Dover Athletic 2 Walton Casuals
1
Ryman League Division
One
Tuesday
4th October 2005
By Kevin
Harris
Chants of 'Bring on the Chelsea' rang
out at the end of a pulsating finale at Crabble on this Tuesday
night, as Whites maintained their 100% league record. This means
that we are still the only side down to our level with the same
winning sequence as the Premiership champions, but it needed an
injury time goal from Craig Wilkins to finally breach the visitors
defence, and make it seven wins out of seven.
Clive Walker chose to start with the same
side that had disposed of Newport at the weekend, with a 4-4-2
formation deployed against a side that were bound to pose a threat,
after going five games unbeaten to slowly move up the
league.
Walton had been accused of being slow
starters, after conceding early in their game against Whyteleafe at
the weekend, and the same happened here. Tony Browne won the ball
down the right, and his cross found Wilkins in the centre who
directed his header past keeper Danny Andrews to take the lead after
only four minutes.
But the visitors came close to equalising
minutes afterwards, when Neil Wicks was through on goal. He managed
to lob Hyde but thankfully Browne had tracked back and managed to
clear the danger.
With referee Ian Gosling seemingly liking
the sound of his own whistle, the game became very stop-start, with
neither side getting the chance to play much football. However, with
twenty minutes gone, Michael Cobden went on a jinking run into the
box, and the referee adjudged that he had been fouled by Craig
Cloke. Greg Ball then stepped up and slotted the penalty past Hyde
to level the scores.
This served to be a wake up call for
Dover, who began to exert some
pressure on the visitors. Wilkins' volley looked to be goalbound
before it was inadvertently blocked by Carl Rook, and then minutes
later Rook laid the ball back for Browne to cross, but Hamshare's
header was well saved at the near post by the
keeper.
But with just after half an hour gone,
Whites were awarded a penalty. Steve Sutherland clearly pushed
Wilkins in the back right in front of the referee, and Cloke stepped
forward to take the spot-kick. Unfortunately though, he fired the
penalty low down the middle, and keeper Danny Andrews saved the kick
with his feet and ended up almost sitting on the
ball.
As the half came to a close, Wilkins
looked to again have been pushed in the area, but as play went on
Hamshare just failed to connect with Rogers' cross and the scores
remained level.
Walton should have taken the lead moments
before the interval themselves however when Neil Wicks capitalised
on a mistake and was through on goal. However, Hyde came out to meet
him and made an excellent save down to his
left.
Whites were a bit disappointing at the
start of the second period, as too many misplaced passes meant a
lack of attacking threat. However, Walton didn't look like
capitalising on them, and Whites looked the most likely to get the
winner.
Wilkins was the biggest threat, and he
went lose with a curling effort from 20-yards that sailed just wide,
and then after superb play by Braithwaite down the left, Craig did
fire the ball into the net, but he was adjudged
offside.
Just after the hour mark Walid Matata
replaced Carl Rook, as the new signing looked like he was tiring
after two games in four days. But the tide continued to be towards
the Walton goal, with Rogers cutting inside and shooting
just over, and then Spiller headed Cloke's long throw just
wide.
Skelton replaced Hamshare with fifteen
minutes to go, as the pressure began to increase as the Whites cut
out the mistakes they were making at the start of the half. One of
the best moves of the match, involving superb link up play by Rogers
and Braithwaite down the left, found Spiller in the centre, but he
knocked the ball just wide.
Matata shot wide from Skelton's cut back,
and Wilkins headed over, before Walton almost hit Dover on the
break. Substitute Michael Carpenter was through on goal, but Chapman
got back to make a superb tackle and stop the
danger.
Matata saw a header deflected wide,
before he set up the winning goal. Following a Walton corner, Whites
broke and Walid ran 60-yards down the right channel, and crossed for
Wilkins to prod the ball into the net at the far post, causing all
of us amassed on the River End to go mad with
joy!
All that was left was for Damien Ray to
crudely throw his studs into Tony Browne's knee, and the Walton man
was duly sent off. Minutes later the referee blew his whistle and
the celebrations began, and the focus turned to a tricky test away
at Tooting at the weekend.
Dover
Athletic: Paul Hyde 8, Tony Browne 8, Daniel Braithwaite 7,
Danny Chapman 8, Craig Cloke 8, Nick Humphrey 8, Shane Hamshare 7 (Dale Skelton 7, 74mins),
Lee Spiller (C) 7, Craig Wilkins 8, Carl Rook 7 (Walid Matata 8, 65mins),
James Rogers 8.
Subs (Not Used): Dean Readings, Sam Vallance, Darren
Smith.
Booked: James Rogers
(36mins)
Walton
Casuals: Danny Andrews, James Crowe, Michael Cayford, John
Ambridge, Steve Sutherland, Craig Carley (Damien Ray, 81mins),
Anthony Gale (Carlo
Castronovo, 81mins), Michael Cobden, Greg Ball, Scott Harris
(C), Neil Wicks (Michael
Carpenter, 68mins).
Booked: Michael Carpenter
(70mins)
Sent Off: Damien Ray
(90mins)
Referee: Ian
Gosling
Assistants: Paul
Harris and Michael Rogers
Attendance:
815
