Tooting and Mitcham United 2
Dover Athletic
0
Ryman
League Division One
Saturday 8th October
2005
By Kevin
Harris
Whites succumbed to their first defeat of
the season after a disappointing display at Tooting and Mitcham.
Whites started the game ok, but individual errors cost the side two
goals, and they never looked like getting back into the game once
they had gone behind.
The starting line-up was the same as it
has been for the past two games, but Anthony Hogg's injury had
obviously cleared up as he was preferred to Sam Vallance on the
bench.
The first chances fell for the Whites, as
we took the game to our hosts, with Wilkins heading a Spiller corner
just wide. Then Humphrey almost turned Rogers' free
kick into the net at the back post, but it was deflected over the
bar.
The travelling Whites were in hysterics
when Tooting keeper Jonty Venter kicked the ball straight out of
play three times in a row after fifteen minutes, but this was a rare
highlight in a poor game that was continually punctuated by the
referees whistle.
Tooting first showed their attacking
threat just before the half hour mark, when a deep cross managed to
hit the bar, but Cloke could have given Whites the lead when he
headed wide down the other end.
Wilkins had to be replaced by Matata with
35 minutes gone, after pulling up with a hamstring injury, and we
never had much of an attacking threat once he had left the field,
though Rook did head over moments afterwards.
Tooting took the lead within two minutes
of Wilkins' withdrawal. Nick Humphrey was adjudged to have committed
a foul 20-yards out, and Ryan Gray curled the free kick inside the
near post, even though Hyde seemed to have the ball within his
grasp.
The home side should have taken the lead
further when good play down the right set up Ted Hart who had been
left free in the centre, but thankfully he skewed his shot wide of
the target.
James Rogers sent a free kick inches wide
and Gavin Grant shot narrowly over during the eight minutes of first
half injury time, but the score remained the same at
halftime.
Craig Cloke could have drawn the scores
level at the beginning of the second period, but his free header
from a Braithwaite cross sailed over the bar. It was Tooting who
came closest to scoring with almost a carbon copy of the first goal,
but this time Gray sent the ball just past the
post.
Although Hamshare went close for the
Whites, errors again proved costly in the Whites defence, as the
home side basically sewed the game up. Hyde's kick sailed up into
the air, then Cloke's back header was poor, and the ball found its
way via Ted Hart to Gavin Grant, whose superb shot sailed into the
top corner of the net.
Skelton replaced Hamshare, who had had a
typically hard-working display, and then Readings
replaced Rook, as Whites went for broke and pushed Cloke and Spiller
up front alongside Matata for the final fifteen minutes. And the
three almost combined to reduce the deficit, but Spiller touched
Matata's cross just past the post.
This ended up being the last notable
chance of the match, as Whites failed to break through a strong
Tooting rearguard. There was slight controversy when Matata and
keeper Venter collided in injury time, but the result was never in
doubt.
This was a disappointing performance,
especially considering we could have gone top with a victory here,
but we were hardly in the game. Losing Wilkins so early on didn't
help matters, and let's hope his injury is not bad as he has been
superb for us so far this season. We now need to get back to winning
ways in the upcoming League Cup and Trophy
matches.
Tooting
and Mitcham: Jonty Venter, Colin Hartburn (Fraser Muscat, 90mins),
Craig Tanner (C), Vernon Francis, Danny Twin, Aaron Day, Ryan Gray
(James Lasbury, 80mins),
Ted Hart, Gavin Grant, Jason Pinnock, Jamie
Findlay.
Subs (Not Used): Justin Bowen, Marcel Dennis, Wayne
Grant.
Booked: Ted Hart (34mins), Craig Tanner
(44mins), Vernon Francis
(88mins)
Dover
Athletic:
Paul Hyde 6, Tony Browne 7, Daniel Braithwaite 7, Danny Chapman 7,
Craig Cloke 7, Nick Humphrey 8, Shane Hamshare 8 (Dale Skelton 7, 65mins),
Lee Spiller 6, Craig Wilkins 7 (Walid Matata 7, 35mins),
Carl Rook 6 (Dean Readings 7,
74mins), James Rogers 6.
Subs (Not Used): Anthony Hogg, Darren
Smith.
Referee: Alf
Field
Assistants: Peter
Georgiou and David Moran
Attendance:
313
