Cray Wanderers 1-2 Dover Athletic - We beleive we can win the title, says Nolan - EXCLUSIVES

CRAY WANDERERS 1-2 DOVER ATHLETIC
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 14^th April 2007
Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane

Dover Athletic assistant manager Steve Nolan believes his side can still win the Ryman League Division One South championship, as the season reaches an exciting climax.

With leaders Maidstone United (73 points) and Hastings United (72) wilting under pressure in the heat today, losing to Metropolitan Police and Dartford respectively, today’s win at a sun-kissed Hayes Lane sees Dover Athletic climb into fourth place in the table, just five points off top spot with only three games left.

But the Stones will lose top spot on Tuesday night if third placed Tooting & Mitcham United (72) beat Walton Casuals at Imperial Fields.

Nolan knows the Crabble outfit must win their last three league games, against Burgess Hill Town (away) next Saturday, Corinthian-Casuals (away) and at home to Horsham YMCA on the last day of the league season.

However, the former Sittingbourne boss, saw Dover Athletic get off to a dream start, when skipper Lee Spiller scored his third goal of the season - after just 33 seconds.

Full-back Tony Browne launched a ball forward for striker James Dryden on the right hand side, and after cutting inside, he crossed the ball to Spiller.

Spiller’s right-footed drive, however, deflected off Cray Wanderers’ defender Al-James Hannigan and left goalkeeper Grant Hall flat-footed as the ball found the net.

Most of the travelling Dover fans, however, had not even taken their positions behind the goal when they were celebrating the early opener.

When they did, however, they saw their side take a stranglehold on the game, and after Byron Walker saw his shot blocked, Dryden’s left-footed shot rolled past the far post.

Cray Wanderers’ only chance of the first half came after fifteen minutes when skipper Ross Lover unleashed a left-footed free-kick from thirty yards, which was comfortably saved by Glen Knight, the visiting goalkeeper.

Dover deservedly doubled their lead four minutes later from a trademark long throw towards the far post by defender Craig Cloke.

Cloke’s rocket launcher found it’s way to Dryden, and with his right-foot, the striker scored his 20^th goal of the season, drilling a right-footed shot past Hall from six-yards.

But Dover Athletic went on to squander some excellent chances to put the game beyond doubt and heap more misery on Ian Jenkins’ men.

Craig Wilkins’ towering header out of defence was flicked on by Tommy Tyne and allowed Walker to attack Cray down the left.

The former Chatham Town youngster crossed low to Dryden, who was unmarked, but the ex-Folkestone Invicta hit-man drove his 12-yard shot agonisingly past the far post.

“Let’s have some fight!” demanded an upset Cray supporter from the main stand, fed up having seen his side ripped apart by their visitors.

However, he was only going to see some fight from his side during the second half, as Dover squandered another excellent chance after 22 minutes.

Dryden drilled a cross into the penalty area from the right-hand side but Walker’s left-footed drive on the angle from eight-yards flashed across goal and past the far post.

The hosts were thankful to their burly goalkeeper for denying Dryden just six minutes later, beating out the striker’s header from six-yards, following a far-post cross from Tyne.

Dominant Dover finished this one-sided half with penalty appeals being turned down.

Talented midfielder Jon Wallis’ run from deep saw him being upended by Hannigan but Chipstead referee Mr Nigel Lugg was having none of it.

After a roasting from Wands’ boss Ian Jenkins during the break, Cray Wanderers came out earlier than their visitors - but in determined mood.

And they finally tested Knight inside the first eight minutes of the second half.

Knight made a smart save when he beat out a volley from striker Junior Baker, following a cross from the right hand-side from Lewis Wood.

That was the spark they needed, as they pulled a goal back within two minutes.

Michael Power, in his second spell for the club, having played for Bromley and Tonbridge Angels this season, gave his team-mates hope.

He drove a left-footed shot from 25-yards and the ball crept inside the bottom far corner.

But they should have levelled proceedings eleven minutes later.

Baker flicked Hall’s kick into Wood’s path but the tiny striker shot across Knight and agonisingly wide of the far post.

Dover, meanwhile, were happy to soak up the pressure and Wallis was unlucky not to extend their lead with thirteen minutes remaining, when his right-footed curler flew agonisingly past the top of the far post from 22-yards.

After bringing Cloke’s cross under control with his chest, tricky winger Walker managed to weave his way into the Wands penalty area but could only steer the ball past the foot of the near post.

Dover should have wrapped up the points late on, when Spiller intercepted a pass in midfield and burst towards goal.

The midfielder laid the ball off to Dryden on his right but he could only blaze his right-footed shot on the angle high and wide from ten-yards.

Cray Wanderers had three good chances late on to grab a point but squandered them all.

Substitute Andy Martin brought a comfortable save from Knight from twenty-yards before Lover and Martin shot wide when they really should have tested the 31-year-old goalkeeper.

“We had eleven attempts on goal in the first half, so we were a little bit disappointed at half-time,” Nolan said EXCLUSIVLEY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“We said that two-nil was a dangerous score at half-time, and that the next goal was all-important.

“That went to Cray so it made us a little nervous in the second half.”

And with results going their way as the season reaches it’s climax, the former Sittingbourne boss added: “The belief is still there, with the players as well.

“It looks like nobody’s really taking acts to go out and win it so all we can keep doing is play our games, try to get three points a game, and see where we end up at the end of the season.”

Nolan was delighted that Spiller settled the nerves with his opener after just 33 seconds.

“It eases their nerves about how the game’s going to settle down and it just gives you that bit of extra lift as well,” he said.

Dover defender Craig Cloke admitted they should have made it easier for themselves - had they taken their numerous first half chances.

“Yes. It was hard!” he said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co. uk  after the win. “We should have been four-nil up in the first half and the second half we came out and was a bit lazy (for) pretty much for the whole of the second half - we definitely did make it hard work for ourselves.

“The first half we worked so hard to get the ball behind them and defend well.

“The sun was definitely getting to them and us, so for both teams, it was hard.”

With Ian Jenkins rushing off to watch on television his beloved Manchester United reaching the FA Cup final with their 4-1 win over Watford, and assistant manager Joe Francis declining a chat, striker Junior Baker was the one to represent the club.

And the 23-year-old admitted EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk that his team-mates should have done better during the first half.

“I don’t think we kind of woke up out of the blocks at the beginning of the game,” he said.

“Had a b********g from the boss as you would do, when things aren’t going right you try to find answers but I personally believe the second half we were the better team.

“We actually came out and knocked their confidence a bit by trying to get an early goal as quickly as we could.

“But I mean, at the end of the day, this season for us has been an up-and-down season.

“We’ve played against the good teams, tried and show them and let them know what we’re about, and teams at the bottom kind of had the advantage over us.”

He added: “Our objective today was to upset Dover, stop them getting into the play-off’s and good onto them for trying to dig out a win.”

With the majority of the 248 travelling from east Kent, the former reserve team left-back  was “upset” that Cray Wanderers didn’t win the game.

Expressing his feelings after their 15^th league defeat of the season, Baker said: “You feel upset don’t you. You get a big crowd come down here and they come to your gaff and you want to send the big crowd back to where they come from.

“But unfortunately it didn’t go our way, but there’s a lot of positives to take out of it.”