Stevenage Borough 4-1 Dover Athletic - Some of my players got found out today, admits Hessenthaler

Saturday 30th January 2010

STEVENAGE BOROUGH 4-1 DOVER ATHLETIC
FA Carlsberg Trophy Third Round
Saturday 30th January 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Broadhall Way

DOVER ATHLETIC boss Andy Hessenthaler admitted some of his players came up short against a physically strong Stevenage Borough side that sit proudly at the top of the Blue Square Premier table.

Backed by excellent vocal support throughout, against the current FA Carlsberg Trophy holders, Dover Athletic’s players rode the early storm and had us believing when Shaun Welford’s tenth goal of the season put the Kent side into a 26th minute lead, during what was a good twenty minute spell for Hessenthaler’s troops.

The lead, however, lasted just eight minutes, before recent signing Tim Sills levelled with his first goal in Boro’ colours and Chris Beardsley put the full-time hosts into the lead a couple minutes before the break.

Stevenage stepped up more gears and added another couple of goals, with Michael Bostwick and substitute Yemi Odubade finding the back off the net.

With Maidstone United losing their second round tie away to Salisbury City by two-goals-to-nil, Kent’s interest in the competition came to an end today.

Dover created their first chance inside the opening five minutes when a Nicky Southall free-kick was swung into the penalty area and central defender Olly Schulz met the cross with a downward header, which was caught by goalkeeper Chris Day at his near post.

At the other end, David Bridges was thwarted by a fine block from visiting goalkeeper Lee Hook, who along with John Whitehouse are currently on the transfer list.

Dover Athletic had gained in confidence, having weathered the early storm, and came so close to breaking the deadlock in the 20th minute.

Jon Wallis slipped the ball into Adam Birchall’s path, and the leading goalscorer came so close to add his 15th goal of the season, but his right-footed curling effort from 25-yards, was parried by the diving Day.

Dover began to start dreaming as Welford got in front of Schulz to send the 164 (officially but there was over 200 Dover fans in the ground) into raptures.

Wallis rolled a free-kick to Frannie Collin down the left and his point-point cross sailed over the Stevenage defence and there was Welford and Schulz at the far post and Wellford (inside the six-yard box) headed down and across Day and the ball bounced into the net.

Dover’s fans punched the air in delight and started to believe that their side would grab all the headlines - but Stevenage Borough weren’t going to let go of their silverware and stepped up the gas and ran out deserved winners in the end.

Dover keeper Lee Hook required treatment for a shin injury and within moments was picking the ball out of his net as Stevenage Borough equalised in the 34th minute.

The hosts certainly done their homework on Hessenthaler’s men, exploiting their weakness in the left-back position and Ronnie Henry cut in and centred for Sills to poke the looping shot over the diving keeper to score from three-yards.

Things started to go downhill for Dover, especially when the atmosphere around Broadhall Way changed, when Stevenage went in at the break 2-1 up.

Poor defending in the 43rd minute from Schulz allowed Henry’s cross from the right to go over his head and Beardsley rifled the ball into the roof of the net with Hook exposed.

Bridges almost made it three just before the break when he burst into the Dover box, but was thwarted by a fine block from Hook.

The second half was a master class as Stevenage showed Hessenthaler what is needed to be challenging at the top half of the league above next season, if they win promotion (along with Newport County) via the play-off lottery at the end of the season.

Bridges made a late run into the penalty area to plant Long’s corner from the right just over the bar, before Stevenage made it three on 52 minutes.

Sills won a header on the half-way line and Mitchell Cole raced down the left hand side as Stevenage broke in numbers, leaving the Dover defence fearing the worst.

Cole cut the ball towards the far post for Bostwick (who wasn’t picked up as he made a late run into the six-yard box), lashing a fierce right-footed drive, which curled in at the near post.

A move down the right resulted in Henry whipping in another cross and the unmarked Sills headed straight at Hook at his near post.

Long then curled a right-footed free-kick just past the foot of the far post, past Hook’s despairing dive, as Dover struggled.

But then came a spark, coming from target-man Welford, who was denied by two excellent Day saves in the final fourteen minutes.

Firstly, the keeper dived full-length to his right to turn aside a fierce drive from Welford and then he was left unmarked inside the Stevenage box and met Collin’s pin-point cross from the right with a bullet header, which was tipped over by the keeper.

