Dover Athletic 2 Chatham Town 0
Friendly Match
Saturday 6th August 2005

Dover Athletic: Paul Hyde, Tony Browne, Daniel Braithwaite, Dean Readings (Laurence Ball, 71mins), Craig Cloke (Walid Matata, 49mins), Nick Humphrey, Danny Chapman, Lee Spiller (C), Craig Wilkins, Tommy Tyne, Anthony Hogg.

Subs (Not Used): James Rogers, Shane Hamshare, Darren Smith.

Chatham Town: Louis Green, Andy Boyle, Danny Larkin, Andy Larkin, Mat Bourne, Steve Best (C) (Jim Lyons, 35mins), Tom Binks (Mat Solly, 84mins), Steve Searle, Dexter Fidyk (Rob Denness, 77mins), Brendon Cass, Ross Finn (Byron Walker, 46mins).

Sub (Not Used): Phil Miles.

Referee: G Hoare
Assistants: P Grace and L Bailey

Attendance: 256

Whites' final game at Crabble before the start of the Ryman Division 1 season ended with a win, but it was a bruising encounter which will be remembered for the second half injury to Craig Cloke, which we hope is not serious.

With Danny Chapman signing for the club on Thursday, he was included in the side, along with the likely starting line-up which Clive Walker seems to be trying to keep together in preparation for the Dulwich match. There were only five substitutes named though, due to a reserve fixture, with only two used as the first choice side, on the whole, got a chance to play together for 90 minutes.

It was a worrying start for Whites fans however, as Chatham were first out of the blocks and could easily have been two goals up in the first 15 minutes. The three chances all fell to Brendon Cass, who hit both the bar and post after lobbing Hyde, and then heading wide when well placed. These chances showed some worrying holes in the defence which will need to be shored up before the season starts.

After this first passage of play however, the game turned a bit ugly, and there were a few brawls in-which cards would probably have been brandished in a league match. But once the game had calmed down slightly, Whites began to get back into it, and took the lead with their first effort on goal. Spiller's corner was swung to the far post, and with keeper Louis Green in no-mans-land, Nick Humphrey forced the ball over the line at the back stick.

Tommy Tyne had a fairly impressive game, and went close when he took two defenders on and shot for goal. However, his effort from 20-yards out went just wide to the disappointment of the vast majority of the 256 in attendance.

Tyne again went close when he connected with a Braithwaite cross, but his volley sailed over. Then minutes later, good play down the left by Braithwaite fed the ball inside to Hogg, but this time the keeper pulled off a good save to his left to deny the midfielder.

This left the Whites in the lead at the interval, but moments after the re-start the side had to be re-organised after the injury to Cloke. He was stretchered off after a collision down the left touchline, and Matata was brought on up front, meaning Tyne moved back into midfield and Chapman went back to the centre of defence.

And although Brendon Cass again went close whilst the players got used to their new positions, Whites actually looked more threatening after these changes. Tyne in particular looked good in midfield, and when he fed Braithwaite down the left, his superb cross found Tony Browne at the back post, who volleyed home. It was a lovely passing move by the Whites.

Tyne, making runs from midfield into the box, headed a Braithwaite cross wide as the Whites continued to exert pressure on their visitors, who had looked a better side in the first half. They did go close when Byron Walker headed goalwards at the back post, but Hyde was equal to it.

The final chance fell to the Whites, as good interplay by Browne and Braithwaite down the left made a chance for Matata, but his header went inches wide of the far post, and the game ended with a two-goal win.

Although Whites had a few shaky moments at the beginning of this match, they thankfully ended up winning fairly comfortably. These defensive lapses are a cause for concern however, as when we come up against a top goalscorer like Miguel De Souza in the first match of the season, he is likely to tuck those sorts of chances away.

The side did look more secure however as the game went on, with the only problem being that the defenders again were the scorers, rather than the forwards. But as long as someone is scoring for us in two weeks time then I'm sure we'll all be happy!

POST-MATCH REACTION: (click links for audio interviews)