CHAMPIONS: Dover Athletic 1-0 Burgess Hill Town - The wait is over for Dover Athletic

Striker James Dryden thumped home a bullet header with sixteen minutes of this nerve-racking game to ensure that the Kent giants clinched the Ryman League Division One South title with three games left to play.

For the long-suffering Crabble faithful it ended all those bad memories of financial ruin, three relegations and two agonising play-off defeats, and their jubilation at the final whistle when they swamped their heroic players out on the pitch proved how delighted they all were.

Eighth placed Burgess Hill Town, meanwhile, were keen to gatecrash the party and with six wins and two draws from their last eight games, they could have easily kept the champagne on ice.

The past seven days was Dover’s week of Destiny. The only side that could catch the Whites were Tooting & Mitcham United but a fixture back-log took it’s toll.

The Terrors needed an injury time winner from Jon Henry-Haden to see of brave Chatham Town last Tuesday, but they needed a Paul Vines equaliser as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Walton Casuals last night.

That meant Dover Athletic had to win today to ensure that they won the title in front of their own fans, or it would drag on to Metropolitan Police next Saturday and give the Blues a massive pay-day.

Today’s joyous scenes made up for the heartbreak suffered on this ground ten years ago today when the club missed out on a trip to Wembley Stadium in the FA Trophy Final as Cheltenham Town earned a 2-2 draw to win the semi-final 4-3 on aggregate.

But with Hessenthaler and Darren Hare at the helm, the emphasis is to ensure that more exciting days return to Crabble, having spent three seasons trying to get out of this division.

Craig Cloke, agrees, as he has had first had experience of the highs and lows at his home-town football club.

“It’s been such a long time for me being at the club now to actually win something major,” the 23-year-old told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“It’s brilliant! I can’t explain it at the minute.”

Cloke was quick to pay tribute to former boss Clive Walker - and Hessenthaler - for bringing him on as a player.

“With Andy and Darren (Hare) we can go on right up into the league’s now because just one season they’ve just turned us around,” explained Cloke.

“We can just go on and on now, especially with the young players.”

“They’re just a bit more professional. Clive Walker, he’s made my career basically and now Andy’s here, he’s making it better for me.

“He’s just professional, do the job, don’t celebrate too much until you’ve got something. Now we’ve got something we can celebrate as hard as we’d like!”

Cloke, meanwhile, admitted he was anxious that the goal that would seal the title was a long time coming.

“I said to Laurence (Ball), if we don’t score soon it’s going to go on for ages and then Fishy’s crossed it and Jimmy’s bullet header (found the net).

“So chuffed for Jimmy Dryden at the minute, it was a great header, we’re league winners now!”

Looking ahead to next season’s Ryman Premier League campaign, Cloke is excited with the prospect of seeing new faces.

He said: “We’re going to bring in some more fresh faces and a bit more experience as the league’s going to be stronger and harder.

“We’ve got such a young side, I don’t know what our average age is, it must be 23, such a young side.”

Cloke paid tribute to the excellent support, adding: “I’m a Dover fan, Dover lad and I know how they feel through the relegations and play-off’s and that.”

Hessenthaler, meanwhile, handed Marvin Hamilton his debut, having signed him following his release from Gillingham.

The long-throw specialist had spent a recent loan spell at Ryman Premier League neighbours Folkestone Invicta and it was his - and Hessenthaler’s introductions - after 63 minutes that click the Whites into gear.

As nine minutes later right-wing back Matt Fish combined with Hessenthaler to deliver a delightful cross for Dryden to send his bullet header into the left-corner to kick-start the club’s rise back up the football pyramid.

Hessenthaler had made three changes to the side that lost only their third league game of the season - at Worthing - seven days ago.

Sam Gore and Matt Bourne were both relegated to the bench, there were reports that Shaun Welford was back in his native north east, so in came James Rogers, Alan Pouton and James Simmonds, who is on loan from Premier League outfit Chelsea.

