Hayes & Yeading 2-4 Dover Athletic - At this stage I can't be more happy with them - Nicky Forster

HAYES & YEADING UNITED  2-4  DOVER ATHLETIC
Blue Square Bet South
Sunday 16^th December 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Kingfield Stadium

DOVER ATHLETIC manager Nicky Forster hailed his side’s mental strength after they stretched their impressive run of being undefeated away from home to 21 league games after they fought back to beat Hayes & Yeading United.

Hayes & Yeading United, who went into this game sitting in ninth-place in the table, deservedly lead at the break courtesy of Tom Cadmore’s header, before the real Dover Athletic turned up.

Man-of-the-match Daryl McMahon equalised just 32 seconds into the second half with a sublime curler, before three goals in a devastating eight-minute spell, a Ben May penalty, followed by a header, and an own goal from Pedro Monteiro, put the title chasers in the driving seat.

Hayes & Yeading United pulled a goal back when substitute Alasanne N’Diaye scored with his first touch with fourteen minutes remaining.

Dover Athletic, who have now won six games on the bounce, leapfrogged over Welling United – who defeated nine-man Woking 1-0 here yesterday to reach the last sixteen of The FA Carlsberg Trophy – into second place and are now only two points behind Salisbury City, who have a game in hand.

The Whites’ last away defeat in the Blue Square Bet (Conference) South came back on 3 December 2011 when they were defeated 3-1 by Dartford at Princes Park Stadium.

Forster, 39, said: “They’ve worked their socks off.  They’ve come from behind today to do that so it shows the mentality to go that long unbeaten. There’s a mental strength and that’s six wins out of six now, so we’re working hard in getting our results and our rewards at the moment.

“They’re a really good bunch of boys’ and they’ve got a very good chance this season if they maintain their discipline both on and off-the-field. They’re a joy to manage at the moment.”

But there was nothing joyful about Dover Athletic’s first half performance as they were put on the back foot by Nas Bashir’s side.

“I thought we were slow to come out and we gave the ball away too much.  That was our downfall first half,” admitted Forster afterwards.

“I haven’t seen us give the ball away unopposed that many times for a long time. We’ve been starting games really fast, today it was quite the opposite and they deservedly had the majority of the possession and probably deservedly came in 1-0 up at half-time.

“Second half I felt we were at our best again with our passing the ball and movement and deliveries into the box. We looked strong.”

The home side almost got off to a flying start when former Dover Athletic left-back Daniel Brathwaite – who was making his debut – resisted to hurl a long throw into the penalty area and instead threw the ball short to release Daniel Wishart towards the by-line and his cross was sliced into the top of the side netting by Dover Athletic defender Shane Huke with only 38 seconds on the clock.

Former Brighton & Hove Albion stopper, Mitch Walker, denied Hayes & Yeading United the lead inside the opening nine minutes.

Brathwaite clipped the ball forward and John Goddard was given time and space by the Dover Athletic defence to stroke a right-footed shot from 25-yards, which forced Mitchell into diving low to his right to glance a difficult shot around the foot of his post.

Goddard’s resulting corner from the left was headed away and fell nicely to Sam Cox to crack a right-footed volley from the edge of the box, which screamed wide.

Cox and Tobi Joseph linked up well in a slick move which resulted in Goddard stabbing a first time shot wide before Luke Williams received a pass from Mark Bentley and was given time and space down the right to whip in a low cross which was hooked behind by Dover Athletic right-back Chris Sessegnon.

Hayes & Yeading United should have taken the lead when Williams cut the ball back to right-back Calum Butcher, who whipped in a first time cross towards the far post and winger Wishart peeled off his marker to plant his header straight at Walker.

Dover Athletic’s travelling supporters had to wait until halfway through the first half for their first shot on goal.

Billy Bricknell was fouled by Cadmore and he got up and stroked a right-footed free-kick towards goal from 25-yards and home keeper Brandon Hall stuck out an outstretched right hand to push the ball over his crossbar and into the vacant stand behind him.

Hayes & Yeading United deservedly opened the scoring in the 29^th minute, courtesy of central defender Cadmore’s first goal of the season.

Williams, who was playing on the right wing of a five-man midfield, floated in a free-kick with his right-foot and Cadmore rose above Sessegnon at the far post to head powerfully back across Walker, who stuck out his left arm but couldn’t prevent the ball sailing into the top far corner.

“From their point of view that’s a good header, but from our point of view it was poor,” said Forster.

“We had our right-back, who is five foot nine, against one of their tallest boys in the box and that shouldn’t be a case.”

But Dover Athletic went within inches to grabbing an equaliser that their first half performance didn’t warrant within three minutes of going a goal behind.

Ricky Modeste took a quickly taken corner short to McMahon, who whipped in a precise right-wing cross towards the penalty spot and Bricknell’s glancing header sailed agonisingly past the far post.

Barry Cogan’s hooked pass released winger Modeste down the inside left channel and after cutting inside the winger’s angled left-footed drive sailed high over the crossbar and halfway up the stand.

Forster was clearly unhappy with his side’s first half performance and said: “We just didn’t think it was good enough!  I thought we gave the ball away too much. I thought there wasn’t an intensity or urgency to us. They created the tempo, maintained it. We didn’t stop enough crosses in our box.  We were punished. Second half we were far better in all those areas.”

