but for me it was a good tackle, simple as that!

“People may want to knock me and do what they want to do but at the end of the day I’ve won the ball!

“The referee was too hasty and as far as I’m concerned if he’s going to do anything, it’s a yellow card as I clearly won the ball!”

Eastleigh are like many sides in Blue Square South - not pretty but workmanlike. And following his first ever back-to-back defeat as Dover Athletic manager, Hessenthaler admits that he may have to change the way his side play.

“I thought Eastleigh thoroughly deserved to win the game today - I think teams do their homework now,” added Hessenthaler.

“The last two games there’s players struggling for a bit of confidence and a bit of quality. Teams come, We got physically out-battled today. Listen, if you’re defending the way we’re defending, any team could beat us at the moment and that’s the problem!

“It might mean good old Dover, who play fantastic football over the last two and a bit years, maybe go back to old boring stuff and be a little bit more dogged and direct and forget about trying to pass the ball and go from there.

“We’ll sit down and we’ll look at it and see how we go but we need to turn the corner. We’ve had two poor results, we’re all gutted and the players will take it on the chin.”

Hessenthaler continued, “We’re out of the FA Cup, It’s a bitter pill to take but what can we do about it now? All we can do now is pull together and work hard together.

“We might need a couple of nil-nil draws at the moment, because of the amount of goals we’re conceding, but we’ll stay positive, that’s the only thing you can do. You’ve got to stay positive because we’re having a tough time in two games. We don’t become a bad side over night!”

Hessenthaler added, “I’ve got to be honest, I made the biggest mistake of my life today by not playing myself because I should’ve played. Simple as that!”

Dover Athletic: Dave Wilkinson, Danny Walder, James Rogers (Andrew Miller 75), Jake Leberl, Olly Schulz, Nicky Southall, Craig Rocastle (Jerahl Hughes 46), Tom Davis, Shaun Welford, Adam Birchall, Lee Browning (Andy Hessenthaler 75).
Subs: Sam Gore, Matt Fish, Lee Hook, Craig Cloke.

Goals: Olly Schulz 26, Lee Browning 63, Adam Birchall 90 (pen)

Booked: Nicky Southall 32, Jake Leberl 37, Shaun Welford 73, Danny Walder 89

Sent off: Andy Hessenthaler 81

Eastleigh: Jason Matthews, Warren Goodhind (Shaun McAuley 72), Brett Poate, Anthony Rivere, Tom Jordan, Aaron Martin, Peter Adeniyi, Andy Forbes (Jamie White 86), Danny Smith, Richard Gillespie (James Taylor 82), Tony Taggart.
Subs: Dan Loader, Ian Oliver, Trevor Challis.

Goals: Tony Taggart 12, 32, Tony Jordan 47, Richard Gillespie 60, Andy Forbes 79

Booked: Brett Poate 56, James Taylor 90

Attendance: 1,161
Referee: Mr Nigel Lugg (Chipstead, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Simon Griffiths (Horsham, West Sussex) & Mr Paul Burton (Redhill, Surrey)
Fourth Official: Mr Colin Mallows (Burgess Hill, West Sussex)