Whites chances of escaping
relegation took a downwards turn in front of the highest Ryman
League crowd of the season, as a late goal from our bitter
rivals meant that Whites lost for the 21st time
this season.
The Whites side looked vastly
different from their last league game, mainly due to the
suspensions of Craig Cloke, Matt Carruthers, and Victor
Renner. This meant there were places for Tom Hickman, the
returning Nick Humphrey, and new signing Alistair Heselton.
Walid Matata was also preferred up-front, in place of Chris
Wright.
In the Folkestone side, there were
a number of familiar faces. Steve Norman, Scott Lindsey, Simon
Glover, Paul Sykes and Mark Munday all returned to the
Hoverspeed Stadium for the visitors.
It was a fairly tentative start to
the game, as both sides ensured that they didn’t give anything
away in the early exchanges. The large crowd had to wait until
the 11th minute before the first effort on goal
when Jim Dryden curled a free kick wide.
But Whites could easily have taken
the lead themselves, Dean Readings’ header from a Braithwaite
corner seemed destined for the back of the net, before
ex-White Steve Norman diverted it over the bar.
Folkestone did look slightly more
dangerous of the two sides however, and went close when a Tom
Hickman clearance was deflected just over Paul Hyde’s bar, and
then Scott Lindsey forced a save out of Hyde from the
resulting corner.
Whites seemed to be missing the
width of Matt Carruthers, but with their first foray down the
right wing came the best chance of the first half. Hamshare
broke down the right, and his cross was flicked on by Matata.
Finding Braithwaite 6-yards out, he flicked the ball towards
the top corner, only for Folkestone keeper Tony Kessell to
save well to deny him.
The new boy Heselton almost set up
Bernard with half an hour gone, as the Whites looked to open
the scoring, but the visitors could have gone into the
interval leading. Firstly, Adam Flanagan tested Hyde with a
powerful header, and then Simon Glover was put through on
goal, but Hyde scurried out of his area to tackle the former
Dover forward.
So the game stayed level at
halftime, and chances continued to come at both ends of the
field. The first effort came for the Whites, Braithwaite
played a one-two with Matata, and his volley looked destined
for goal, but it was blocked for a corner by Kevin
Watson.
Folkestone really should have taken
the lead moments later though, through Stuart Myall. He weaved
his way through the Dover defence, but saw his shot hit the
top of the bar when he had created a good opening for himself.
Jim Dryden then went close with a header that went just wide,
following a deep free kick.
Although Matata went close with a
header from a corner, both sides saw the need to change
personnel. Folkestone brought on Paul Sykes, and Dover
replaced Heselton and Hickman for Craig Wilkins and James
Rogers.
And the changes almost had an
immediate effect. Rogers lobbed the ball up to Braithwaite,
and his volley looked destined to hit the back of the net, but
for a superb one-handed save from Kessell in the Folkestone
goal.
Whites continued to press forward,
looking for the victory, and Anthony Hogg headed just wide
when free in the centre at a corner. But with only six minutes
remaining, the visitors scored the only goal of the game.
A cross from the left found Jim
Dryden free in the centre, and he headed past Hyde for the
decisive goal, to the disappointment of every Dover fan.
Buster Smissen, returning from his loan at Chatham, was
brought on with about two minutes to go, but by then it was
too late, and Whites fell to another defeat against their
strongest rivals.
This was another really bad day for
all Whites fans. It was bad enough to lose the derby, but
defeat also makes survival even more difficult. Thankfully
Cheshunt also lost today, meaning that the gap to safety is
still 6 points, but there is one less game to male up that gap
now. And with Tonbridge and Harrow both picking up points, we
need to ensure that we get back to winning ways soon before it
is too late.
