A STRING of superb saves from goalkeeper Paul Hyde earned Dover a goalless draw at Welling on Saturday.

The couple of hundred Whites fans who made the trip to Park View Road instead of going Christmas shopping were able to celebrate a point against former manager Bill Williams in the Dr Martens League match.

A half-hour hold-up at road-works on the M2 meant that many Dover supporters arrived only minutes before the kick-off, but Christmas cheer in the form of free wine and Christmas cake was provided by Welling United.

It was the usual grey, cloudy and damp afternoon in suburbia, but the sides provided the usual hard-fought derby.

Dover forced three corners early on, but neither goalkeeper had a serious shot to save until the 25th minute when Welling’s Glen Knight went down low to save a Tommy Tyne effort. Soon afterwards, Hyde had to make a smart save from Paul Jones as Welling began to have a lot of possession.

Nicky Dent sliced the ball wide from an acute angle, and in the last minute of the first half he was shown the yellow card for a foul challenge.

The injured Danny Chapman was replaced by Darren Davies at half-time, and seconds after the restart Davies’s free-kick provoked a scramble in front of Welling's goal, but Tyne fired into the side-netting.

With Dover having trouble stringing passes together, Welling were able to exert some pressure and Hyde was called on to make three more spectacular saves.

With a quarter of an hour left, Welling’s commanding central defender, Russell Edwards, was substituted because of injury, and Dover at last began to put some moves together and threaten to win.

That moment appeared to have come with nine minutes left, when Spiller was put through on the edge of the penalty area, but his shot hit goalkeeper Knight and went behind off a post.

Hyde made further good saves from the nippy Jones, and both sides forced corners in the last few minutes.

Mark Patterson, Whites’ new signing from Gillingham, made his first appearance in a Dover shirt and looked calm and assured at the back, but with Jamie Day and Kristian James both missing due to one-match suspensions, and Matt Carruthers sidelined with illness, Whites fans felt that this was a point gained.

Dover: Hyde, Browne, Patterson, Readings (Glover 84 mins), Arnott, Chapman (Davies, h-t), Dyer, Spiller, Tyne, Dent, Norman. Subs not used: Smissen, Cloke.

Attendance: 771.