Dover Athletic 1 Margate 1
Friendly Match
Tuesday 26th July 2005

Dover Athletic: Darren Smith, Tony Browne, Daniel Braithwaite (James Rogers, 81mins), Dean Readings, Craig Cloke (Sam Vallance, 54mins), Nick Humphrey, Shane Hamshare, Lee Spiller (C) (Dale Skelton, 84mins), Craig Wilkins (Chris Wright, 81mins), Tommy Tyne (Walid Matata, 46mins), Anthony Hogg (Tom Hickman, 67mins).

Subs: Dale Skelton, James Rogers, Walid Matata, Sam Vallance, Tom Hickman, Jordan Pettman (GK), Chris Wright.

Margate: Charlie Mitten, Greg Oates, Mark Green, Billy Edwards, Aaron Barnett, Dexly Fidis (Denver Birmingham, 89mins), John Keister, Daniel Sacha, Simon Ullathorne (Moses Jjunju, 79mins), Sylvester Nnumudi (Dean Hasim, 70mins), Dean Standen (Peter Korutaro, 86mins).

Subs: Paul Egan, Dean Hasim, Moses Jjunju, Sesay Osman (GK), Denver Birmingham, Peter Korutaro.

Attendance: 516

Whites continued their strong pre-season form with a draw against Margate, a side who will be playing in the league above next season yet failed to test the Dover defence considerably. Whites were the better side throughout, and probably should have gained a third straight win, but Sylvester Nnumudi cancelled out Craig Cloke’s headed opener.

Wearing the new strip for the forthcoming season, the side that started tonight could conceivably be the proposed starting line-up for the first league game against Dulwich. Shane Hamshare starting his first game of the pre-season, and Darren Smith recovering from a slight groin strain were the only notable points when the team list appeared before kick-off.

The game was not the best with regards to chances, but it was good to see a full-blooded friendly that a local derby brings. Tommy Tyne was the first to worry ex-White Charlie Mitten in the Margate goal, when he latched onto Hogg’s through ball, but struck wide from a tight angle.

Both sides had possession in the first half, but Whites were using it more, and so it wasn’t a great surprise when it was the home side that took the lead. Dean Readings took a free kick from deep, and found Cloke 12-yards out, and his header bounced past the flailing hand of Mitten, to the delight of the majority of the 516 in the crowd.

However, not being switched on at a corner nine minutes later cost the Whites, as the ‘Gate’ drew level. The corner was played short, and fired into the box for Sylvester Nnumudi to touch home from close range.

Whites still looked the better side however, and were unlucky not to go back ahead in the minutes before the interval. After a quick, flowing break by the Whites, Braithwaite’s cross looked as if it was to be headed in by Hogg at the far post. But he was blocked off by the Margate defender, and the referee decided not to punish him.

Spiller had the final chance of the half, curling his shot just over following good work by Tyne down the right, but the sides remained level at the end of the half.

Tyne picked up a slight knock at the end of the half however, and was replaced for the second period by Walid Matata, who has come on at halftime in all of the friendlies so far.

Nick Humphrey came close to scoring moments after the second half had begun. Hogg swung in a free kick from near the corner flag, but the ball hit the Whites defender in the chest as he was unsighted by the runner in front of him. So even though he was only two yards out, the ball unfortunately rolled just past the post.

Craig Wilkins has been a threat in every game played so far, and he will be disappointed he was unable to add to his two goals scored so far, as he had chances in the second half. He forced a good save out of Mitten with a shot from 25-yards that skidded off of the wet surface, and then following four corners in a row for the Whites, he headed Spiller’s ball just wide of the far post.

The game became a victim of a series of substitutions after this, and the final 25 minutes contained few efforts on goal for either side. Whites had strong claims for a penalty when John Keister handled Matata’s dangerous cross, but referee Martin Yerby again turned the appeals down.

So the game fizzled out into a 1-1 draw, but both sides will have been happy for the run-out against each other. Whites did seem to have the better of the game, with keeper Darren Smith a mere spectator for the majority of the second period. Thanks should however go to Margate for stepping in to replace the cancelled Crawley friendly, and a full-blooded match will have delighted the 516 who attended, and made us all wait with baited breath for the real stuff to begin.