Tranmere Rovers v Dover Athletic

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Date Time League Season Attendance Dover Star Player Away Scorers
2nd September 2017 5:30 pm National League 2017-2018 4,101 Mitch Walker Bird (79 pen)

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RYAN Bird’s 79th-minute penalty stunned a 4000-strong home crowd as Dover won 1-0 in front of the BT Sport cameras at Prenton Park on Saturday.

The striker rammed the ball down the middle of the goal after being fouled in the box by Ritchie Sutton.

The visitors started brightly with Mitch Pinnock’s 30-yard strike narrowly clearing home keeper Scott Davies’ bar.

The home team were first to register a shot on target as Ollie Norburn curled a free-kick into the arms of Mitch Walker.

And Dover’s stopper was in the thick of the action as Rovers pushed forward.

He dived onto Sutton’s drive at the second attempt after initially parrying the defender’s effort, then blocked Hughes shot after Jay Harris’ cross-field ball found the midfielder in space.

Andy Cook then tried his luck with a twenty-yard rocket that fizzed past the post much to the relief of a diving Walker.

Jamie Allen latched onto a goal-kick, but his first-time shot was too weak to trouble Davies.

Pinnock went close before the break after robbing Steve McNulty but aimed his shot just wide.

Walker had to be alert to block Cook’s close-range header from a Harris cross and at the other end, Femi Ilesanmi’s shot whistled past the far post after Mitch Brundle found the winger in space.

Sub Tobi Sho-Silva forced Davies into a smart save late on with a clever turn and strike from the edge of the box.

Ilesanmi then went even closer to giving Whites the lead, heading sub Loui Fazakerley’s cross against the bar.

James Norwood’s flick from sub Liam Ridehalgh’s set-piece went agonisingly wide for the hosts.

But the away team did go ahead ten minutes later thanks to Bird’s penalty.  The forward was felled in the area after sneaking in ahead of Sutton as the defender went to clear the ball, leaving Peter Wright no choice but to award a spot-kick.

With the clock ticking towards full-time, Walker pulled off two fine saves to confirm Dover’s second win in three games at Tranmere.

The keeper firstly blocked Ridehalgh’s effort with his legs, with Connor  Essam on hand to clear the ball off the line as it rolled towards goal.

Walker then somehow pawed behind Norwood’s volley following good work from Sutton.

Earlier, Chris Kinnear made one change from the side that drew with Ebbsfleet on Monday. Fit-again Jamie Allen replaced Tobi Sho-Silva, who started on the bench.

The win sees Whites rise three placed to sixth in the table, two points of leaders Dagenham & Redbridge.

DOVER ATHLETIC REACTION

TRANMERE ROVERS REACTION

MATCH GALLERY

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”213″ gal_title=”Tranmere Rovers v DAFC 02/09/17″]

Tranmere Rovers

1Scott Davies Goalkeeper
4Ritchie Sutton Defender
5Steve McNulty Defender, (c) 39'
6Jay McEveley Defender 77'
20Mitch Duggan 2 Midfielder
15Ollie Norburn 11 Midfielder
3Liam Ridehalgh Defender
8Jay Harris Midfielder
24Jeff Hughes Midfielder
9Andy Cook Forward
19Andy Mangan 10 Forward
2Adam Buxton 20 Defender Duggan 72'
10James Norwood 19 Forward Mangan 53'
73'
11Connor Jennings 15 Midfielder Norburn 60'
16Jack Dunn Midfielder
40Pat Wharton Goalkeeper
  3 3

First Team Manager: Micky Mellon

Dover Athletic

1Mitch Walker Goalkeeper
2Josh Passley Defender
4Giancarlo Gallifuoco Defender 18'
6Connor Essam Defender
5Manny Parry Defender
3Femi Ilesanmi Defender
8Private: Mitch Brundle Midfielder, (c)
18Nortei Nortey 12 Midfielder
11Mitchell Pinnock Forward 53'
10Jamie Allen 9 Forward
17Ryan Bird 23 Forward 79 pen'
7Kane Richards Forward
9Tobi Sho-Silva 10 Forward Allen 55'
12Loui Fazakerley 18 Defender Nortey 65'
23Kadell Daniel 17 Forward Bird 81'
27Aziz Deen-Conteh Defender
  3 1 2

First Team Manager: Chris Kinnear

Substitutions
3
3
Goals
0
1
Assists
0
0
Yellow Cards
3
2
Red Cards
0
0

Officials

RefereeReferee's AssistantsFourth Official
Peter WrightDaniel Woodward
John Mulligan
David McNamara

Ground

Prenton Park
25 Prenton Rd W, Birkenhead CH42 9PY, UK