Tooting & Mitcham United 0-1 Dover Athletic - Dover are the Kings of Ryman One South

TOOTING & MITCHAM UNITED 0-1 DOVER ATHLETIC
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 1^st March 2008
Stephen McCartney reports from Imperial Fields

CHAMPIONS-ELECT Dover Athletic took giant strides on getting their hands on the Ryman League Division One South championship winning trophy - winning this top-of-the-table showdown comfortably.

Roared on by a passionate following of over 500, helped by the generosity of Dover Athletic chairman Jim Parmenter who laid on six supporters’ coaches as a goodwill gesture, it was local star Craig Cloke whose sixth goal of the season ensured the Kent giants extended their lead over today’s opponents to thirteen points - with nine games remaining.

And with only two defeats in 33 league games (both against Chatham Town), Dover Athletic have surely won the title today.

But player-manager Andy Hessenthaler stressed today’s success, which stretches their unbeaten run to ten games, hasn’t meant they’ve won the title just yet.

“We didn’t over celebrate today did we again,” he told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards. “We’ve gone thirteen points clear but it’s in our hands now.”

Cloke’s powerful header - with 16 minutes and 50 seconds on the clock - proved to be the only goal of the game.

A game that was played in windy conditions throughout and Imperial Fields deserve a much better playing surface than this one.

Dover Athletic’s back-four were solid and the one and only time that the home side got in behind them, goalkeeper John Whitehouse was excellent.

And if it wasn’t for the heroics of Dave King, who twice thwarted Dover striker James Dryden and versatile midfielder John Keister, then the Kent side’s victory would have been far greater.

But it was the home side that carved open the first chance of a tight opening but Jason Pinnock’s left-footed 25-yard shot sailed over Whitehouse’s crossbar.

King made his first save of the game just 37 seconds before the Kent side netted the decisive goal.

A move involving Matt Fish and Alan Pouton resulted in Keister flicking the ball over Carl Hutchings.

The former Sierra Leone international cracked a right-footed volley from the edge of the six-yard box but the ball was beaten out superbly by King.

But Dover Athletic scored from the resulting corner.

Hessenthaler rolled a corner into Matt Fish’s path and his far-post cross was met by a towering header from Cloke from six-yards and this flew into the left-corner to send the large travelling contingent wild.

Tooting & Mitcham United were forced to lump the ball towards the Kent side’s penalty area during the first half, trying to take advantage of the wind.

King’s long punt up field was flicked on by Jon Henry-Haden but a back-peddling Whitehouse was able to pluck the ball out of the air from inside his six-yard box.

King made his second stunning save after 25 minutes when he got down quickly to push the ball around his near post.

Fish thumped a left-footed volley into the Terrors’ penalty area and this was touched on by defender Romuald Bouadji and Dryden’s six-yard toe-poke towards goal brought the save from the former Thamesmead Town stopper.

Tooting & Mitcham almost grabbed an equaliser when Bouadji’s header, following Dorian Smith’s corner, was headed off the line by midfielder Jon Wallis, who was under severe pressure.

Whitehouse was called into action inside the first ten minutes of the second half as Tooting & Mitcham created their best opening.

Right-back Dean Hamlin was given time and space to whip a pass for Jamie Byatt and his outswinging cross was met by the unmarked Allan McLeod.

The central midfielder thought his header was heading towards the far corner but the flying Whitehouse pulled off a stunning save to turn the ball around the post - a title winning save.

Just after the hour mark Dover Athletic created another excellent chance to put the game beyond their title challengers reach.

Shaun Welford played the ball out to his manager on the right and Hessenthaler whipped over a hanging cross towards Jon Wallis at the far post.

Despite not being the tallest of players, Wallis met the cross with a header, which flashed past the near post from eight-yards.

More Dover chances arrived; Dryden headed Hessenthaler’s free-kick over from six-yards and Welford drilled a right-footed shot just past the post.

But King pulled off another stunning save late on.

Welford smashed a cross towards the far post for Dryden to send a header flying towards the far corner but King was on hand to claw the ball to safety.

Dover Athletic can now look forward to mouth-watering Kent clashes with Folkestone Invicta, Maidstone United, Margate, Ramsgate, Tonbridge Angels and Dartford (the champions-elect in Ryman League Division One North) next season - in the Ryman Premier League.

“We had a game plan, we came and made it hard for them,” said Hessenthaler. “The conditions weren’t good, the pitch wasn’t great but over the 90 minutes we deserved to win the game.

“It was a good goal that won the game from a set-piece. A great ball in from Fish and a great header from Clokey - but my players couldn’t give me anymore today.

“It was difficult conditions, the wind as well and the boys’ were tremendous.”

The former Gillingham star added: “To single out people would be unfair. I think it was a great team effort.

“We talked on the bus before we got here about being together and I think that epitomised it today, that the effort and togetherness out there and the fans were tremendous.”

Praising the “effort and desire” from his side, Hessenthaler was pleased that his side managed to get the result they needed.

“Teams were saying Dover can only play on nice pitches because Dover’s a decent pitch and we’re a footballing team,” he said.

“But it just shows today that we can do the other side of the game. We had to play a little bit ugly at times but I told the players’ to keep their feet on the ground.”

Praising the 500-plus travelling support, Hessenthaler added: “It was absolutely outstanding. They’ve been outstanding from day one since I’ve joined the club in the summer. Certainly the players appreciate the noise they made today.

“I’m just glad we put on a performance for them and they’ve gone away happy.”

Visit www.dafctv.co.uk for video highlights and interviews in full.

Tooting & Mitcham United: Dave King, Dean Hamlin, Colin Hartburn, Romuald Bouadji (Don O‘Sullivan 70), Carl Hutchings (Matt Kidson 51), Jason Pinnock (Ronnie Green 75), Allan McLeod,. Dorian Smith, Thomas Piotrowski, Jon Henry-Haden, Jamie Byatt.
Subs: Ben Abbey, Guillame Lopez-Dacruz.

Booked: Jamie Byatt 19, Romuald Bouadji 57

Dover Athletic: John Whitehouse, Matt Fish, Sam Gore, Laurence Ball, Craig Cloke, John Keister, Jon Wallis, Alan Pouton, James Dryden, Shaun Welford, Andy Hessenthaler.
Subs: Matt Bourne, Byron Walker, Steve O’Brien, Dean Ruddy.

Goal: Craig Cloke 17

Booked: Shaun Welford 65

Attendance: 1,041
Referee: Mr Steve Daly
Assistants: Mr Alex Neil & Mr Andrew Mawby