CHAMPIONS: Dover Athletic 6-0 Sutton United - Hess Express romps to league title in style

One of the worst kept secrets in football was finally confirmed today, as Dover Athletic romped past a Sutton United side, themselves looking for a play-off place, and courtesy of a late Hastings United penalty at The Pilot Field, confirmed that Andy Hessenthaler’s side were indeed to be crowned champions before the clocks went forward.

A purely scintillating, magnificent and awesome display saw the Hess Express rip Sutton to shreads, patch them up and rip them apart again as the home side turned in arguably their best performance of a truly incredible season.

To win a championship in front of your own fans is always great, but to do it in this style, certainly will live long in the memory.

Sutton arrived at Crabble fourth in the table, but set up their formation with only veteran Steve West up front, but soon Dover were into their stride and the five-man Sutton midfield were left chasing shadows.

Inside the first two minutes, Shaun Welford headed narrowly wide a Jon Wallis free-kick, which set the tone for this champagne display.

A cross from the left then found Welford again and his downward header this time was hacked to safety by a relieved defender.

The magnificent Alan Pouton, who seemed to have so much time on the ball, then let fly from 25-yards, only for his shot to bounce the wrong side of the post.

Lawrence Ball then went close with his right thigh as a Wallis corner bounced off the central defender’s leg and flew inches wide.

The goal that kick-started the party duly arrived nine minutes before half-time, and again, Pouton was at the heart of it.

He threaded the ball through a moving amber wall and found the long-serving James Rogers, who did well to dig the ball out from under his feet, before stroking it into the corner of the Sutton net.

Dover went in at the break a goal to the good, but the atmosphere around Crabble was somewhat tempered when news of Staines Town’s go-ahead goal through Elliot Onochie at Hastings filtered through.

So poor had the visitors’ been in the first half, that the recalled Preston Edwards barely had a touch of the ball.

However, four minutes after the break, the on-loan Millwall goalkeeper had to be at his alert best to deny David Hughes at the keeper’s near post.

That proved to be the one and only shot that Sutton had all game as the visitors’ disappointed.

Moments later, Welford won a foot race with Chris Collins, only to fire across the face of goal.

But on 53 minutes, the lead was doubled when Dean Hill brilliantly won the ball on the half-way line and played a delightful ball to Frannie Collin, who side-stepped one defender before side-stepping goalkeeper Paul Nicholls, before rolling his 23^rd goal of the season into the net.

Collin then turned provider six minutes later as he broke down the right and his pull back found Wallis whose first time shot ricochet of the right post for following-up Welford gleefully hammered in Dover’s 100^th goal in competitive football this season.

The impressive Lee Browning was then denied by a smart Nicholls save and the Sutton keeper did well to fall on the ball as Rogers flew in.

On 74 minutes, Matt Bodkin came on for Collin and within three minutes had scored his first goal for the club.

This time it was Welford who broke down the right and his chipped cross to the far post was headed home by the substitute.

The rout continued on 83 minutes when Welford scored a spectacular diving header, from Matt Fish’s delightful cross, to register his 17^th of the season.

With Dover five goals to the good, but Staines still in front in Sussex, it seemed as though the championship champagne would be put on ice once more, but as Dean Hill was volleying home number six, news began to filter through that Sam Adams had levelled the score along the coast.

There was then the now seemingly customary wait for two or three minutes, whilst the result from Hastings was waited for, but as confirmation arrived Crabble erupted to the tones of the Queen hit “We are the Champions!”

A beaming Hessenthaler, speaking to BBC Radio Kent, said, “I asked for a performance from the boys today, but I really didn’t expect such a dominating performance and such a one-sided game.”

“Obviously to win it at home in front of our own fans is so much better.

“I must confess that I’m almost lost for words as that performance was quite simply brilliant and there are a lot of clubs who wouldn’t have lived with the performance that we’ve shown today.

“I’ve experienced promotions in the Football League and in non-league too, but this really is something special.”

When quizzed about what is left now for his side this season, Hessenthaler conceded that their first objective would be to top 100 points and that his players were now playing for their futures and contracts in Blue Square South for next season.

One of the heroes of the season and one of the players of the season, Alan Pouton, admitted that whilst he had experienced promotion and relegation in the Football League, there was nothing to match his feelings today.

“It really is something special today and to win it after that performance makes it even sweeter,” said the former Gillingham star.

“I hope to be hear next season, but that’s now down to the chairman and the manager.”

Jon Wallis conceded, that despite playing in the Football League, he had never reach the heights at which he was this evening.

“Last year was good,” he said. “But this is really something special.”

Last word must go to two goal hero Welford, adding, “Frannie and me may have had scored 40 between us now but if you look at the rest of our scoring chart our goals have been so spread out that when we have struggled personally, there’s always been someone else to find the net.

“We’ve had a wonderful season and we’re still not finished.”

It truly was a day to remember at Crabble - the Hess Express now rumbles relentlessly on to Blue Square South - you have been warned!

Dover Athletic: Preston Edwards, Matt Fish, Dean Hill, Lawrence Ball, Ollie Schulz, Alan Pouton (Sam Jones 80), Jon Wallis, James Rogers, Shaun Welford, Frannie Collin (Matt Bodkin 74), Lee Browning (Jerahl Hughes 84).
Subs:  Sam Gore, John Keister.

Goals: James Rogers 36, Frannie Collin 53, Shaun Welford 59, 83, Matt Bodkin 77, Dean Hill 85

Sutton United: Paul Nicholls, Simon Jackson, Darren Ebsworth (Aaron Bray 76), David Hughes, Chris Collins, Karin El-Salahi, Steve McKimm (Chukki Eribenne 58), Craig Dundas, Dean Palmer, Steve West (Laurent Hamici 65), Gavin McCullum.
Subs: Tim Bond, Billy Dunn.

Booked: Chukki Eribenne 74

Attendance: 1,484
Referee: Mr Ian Bentley (West Wickham)
Assistants: Mr Neil Baker (Welling) & Mr Craig Wood (Gravesend)