The heavens opened above the dark Woking sky during the half-time interval and Dover Athletic came back to life – thanks to Dublin-born 30-year-old former Eastleigh skipper McMahon.

Dover Athletic upped their tempo immediately and McMahon picked up a loose ball just outside the penalty area and turned and curled a sublime right-footed shot across Hall and the ball caressed the far post before finding the back of the net to score his second goal of the season from 20-yards.

“He’s got that ability, not just that but the ball he put in for Ben May’s second goal was a great, great delivery,” said Forster.

“I think it was a cross. He told me he meant it!

“He changed his boots at half-time and he gave it away too many times in the first half, which is unlike him, but he’s got his scoring boots on. He’s going to wear them next week as well!”

Dover Athletic doubled their lead in the 59^th minute when McMahon whipped in an excellent free-kick which struck the arm of first defender Williams and the assistant referee waved his flag and referee Anthony Coggins pointed to the spot and booked the offender.

Clinical May stepped up and his right-footed penalty nestled into the bottom left-hand corner.

Referee Coggin waved play on after Modeste was fouled in the build-up to another Dover Athletic attack – a good decision as Bricknell unleashed a fierce right-footed drive from 22-yards, which was beaten away by Hall.

Brathwaite gave his former club a helping hand in their third goal in the 64^th minute as he gave McMahon time and space to whip in another quality cross for May to guide his towering header into the right corner, leaving Hall anchored to the spot, to score his thirteenth-goal of the season.

Forster said: “Ben May’s second goal was a great, great delivery and Ben’s just headed it back across the keeper. Ricky Modeste put a great ball in for the own goal.  When we put decent deliveries in the box we’ve got strikers who are hungry and good movement and will score goals and that proved to be a case.

“In Ben May we’ve got a striker that holds things up and scores goals. His second goal was terrific.  I thought we totally dominated them.”

Rampaging Dover Athletic were momentarily denied when Cogan’s free-kick was only half cleared to Bricknell, who took a touch before drilling a low shot, which was saved low down beside his near post by Hall.

When you’re listed as Pele on the team sheet the last thing you want to do is score an embarrassing own goal – and that is exactly what central defender Monteiro did in the 67^th minute.

Modeste took high-fives from his team-mates after whipping in a cross from the right which was sliced into his own net by the 34-year-old at his near post.

Forster said he was delighted with his side’s response during a vastly improved second half performance.

He said: “I think we needed to.  We were very, very poor first half.  We were very good second half. We won the second half 4-1 so it shows what we can do and how good a team we are, as good a squad we are when we get it right.”

Williams was forced off on a stretcher following Huke’s yellow-card tackle close to the corner flag on the left and substitute N’Diayne jogged into the penalty area must have scored within 20 minutes of his arrival on the pitch.

Fellow substitute Kudus Oyenuga whipped in an excellent free-kick and giant N’Diayne powered his header across Walker to find the far corner with fourteen minutes remaining.

Forster added: “After (our three goals) it was just a case of seeing it out. We conceded again, which I’m disappointed with, a set-piece conceded – we will work on that!

“I can’t fault them to turn around a 1-0 deficit at half-time to a 4-2 victory come the end of the game. I’ll take that!

“Although we’re disappointed with the two goals we conceded to turn around to score four goals in 45 minutes and totally dominate the opposition was a really good achievement.”

That goal brought a chant of “we only score when it’s raining,” from the travelling fans and Hayes & Yeading United were denied a third inside stoppage time when Wishart’s right-footed shot on the run towards the edge of the box was beaten away by the diving Dover Athletic goalkeeper.

Forster’s side are now on 40 points from 20 games which has full-time Salisbury City looking over their shoulder.

Forster said: “I think this means we are two points a game – 40 points from 20 games – that’s incredible form and I’m proud that they’ve achieved that.

“We’re halfway through it. We’ve got the same to do again bar two games.  At this stage I can’t be more happy and proud of them.

“If you get two points a game it should get you to in and around where you want to be. If you don’t go up with two points a game you’ve been unlucky so we’ll keep trying to push and see where it takes us.”

Hayes & Yeading United:  Brandon Hall, Calum Butcher, Daniel Brathwaite, Sam Cox, Tom Cadmore, Pedro Monteiro, John Goddard (Kudus Oyenuga 46), Mark Bentley (John Ekim 88), Tobi Joseph, Luke Williams (Alasanne N’Diaye 76), Daniel Wishart.
Subs: Yassin Moutaouakil, James Beasant

Goals:  Tom Cadmore 29, Alasanne N’Diaye 76

Booked:  Luke Williams 59, Mark Bentley 83

Dover Athletic:  Mitch Walker, Chris Sessegnon, Tom Wynter, Dean Rance, Shane Huke, Danny Webb (Steve Watt 81), Ricky Modeste (Moses Ademola 71), Daryl McMahon, Ben May, Billy Bricknell (Calum Willock 78), Barry Cogan.
Subs: Steven Thomson, Lee Hook

Goals:  Daryl McMahon 46, Ben May 59 (penalty), 64, Pedro Monteiro 67 (own goal)

Booked:  Daryl McMahon 43, Shane Huke 75

Attendance: 284
Referee: Mr Anthony Coggins (Bicester, Oxfordshire)
Assistants: Mr Craig Green (Aldershot, Hampshire) & Mr Shaun Scott (Horley, Surrey)