Woking 2-0 Dover Athletic - We gave Woking a footballing lesson, says upbeat Hessenthaler

Saturday 23rd January 2010

WOKING 2-0 DOVER ATHLETIC
Blue Square South
Saturday 23rd January 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Kingfield Stadium

SURREY Police are tonight investigating the biggest crime in Woking so far this year.

Goals from Aswad Thomas and substitute Delano Sam-Yorke ensured the full-time hosts stole three points, against a Dover Athletic side that gave Woking a “footballing lesson“.

As a result of the robbery, Woking leapfrog over the Kent side into second place in the Blue Square South table, with Dover Athletic dropping down a place to third.

Manager Andy Hessenthaler, who was speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards, admitted his side didn’t deserve to board the coach with a 2-0 defeat.

Dover went into the game with three wins on the spin, keeping three clean sheets in the process, even with a makeshift defence - but today's defeat was a bitter pill to swallow.

“I’m gutted for the players in there to be fair,” he said. “I thought 2-0, we didn’t deserve to lose the game and to be fair to their manager (Graham Baker) and assistant (Jimmy Dack) they said we gave them a footballing lesson and at times I thought we did.

“But the football lesson hasn’t won us the game unfortunately. So lots of positives, obviously the boys are disappointed in there but I won’t go home too disappointed.”

Woking were mourning the death of club president Phil Ledger, who died in the week, and the crowd of 1,437 paid tribute to the club stalwart with a minute’s applause before kick-off.

Hessenthaler was limited with defensive trio Olly Schulz, Jake Leberl and Dean Hill all unavailable, so Nicky Southall and Matt Fish slotted in at the back as Hessenthaler played
a 4-3-3- formation.

However, the first half was very cagey, with so much at stake for both giant clubs, although the Kent side were the better team throughout.

Although real chances on goal were at a premium throughout, both sides flashed shots past the near post, as Shaun Welford and Woking’s former Welling United midfielder, Harry Arter were both off target early on, as was a header from Moses Ademola, which looped over Dover’s crossbar from just six-yards.

Welford, Dover’s battering ram of a target man, was giving Woking left-back Thomas problems during the first half, but Woking keeper Ross Worner - and Dover’s debutant goalkeeper Ross Flitney weren’t troubled during a disappointing opening half-an-hour.

A Frannie Collin free-kick, down the left, from thirty-yards, screamed across Worner but also past the far post, but Woking grabbed the lead, against the run of play, with their first shot on target after 35 minutes.

The corner count was eight-to-four in Dover’s favour at the final whistle, but Woking forced their first three corners in quick succession, and broke the deadlock with their third.

Left-sided midfielder Nicky Nicolau whipped in an excellent in-swinging corner from the right and Thomas ghosted in at the near post and went in where it hurts to power his header down and in from six-yards, through a crowded goalmouth.

Dover Athletic’s first shot on target arrived within three minutes when midfielder Jon Wallis’ right-footed drive from the edge of the box brought the very best out of the diving Worner.

With their side attacking the covered terrace after the interval, Dover’s travelling supporters gave their side excellent support. Woking’s fans, meanwhile, were silent throughout, maybe disappointed by their side’s negative display during the second half, where the home side sat back and soaked up the pressure that came their way.

Collin, who picked the ball up outside the Woking penalty area, cut along the line before cutting into the penalty area to smash a low drive, which flashed agonisingly past the foot of the near post.

Dover Athletic squandered their best chance to deservedly equalise in the 50th minute.

Wallis’ sixth corner - he took all eight flag kicks - was swung in from the left and the ball dropped kindly for Welford at the far post, but the former Ramsgate man blasted the ball high over the bar and into the car park from just six-yards out.

Woking striker, Ademola, latching onto a poor pass from Dover midfielder Sammy Moore, burst forward, but his effort sailed into Flitney’s arms, although the nippy striker wasn’t going to trouble the former Croydon Athletic stopper, who joined the Kent club recently for an undisclosed transfer fee.

Dover’s supporters were wondering exactly how their dominant side were still losing the game and in the 65th minute, Collins’ angled low drive had beaten Worner, but flashed agonisingly past the far post.

Woking brought on their second substitution, Delano Sam-Yorke, and the striker grabbed the home side’s second goal with one of his first touches, as Woking completed the double over their opponents, again, against the run of play.

Arter delivered a cross from the left and picked out Ademola, who was unmarked at the far post, and his goal bound header was clawed out by Flitney, only as far as the substitute to finish well from close range.

Stunned, Dover Athletic piled on the pressure as they went in search for goals, but they found Worner in good form in between the sticks.

Fourteen-goal, Leading goalscorer, Adam Birchall (when played in behind the defence), Wallis (a deflected drive from the edge of the box) and Hakeem Adelakun, all fired low shots into the keeper’s arms, but Worner excelled at the death, when he dived to punch out a fierce effort from outside of the box by veteran Nicky Southall.

Dover Athletic didn’t deserve to lose this game, but Hessenthaler admitted his side lacked the cutting edge in front of goal.

“I just think, again today with a makeshift back four, especially in the centre half positions, the two boys done great, from back to front we were very good and we just needed that little bit of cutting edge, that little bit of quality and maybe that little bit of luck in front of goal, for something to drop,” said the boss.

“If we had scored, Shaun had a great chance at 1-0, when he put it over the bar. As a forward you’ve got to score them and he knows it. He’s disappointed but that’s football, but loads of positives, still a long way to go.

“I can’t be too disappointed. Like I said to the players in there, I’m the first to criticise them for not putting a shift in but today they did.”

Hessenthaler added: “Sometimes you think I’d rather perhaps not play as well and have won the game and I’m sure Graham’s saying that. It wasn’t a particularly good performance by them, two set pieces basically and they’ve scored from that.”

Hessenthaler handed former Barnet team-mate Flitney his debut in goal today and gave his opinion of his performance.

“He done great!” he said. “I spoke to him about the second goal and I think he lost his bearings a little bit. He could’ve tipped it over. He’s stretching and palmed it down, unfortunately again it didn’t happen for us. It’s gone straight to their player and he’s put it in.

“He hasn’t had a shot to save. He’s kicking’s very good, isn’t it? But the two boys, Lee Hook wasn’t fit today, with a groin (injury). John (Whitehouse) was obviously a sub today.”

And with three keepers at his disposal, Hessenthaler added: “There’s competition for places but I’ve bought him because I think he’s got the full package. It was his first game today, he’s trained once, I thought he did ok.”

Woking: Ross Worner, Tony Sinclair, Aswad Thomas, Mark Ricketts, Tom Hutchinson, Jon Broadman, Giuseppe Sole (Jerome Maledon 61), Harry Arter (Sam Sloma 84), Matthew Wright (Delano Sam-Yorke 72), Moses Ademola, Nicky Nicolau.
Subs: Sam Sloma, Joe McNerney, Ricky Anane.

Goals: Aswad Thomas 35, Delano Sam-Yorke 75

Dover Athletic: Ross Flitney, Danny Walder, James Rogers, Matt Fish, Nicky Southall, Sammy Moore, Jon Wallis, Hakeem Adelakun, Shaun Welford, Frannie Collin (Lee Browning 80), Adam Birchall.
Subs: Tom Davis, Dean Grant, Craig Cloke, John Whitehouse.

Booked: Shaun Welford 74

Attendance: 1,437
Referee: Mr Paul Forrester (Luton, Bedfordshire)
Assistants: Mr Vincenzo Torre (Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire) & Mr Mark Sage (Luton, Bedfordshire)