Dover Athletic 2 Hinckley United
3
Friendly
Match
Saturday
30th July 2005
Dover Athletic: Darren Smith (Paul Hyde, 46mins),
Tony Browne, Daniel Braithwaite (James Rogers,
64mins), Dean Readings, Craig Cloke, Nick Humphrey, Lee
Spiller (C), Danny Chapman (Shane Hamshare,
46mins), Craig Wilkins (Chris Wright,
76mins), Tommy Tyne (Walid Matata,
64mins), Anthony Hogg (Dale Skelton,
82mins).
Subs: Walid Matata, James Rogers, Shane
Hamshare, Sam Vallance, Chris Wright, Paul Hyde, James
Gregory, Dale Skelton, Tom
Hickman.
Booking: Craig Wilkins
(67 mins)
Hinckley
United: Dan Haystead (Ryan Price, 46mins),
Pat Lyon, Lee Colkin, Leon Jackson, Carl Heeley (C), Nathan
Winder (Brad
Piercewright, 61mins), Matt Lewis, Sam Shilton, Andrew
Brown, Laurent Cluzel (Marc McGregor,
46mins), Jamie
Lenton.
Subs: Ryan Price,
Brad Piercewright, Marc McGregor.
Booking: Pat Lyon (48
mins)
Attendance: 287
Whites slumped to their first pre-season
defeat against Hinckley of the Conference North, as even
though they went ahead twice, defensive mistakes cost us a
morale boosting win.
Whites were the better side in the
first half, and although
Hinckley had the better of the second, we were not
outclassed by a side two leagues above us.
The starting line-up
was the same as it has been for the majority of the
pre-season, as Clive Walker seems to know what side he aims to
start the season with. However, there was a place in midfield
for Danny Chapman, presumably for
Walker
to see how he fits
into the system he has adopted, and subsequently to decide
whether he wants to sign him.
As seems to be a trend this pre-season,
the visitors arrived at the ground late, and still seemed to
be on the coach during the opening exchanges, as Whites took
the game to them. Firstly Hogg's free kick was cleared to
Spiller on the edge of the area, but his off-balance effort
sailed past the post. Then good work by Braithwaite set up
Hogg 20-yards out, but he was unable to break the deadlock
either, and his shot went inches over.
But it wasn't long before Whites did break
through, in somewhat fortunate circumstances. Cloke's long
throw from near the corner flag was almost caught by keeper
Dan Haystead, but he collided with his defender Carl Heeley,
and the ball was fumbled into the net, with the goal credited
to Tommy Tyne for poking the ball over the line.
Midway through the
half, Andrew Brown and Jamie Lenton both failed to capitalise
on good chances for the visitors, but
Tyne should have increased the lead for
the Whites with two really good chances. When he ran onto a
through ball by Spiller, his lob sailed just wide, and then
when the keeper's kick went straight to him, his shot was
saved by the hapless Dan Haystead.
And it proved costly,
as with 37 minutes gone,
Hinckley drew level. The ball was played
through the centre, Leon Jackson drew the keeper, and touched
the ball to Jamie Lenton, who stroked the ball into the open
net. Whites' defenders complained of offside, but it wasn't
given.
The last action of the half came with
Spiller curling a corner straight onto the bar, and Whites
will have been disappointed to not be leading at the
interval.
Hyde replaced Smith and Hamshare took the
place of Chapman for the start of the second period, and
within two minutes Whites re-took the lead. Nathan Winder made
a mistake, leaving Wilkins with a free run on goal, but the
defender took Wilkins' legs away, and Cloke fired the penalty
past substitute keeper Ryan Price.
Hinckley were a better side in the second
half, and Leon Jackson forced Hyde to tackle him outside of
his area when he was through on goal. Whites were still
creating chances however, and Tony Browne's shot had to be
saved following a Cloke throw-in, and then a good 1-2 between
Hogg and Hamshare left the latter to force a save out of the
keeper.
But on the hour mark,
Hinckley again drew
level. After Leon Jackson and Jamie Lenton combined, Mark
McGregor was free in the centre to fire past Hyde.
A series of
substitutions by both sides failed to stem the threat from the
visitors, and after 70 minutes
Hinckley took the lead. The marking was
poor at a corner, and McGregor was again free in the six-yard
box, and was able to poke the ball past Hyde for the eventual
winner.
Hyde was again called to race out of his
area when Andrew Brown was through on goal, but it was the
Whites who had the best chances to score late on.
Skelton, replacing Hogg for the final ten
minutes, almost scored seconds after coming on. He collected
the ball in the six-yard box from Wright, but again the
non-league veteran keeper Price blocked the effort
superbly.
Again Skelton could have brought the
scores level, when his drive from 18-yards out was deflected
over the bar by Brad Piercewright, and from the resultant
corner, Cloke's header went inches wide of the far
post.
But the breakthrough didn't come, and
Whites were defeated. This was a slightly disappointing day
for the Whites, as the defeat brought back memories of the
past couple of seasons. However, the performance was still
good against a side two leagues above, and a number of chances
were created, but the side may need to be tightened up a
little at the back after the three conceded here.
