Dover Athletic 4-2 Dartford - Unstoppable Dover go 13 points clear at top

Harrow Borough, Margate, Horsham, Ashford Town (Middlesex), Ramsgate, Heybridge Swifts, Tonbridge Angels, Harlow Town and now Dartford have all failed to take any points off on the lush playing surface at Perrys Crabble.

The Whites took full advantage of their nearest challengers falling victim of waterlogged pitches to fight back from an early set-back, before going for the kill during the second half to defeat Dartford 4-2.

Four of today’s six-goals arrived from set-pieces, with Jon Wallis delivering a couple for Dover, and Dartford winger Ryan Hayes showing how accurate he is with his left foot.

Fifteenth placed Dartford arrived at Perrys Crabble with a 50% from eight away games and they took the game to the runaway league leaders, taking a deserved early lead through Rob Haworth’s tenth goal of the season, after just nine minutes.

The Dover defence left Haworth left unmarked just eight-yards out and the former Margate striker met Hayes’ right-wing free-kick with a thunderous header, which flew over John Whitehouse’s outstretched left arm and into the far corner.

Haworth went close earlier on when he powered a header just over Whitehouse’s crossbar, following a cross from former Dover midfielder, Jamie Day, who was passed fit despite a niggling hamstring strain.

It took Dover Athletic 27 minutes to call visiting goalkeeper Andrew Young into action; the former Bishop’s Stortford goalkeeper diving low to his left to prevent Frannie Collin from finding the bottom corner after turning and rolling his right-footed shot towards goal.

But despite Dartford’s good 30 minute spell, they couldn’t add to their tally and were pegged back through Jon Wallis’ fifth goal of the season, just five minutes before half-time.

Shaun Welford flicked on a long ball forward, which released the talented midfielder and with his right-foot, rolled the ball past the stranded Young into the bottom far corner.

Wallis was the first player to be booked for a foul on Danny Dafter and Lee Noble’s 25-yard free-kick deflected wide of the right-hand post. Hayes’ resulting corner from the right was met by one of two players left unmarked at the far post, but Cody McDonald couldn’t add to his 11 goals as he directed his header just over from two-yards.

Hessenthaler, pulling the strings in midfield, changed his formation at the interval from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2 - and Dartford had no answer to yet another strong second half performance from the Whites.

Substitute Giuliano Grazioli should have scored following a training ground move down the left, just four minutes into the second period.

Dean Hill’s throw was flicked on by Welford at the near post but Grazioli, ghosting in, powered his header over Young’s crossbar.

Dover Athletic, meanwhile, delighted their home faithful, yet again, taking a 2-1 lead after 55 minutes.

Slack marking at set-pieces, not for the first time this afternoon, enabled Wallis to pick out Lawrence Ball unmarked at the far post and the defender powered home his header inside the near post from two-yards to double his tally for the season.

Haworth went close to bring Dartford level just 117 seconds later when he was played in behind Dover’s defence but his angled shot beat Whitehouse, but the ball bounced agonisingly bounced off the foot of the far post and the former Chatham Town goalkeeper was grateful to pounce on the loose ball.

Young made his best save of the game just four minutes later, producing a flying save to tip over Welford’s towering header, following yet another Wallis free-kick, this time down the left flank.

Dartford, however, fought back and levelled proceedings with nineteen minutes remaining.

Forcing a corner down the right, Hayes’ left-footed delivery, caused mayhem in the goal-mouth and after a shot was blocked on the line - Dartford had three shots cleared off the line today - Haworth was there to stab the ball over the line.

However, their joy was short lived, as Dover regained the lead, just 58 seconds later, when James Rogers cracked an unstoppable 25-yard left-footed angled piledriver across Young, which nestled into the far corner, a foot of the ground.

Young made yet another fine save with ten minutes remaining, spreading himself well to thwart Matt Fish scoring with a fierce left-footed drive. The goalkeeper then tipped over Wallis’ curling corner from the right, which was going to drop into the net at the far post.

