Dover Athletic 2 Bath City 0

BOTH sides served up some bright soccer on a dull afternoon in this Dr Martens Premier Division clash but Dover deserved to take maximum points.

The game was played infront of Whites lowest gate of the season - 718. Bath started well and forced a number of corners early on, and Dover had to defend well to keep a lively forward line at bay.

Whites gradually worked their way into the game before taking the lead with an excellent goal after half an hour. Matt Carruthers made a good run down the left and, after cutting inside past three defenders, he laid the ball into Jamie Day's path and the midfielder blasted a superb shot into the top corner from 20 yards out.

It was the first goal scored by Dover in a league match at Crabble since the first week of October and, although the play for the rest of the first half was rather scrappy, Whites were relieved to go in at the break with their noses in front.

After the restart Bath went close when a header from Paul Milsom bounced back off the crossbar, but generally it was a case of Dover creating and missing chances throughout the second half.

Tommy Tyne did well to beat a defender but sent a woefully weak shot straight at the Bath goalkeeper, and moments later he looked to be tripped as he tried to run through the Bath defence, but referee Alan Legg the referee, saw nothing wrong.

Carruthers ran on to a through ball down the right, but when he looked to cross the ball there was none of his teammates supporting him, and he shot narrowly over the top from an acute angle.

Tyne had another good run, beating three defenders but again he sent a weak shot straight at the Bath ‘keeper, when he looked certain to increase Dover's lead.

Bath then got themselves in a tangle in defence when a back pass went wide of their goalkeeper Mark Bryant, but he managed to pick up the ball under severe pressure from Carruthers, and the referee ignored the obvious infringement of the laws.

Dover's second goal eventually came with just 90 seconds left when left his penalty area to challenge Tyne for a through ball. But Tyne got their first and rolled home a shot from fully 35 yards.

Dover Athletic: Hyde, Browne, Norman, Chapman, Dent, Dyer(James 85 mins), Day, Spiller, Glover(Davies 65), Tyne, Carruthers.