For their efforts and commitment to the cause, Dover didn’t deserve to lose 4-1, but the goal duly arrived in the last couple of minutes.

Long picked the ball up from Beardsley down the right and floated an accurate cross for substitute Odubade to smash a low volley to Hook’s right and therefore ending the Wembley dream for the Kent club.

A disappointed Hessenthaler spoke for nearly nine-and-a-half minutes afterwards, and told www.kentishfootball.co.uk that he was satisfied with his part-time troops.

“I can’t fault the players out there,” he said. “They had a right go today but we conceded at the wrong times.

“To go in one-up and in that spell I felt we were on top, but we conceded at wrong times but you could see why they’re top of the league above, they’re a good side. They deserved to win today.

“I just felt a little bit sorry for our boys to lose 4-1, but we had two good chances second half. The geezer’s made two great saves of Shaun, he could’ve had a hat-trick today but these things happen.

“We’ve seen today where we’ve got to try and get to. I think it opens your eyes a little bit, the gulf between the two divisions.

“I think in spells we done very well today. They’re a strong side, they’ll do well in the second division definitely a team like that, so a lot of credit to them because they were in a no-win situation really weren’t they. The pressure was only on them and not ourselves and they were worthy winners but I can’t fault my players.

“I thought they had a right go today and it could’ve been different if we didn’t concede just before half-time, go in at 1-1, who knows, second half?

Hessenthaler ruled going in at the break 2-1 down.

He said: “At 1-1 we’ve got a major chance second half. At 2-1 you still had a chance but it was always going to be difficult and then we pretty much conceded straight after half-time again so we conceded at the wrong times.

“The goals were avoidable, silly errors, the players know that, maybe the wrong decisions so they’re things you’ve got to learn from and I’m sure people like Olly Schulz, playing against Tim Sills, who has been around a little bit and who is a clever player, will learn from it and you’re going to learn when you play against those type of players.

“I just think you do learn from games like this, whether players are perhaps up to the standard and most of them are, but a few perhaps got found out a little bit today.”

Stevenage did deserve their win today, and Hessenthaler paid tribute to the excellent passionate support that fans gave their side throughout the game.

“There’s always good support from Dover fans, they’re tremendous,” said the 44-year-old. “They go all over the country. I’m disappointed that we didn’t get a result today. We had five minutes where we were dreaming a little bit when we went 1-0 up but they’re a quality outfit, this (Stevenage) team.

“Training every day showed the difference in the end. All credit to them. It won’t surprise me for them to go on and get promoted and win the Trophy because they’re strong enough and good enough.

“Today, we didn’t deserve to get anything but we still put a decent show on.”

Reflecting on the second half, the Dover boss added, “Stevenage beat teams in their league week in, week out at the moment, so I just feel a bit sorry for us losing 4-1.

“They dominated at times second half, we couldn’t get near them but we still created two really good chances second half. Their keeper’s made two really good saves. If one of those goes in at 3-1, who knows? Maybe they’d feel a little bit more pressurised but it didn’t go in. That’s what he’s there for. That’s the difference. You’ve go to take your chances in games.”

Stevenage Borough: Chris Day, Ronnie Henry, Mark Roberts, Jon Ashton, Scott Laird, Stacy Long, David Bridges, Michael Bostwick, Mitchell Cole (Yemi Odubade 73), Tim Sills (Lee Boylan 83), Chris Beardsley (Charlie Griffin 88).

Subs: Ashley Bayes, Mark Albrighton.

Goals: Tim Sills 34, Chris Beardsley 43, Michael Bostwick 52, Yemi Odubade 88

Dover Athletic: Lee Hook, Danny Walder, James Rogers (Hakeem Adelakun 72), Matt Fish, Olly Schulz, Sammy Moore, Jon Wallis (Lee Browning 81), Nicky Southall, Shaun Welford, Frannie Collin, Adam Birchall.

Subs: Lee Browning, Craig Cloke, Jake Leberl, Ben Humphreys.

Goal: Shaun Welford 26

Booked: Matt Fish 8

Attendance: 1,203 (164 away supporters)

Referee: Mr J Adcock

Assistants: Mr C Marsden & Mr T Hollidge

Fourth Official: Mr L Forrester