Despite showing plenty of promise in the first half-an-hour, Dartford’s second half performance was somewhat disappointing, and Whitehouse was hardly tested, although he made a comfortable save from Hayes’ curling free-kick from 40-yards.

And Dover Athletic completed the double over their bitter rivals with two minutes of this enthralling derby remaining.

Central defender Ollie Schulz came up from his defensive duties to thump his header into the net from two-yards, following yet another sublime set-piece from Wallis.

Dartford, however, were reduced to ten-men after the celebrations died down as they had left-back Adam Gross red-carded for verbal abuse to an assistant.

Dover Athletic player-boss Hessenthaler, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards, was pleased his side continued their impressive home form.

“It was always going to be a tough game,” he said. “Dartford are a very good side and I thought we got what we deserved over the ninety minutes. We should have scored two or three more.”

Hessenthaler didn’t think he’s side lacked their usual fluency during the first half, when they were set up in a different formation.

He said: “I thought in the first half we dominated possession, without actually hurting them enough and if we had gone in at half-time losing the game I’d probably hold my hands up and say it wasn’t working.

“But we went in at half-time one-all through a great bit of play from Jon Wallis and his nipped in and done exactly what we want him to do more often, him and Sammy Moore.

“We dominated possession, had decent opportunities, but didn’t have enough bodies in the box.

“We conceded a silly goal through a set piece, which you hold your hands up if it’s good play, but it’s not good play.

“It’s a set-piece, where we switched off. John (Whitehouse) has not been tested in the first half, from one shot really. We haven’t tested their keeper, other than the goal we scored.

“We made an adjustment and our quality showed in the second half.”

For Dartford boss Tony Burman, he was pleased with his side’s performance, although their tenth league defeat of the season leaves them just five points above the drop zone.

“I’m disappointed with the result, that we’ve come away from here with no points,” Burman told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“I'm not disappointed with my players and my team’s performance. They’ve come here to have a go against the league leaders and I think we did have a good go and we’ve tried to play football in the right manner.

“We were a bit unfortunate at the end of the first half, in the first thirty minutes, something like that, not to be 2-0 up.”

Burman admitted his side couldn’t live with Dover’s class in the middle of the park.

“Second half they played what they’re good at,” he said. “They play a little diamond in the middle of midfield and it’s very difficult to pick up the players.

“They’ve got some very quality players, individual players who are good at passing and are well organised, but having said that, we’ve given them two silly free-kicks away and they’ve put in two great deliveries for the goals.

“We were 2-1 down, then we’ve hit the post and then got back into the game at two-all and that’s it. We should be getting something out of it.

“We’ve gone 3-2 behind, 45 seconds (it was 58) after, which is just not right.”

Burman added: “We’ve come here and lost. No-one’s expected us to win but I think the score flattered them a little bit.”

Dover Athletic: John Whitehouse, Matt Fish, James Rogers, Dean Hill, Ollie Schulz, Lawrence Ball, Jon Wallis, Andy Hessenthaler, Shaun Welford, Frannie Collin (Giuliano Grazioli 45), Sammy Moore.
Subs: Lee Browning, Sam Gore, Jerahl Hughes, Sam Jones.

Goals: Jon Wallis 40, Lawrence Ball 55, James Rogers 72, Ollie Schulz 88

Booked: Jon Wallis 44

Dartford: Andrew Young, Tommy Osborne, Adam Gross, Adam Flanagan, Jamie Coyle, Danny Dafter (Steve Butterworth 83), Ryan Hayes, Jamie Day, Rob Haworth, Cody McDonald, Lee Noble (James White 73).
Subs: Brendon Cass, Steve Butterworth, Seun Eferakorho, James White, Daren Ibrahim.

Goals: Rob Haworth 9, 71

Booked: Adam Flanagan 87

Sent off: Adam Gross 89

Attendance: 1,208
Referee: Mr Martin Yerby (Ashford)
Assistants: Mr Ben Wright (London SE17) & Mr Michael O’Keefe (Sevenoaks)