Keen to get the job done as early as possible, Dover Athletic called visiting goalkeeper Chris May into action after just 177 seconds.

Jon Wallis played in striker Frannie Collin in behind the Hillians’ defence but his angled shot was blocked at the near post by the 22-year-old goalkeeper.

But Steve Harper, Burgess Hill’s striker, who has played for both Welling United and Tonbridge Angels, issued the Kent side an early warning.

Dover’s goalkeeper John Whitehouse was relieved to see the angled shot drop on top of the roof of the net, despite many fans fearing that the ball had dropped into the top left-hand corner.

Lloyd Cotton then won the ball off Pouton with a strong challenge down the middle before taking a few strides and unleashed a right-footed drive which sailed over Whitehouse’s goal from thirty-yards after 12 minutes.

It was clear that Tooting’s result last night and the expectation on their shoulders was making Dover Athletic’s players - and supporters - nervous.

Dover Athletic had highly-rated goalkeeper Whitehouse to thank to prevent Harper scoring with the game’s best chance after 26 minutes.

Harper got in behind the Whites’ defence and raced towards goal and from 20-yards he found that Whitehouse had advanced off his line to the edge of his box to block the shot.

Wallis then squandered an excellent chance to calm the nerves but he skied his shot from 15-yards after Collin cut the ball back from the right by-line after Pouton slid the ball behind the visitors’ defence.

But a flying save from Whitehouse, tipping Watts’ right-footed angled shot from 30-yards around the far-post after 28 minutes proved why Hessenthaler snapped up the Eltham-based goalkeeper from Chatham Town.

Dryden was then denied by a stunning point-blank save from May at the other end after the striker cracked a right-footed volley in the 34^th minute, after James Rogers crossed the ball from the left.

Was it going to be one of those days? Collin’s hooked shot from the left-hand side of the penalty area agonisingly bounced off the top of the crossbar after 38 minutes and out towards safety and Rogers’ shot was beaten out by May on the stroke of half-time as the Kent giants applied pressure.

Cloke sent a right-footed shot high over May’s crossbar after 52 minutes after the Hillians failed to clear Wallis’ free-kick.

The double substitution, meanwhile, enabled Dover Athletic to string plenty of attacks forward, although patient.

Hamilton, meanwhile, impressed on his debut and after cutting inside the full-back, his right-footed drilled shot was turned around the near post by May.

Moments later, Rogers’ left-footed drilled shot in a central position brought a comfortable low save from May as the game went into the last twenty minutes.

However, the champagne was taken out of the fridge when Dryden scored his 19^th - and most important - goal of the season.

Then Hamilton tested May again in the last five minutes, cutting in from the left into the middle, and drilling a right-footed shot, which brought a fine smart low save from May.

But it was mission accomplished as Hessenthaler brought the league championship in his first season at the club and thoughts are now on back-to-back titles - something us Kent clubs are good at, just ask Ramsgate and Maidstone United.

Dover Athletic: John Whitehouse, Matt Fish, James Rogers, Laurence Ball, Craig Cloke, John Keister, Jon Wallis, Alan Pouton (Andy Hessenthaler 63), James Dryden, Frannie Collin, James Simmonds (Marvin Hamilton 63).
Subs: Sam Gore, Matt Bourne, Dean Ruddy.

Goal: James Dryden 74

Burgess Hill Town: Chris May, Nick Fogden, Stuart Tuck, Dave Piper, Danny Gainsford, Tom Edmonds, Steve Harper, Lloyd Cotton (Kenny Hewitt 85), Shaheen Sadough (Phil Elkins 73), James Martin, Neil Watts.
Subs: Matt Piper, Colin Hunwick.

Attendance: 1,154
Referee: Mr David Buck (Istead Rise)
Assistants: Mr Rob Baker (Maidstone) & Mr Kevin Welsh (Maidstone)