Whitehouse praises Cloke as Dover Athleteic kill off Tooting's title hopes

GOALKEEPER John Whitehouse is looking forward to the prospect of picking up a Ryman League Division One South winners medal, writes Stephen McCartney.

Champions-Elect Dover Athletic moved 13 points clear of second placed Tooting & Mitcham United following their comfortable 1-0 win at Imperial Fields at the weekend.

The Terrors only troubled the Eltham based goalkeeper, who has penned a contract to stay with Dover Athletic until the end of next season, once.

But the highly-rated former Chatham Town goalkeeper made a flying save to deny Allan McLeod scoring from a looping header, which was flying towards the top corner.

Craig Cloke’s sixth goal of the season - 16 minutes and 50 seconds on the clock - proved decisive.

Dover lad Cloke met Matt Fish’s cross with a bullet header which found the net from six-yards to send over 500 travelling fans wild.

Tooting & Mitcham United goalkeeper Dave King deserved his man-of-the-match award, producing stunning saves to deny John Keister’s close-range volley; a toe poke from James Dryden and a looping header from the former Folkestone Invicta striker.

Whitehouse was full of praise for match winner Cloke, who was outstanding at the back.

“Clokey was tremendous today in the air, he’s a colossus at the back,” Whitehouse told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“He takes everything, which is what you’ve got to do at this level especially in conditions like it was today, very blustery in the first half.

“We were up against it in the first half a little bit with the wind but like I say hats off to the defence they were superb.”

Reflecting on his stunning save to prevent McLeod grabbing an equaliser early in the second half, Whitehouse who was only playing Kent League football for Tunbridge Wells two seasons ago, said: “I didn’t have a lot to do. I’d like to think I command my box so I didn’t have to get into positions to make too many saves but if you’ve got to pull one out I suppose you have to.

“It was quite a comfortable save in the end so I’m pleased to get it around the post but my defence worked so hard for me today, they really did and all credit goes to them.”

But Whitehouse wasn’t pleased with the condition of the pitch at Imperial Fields and felt the home club left it in a poor condition for the visit of Dover Athletic.

Tooting & Mitcham United did increase the price of a cup of tie by 40p to £1, cashing in on their largest crowd of the season - 1,041.

“The conditions today, especially the pitch, I don’t know whether they left it like that but there’s a few divots on that pitch,” said Whitehouse.

“But I thought we played really well today and credit to the lads because it showed today that we can actually play very gritty at times and we can mix it up as well.

“It wasn’t pretty, we just got stuck in and we won the game on sheer graft to be honest.”

Baring a Kevin Keegan-esque disaster during Dover Athletic’s last nine games, the Kent giants will be playing Ryman Premier League football in August.

“I’ve never been in a promotion winning side, I’ve always kicked around at the bottom of the league playing for sides that are not going too well always scrapping for points,” said Whitehouse.

“I’ve always been very busy so its nice to come to a club and not have to much to do if I’m honest.

“I’m based in Eltham, south London so it’s a bit of a long way down but its all worth it when you’re top of the league.”

Visit Dover Athletic’s websites:  www.doverathletic.com & www.dafctv.co.uk