Dulwich Hamlet 3-1 Dover Athletic. White: We can handle the pressure to finish top

DULWICH HAMLET 3-1 DOVER ATHLETIC
Ryman League Division One South
Sunday 7^th January 2007
Stephen McCartney reports from Champion Hill

Terry White believes Dover Athletic can still finish at the summit of the Ryman League Division One South table, despite his side, that finished the game with ten men, being comprehensively beaten by Dulwich Hamlet today.

The caretaker-manager saw his side lose 3-1 to a Dulwich side that leapfrogged over Fleet Town to deservedly reclaim top spot during an impressive display in front of their largest crowd of the season.

Full credit must go to the ground staff at Champion Hill for preparing a fine playing surface for their talented ball players to shine against a Dover Athletic side in fourth place.

It was only yesterday that lodgers Fisher Athletic had their Nationwide Conference South game against Dorchester Town postponed due to a waterlogged pitch an hour before kick-off time.

But their hardwork and devotion was rewarded when former Erith & Belvedere central defender, Lewis Tozer scored his first goal of the season after just five minutes into this vital clash.

Dover Athletic goalkeeper, Glen Knight, endured a shaky start to the game. He dropped Kenny Beaney’s first corner of the game and the ball found Justyn Roberts at the far post, but he stroked the ball past the near post from eight-yards.

But Knight was punished when he dropped Beaney’s second corner and following a goalmouth scramble, Tozer rifled a shot high into the net from five-yards.

A mix-up between Knight and John Keister allowed 28-goal striker Chris Dickson, formerly of Erith & Belvedere, to steal the ball from the former Margate man.

Dickson unleashed a shot that bounced off Knight but was thwarted when former Chatham Town defender Matt Bourne, produced a diving header to clear the ball off the line at the near post.

Dover striker, James Dryden, whose ninth goal of the season with the last kick off the game was scant consolation, rolled a harmless shot past the far post from nineteen yards.

But Dover’s passionate vocal supporters saw Bourne meet James Rogers’ far post corner with a header which he directed just over the bar.

Sadly, former Sittingbourne star striker, Bradley Spice was wheeled off on a stretcher following a collision with Dulwich Hamlet’s former Ashford Town goalkeeper, Simon Overland.

But White, his first game in charge of Dover Athletic as caretaker manager, revealed the injury is not as bad as first feared.

“”Hopefully, it’s just an impact injury and not ligament or muscle orientated,” Terry told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

But the Bexhill based boss does not know how long Spice will be out of the side.

Credit must be given to striker Dickson with eleven first half minutes left.

If we were watching a Premiership game, Dickson would have fallen to the ground, rolled over in agony, after he was tripped inside the penalty area by Craig Cloke, Dover’s born and bred central defender.

But Dickson managed to stay on his feet but his effort saw him run into a white brick wall.

Another left-footed free-kick from Rogers, late in the first half, found Bourne again but his volley flew just over.

Leigh Bremner, making his Hamlet debut, having signed from Cray Wanderers on Friday, linked up well with Dickson, who dragged his right-footed shot from 20-yards past the far post.

Dover applied a spell of pressure and they really should have equalised a minute before Dulwich doubled their lead in the 58^th minute.

Cloke unleashed one of his trademark long throws towards Dryden in the middle and the former Folkestone Invicta striker turned to shoot just over from seven yards.

But tiny central defender Beaney produced a moment of magic, that even David Beckham would have been proud off.

His right-footed free-kick, from 28-yards, curled over the Dover wall and flew into the top left hand corner to the delight of the home faithful.

Keister, however, started - and almost finished - a move in the 66^th minute.

The former Margate star played the ball out to Rogers out on the left, and ghosted into the penalty area to meet his left-footed cross but Keister planted the header over from four yards out.

But Dover played the last 22 minutes with ten men when substitute, defender Nick Humprey, was shown a straight red card by Beckenham based referee, Mr Stephen Child.

Humphrey pulled back debutant Bremner as he was just two yards from the Dover penalty area.

But former Sittingbourne defender Jamie Coyle, Dulwich Hamlet’s skipper, saw his right-footed free-kick from 20-yards pushed away by a diving Knight - a fine save.

But the 31-year-old goalkeeper could do nothing to prevent Shawn Beveney scoring his fourth goal of the season after 71 minutes.

Beveney unleashed a right-footed screamer, across Knight, from the right hand side of the box, which flew into the top far corner with an unstoppable shot from fifteen yards.

The highly-rated Overland, pulled off a fine save to push Wilkins shot around the post and Dryden failed to beat the goalkeeper when he got in behind the home side’s defence.

But you can never keep a quality striker quiet, and the former Folkestone Invicta man, slammed the ball home from five-yards out when the ball fell to him following Rogers’ corner.

When asked how he thought his first game in charge of Dover Athletic went, White replied. “Obviously not as well as I would have liked. Pretty tough start but looking at things in the broader picture, maybe we could put it down to a bad day at the office.”

White thought Humphrey’s sending off was the wrong decision, having watched the incident on video after the game.

“Having just looked at the Nicky Humphrey’s incident on the video, its never been a red card,” he said.

“The lads just slipped over. People might look at that as excuses but as I’ve said, sometimes it’s reasons, not excuses.”

But White admitted that Dulwich Hamlet deserve to be topping the table.

He said: “I’ve watched a lot of games in this league this year, and they're comfortably the best side I’ve seen but we need to be the best side if we’re going to win it.

“We need to work on certain aspects. I’ve seen things today that I know I can work on and I know that I can improve.”

White revealed he is looking at new players to strengthen the squad, in a bid to topple the south Londoners.

“I think they’re all winnable games,” he said. “Obviously because of today’s result, it’s going to be a little bit of pressure on us to get three points but I’m sure the lads can cope with it.

“I’m not particularly looking in any particular area but I’m looking for someone who can improve us as a side.

“If they become available, regardless of where they play, then I will get them.

“I’ve couldn’t have worked any harder than I have this week to try and get someone in but with the Christmas fixtures where teams have played quite a lot, I’m finding it a little difficult.”


Dulwich Hamlet: Simon Overland, Jason Turley (Cedric Meeko 84), Nicholas Plumain, Justyn Roberts, Jamie Coyle, Lewis Tozer, Shawn Beveney (David Milton 83), Kenny Beaney, Leigh Bremner, Chris Dickson, Phil Williams (David Moore 79).
Subs: Sol Pinnock, Billy Manners.

Goals: Lewis Tozer 5, Kenny Beaney 58, Shawn Beveney 71

Dover Athletic: Glen Knight, Tony Browne, James Rogers, Matt Bourne, Craig Cloke, Danny Chapman (Byron Walker 66), Bradley Spice (Nick Humphrey 32), Lee Spiller (Shane Hamshare 83), Craig Wilkins, James Dryden, John Keister.
Subs: Liam Quinn, Darren Smith.

Goal: James Dryden 90

Sent off: Nick Humphrey 68

Attendance: 518
Referee: Mr Stephen Child (Beckenham)
Assistants: Mr Phil Stevens (Streatham) & Mr Timothy Hatt (Redhill)

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