CHAMPIONS: Winning the title on our home patch was key, says Hessenthaler

ANDY HESSENTHALER was beaming with pride after his Dover Athletic side clinched the Ryman League Division One South title yesterday, writes Stephen McCartney.

James Dryden’s 74^th minute bullet header ensued the Whites sealed a 1-0 home win over Burgess Hill Town - a side unbeaten in eight games - to seal the victory needed to see off challengers Tooting & Mitcham United.

The Terrors failed to pick up maximum points from their two midweek games, beating brave Chatham Town 1-0 last Tuesday, courtesy of an injury time winner from Jon Henry-Haden but they were held to a 1-1 draw at Walton Casuals on Friday night.

That meant Dover Athletic had to bag just one win from their last four games to clinch promotion into the Ryman Premier League.

Dryden settled the nerves when he thumped home his 19^th - and most important - goal of the season.

“Fantastic day for everybody involved,” Hessenthaler told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“It was always a tough game today especially after defeat (at Worthing) last week so it was a little bit nervous but we knew about Burgess Hill, they’re obviously on a decent run themselves, so we knew it was going to be a tough game.

“The game had gone a little dead but fortunately we got the goal through Jimmy Dryden from a fantastic header and that was enough to win the game.

“Really from the start I thought it was going to be a tight affair and finally we got the goal and it’s given us promotion.”

The title was always going to go to Crabble, thus ending the club’s three year spell in this division, especially as the lowest position that the club have been this term was third.

“I always knew we was going to win this league with the stage we are,” said Hessenthaler. “But it was only a matter of time but we wanted to do it on our patch.

“That was the key, we wanted to win the league by winning the game. Had we not won today then we might have won it on Tuesday when Tooting go to Burgess Hill themselves.

“But we’ve done it on our own patch in front of our own fans and that was the key.

“It was good that we’ve got it out the way now. We’ve got three games left and we can play with a bit of freedom now and enjoy that to the end of the season and start thinking about next season now.”

Hessenthaler, however, admitted that his side actually won the title when they defeated Tooting & Mitcham United 1-0 on the first day of March, courtesy of a goal from Dover lad Craig Cloke.

“I think the Tooting game was obviously a key game,” he reflected. “When we went there and we looked so solid and we looked strong. They didn’t cause us any problems in the game.

“To come away from Tooting winning that game I always thought we was going to do it.

“But a few performances this season as well. I mean, Worthing at home (a 3-0 win on 8 December) was a fantastic performance, tricky pitch and very wet.

“Some of the football we played was fantastic and again in spells in the first half (today) we knocked the ball around great and that’s been the key for us over the season.

“We have tried to play football and at times we have had to mix it up and it hasn’t been pretty but it’s about getting results and today second half wasn’t pretty but we got the goal.

“I think the key is we’ve been consistent over the season and so far only lost three games over the last 39 games, that’s not a bad achievement is it?”

Visit Dover Athletic’s websites: www.doverathletic.com and www.dafctv.co.uk

www.kentishfootball.co.uk congratulates everyone at Dover Athletic Football Club on their success.