Grantham Town 2 Dover Athletic 2

DOVER goakeeper Paul Hyde felt that Saturday's draw at Grantham in the Dr Martens League's premier division could easily have ended 6-5.

After being forced to play despite suffering from a stomach upset, because no other 'keeper was available, Hyde said: "We could have been 4-0 down after the first half. We had to defend a lot. But in the second half, if our penalty had gone in and we had gone 3-2 up, we could have killed the game.

"People watching from the stand have said the penalty I gave away did look a penalty, but the guy did dive. I didn't think it was a penalty and if it was, I shouldn't have been on the pitch. Their players knew it wasn't a penalty and our players knew it wasn't a penalty.

"Last season we finished third and picked up no points at Grantham, but this season we have picked up a point, so that's an improvement already.

"Jamie Day tried to put his penalty into the left hand corner. Power and accuracy were right but it was mid-height, so it was savable if their 'keeper went the right way, which he did."

The Dover contingent was reasonably happy with a point from a tough opening fixture of the new season. Grantham were always going to be difficult opponents, and things were not helped by a strong crosswind.

The home side hit a post in the second minute, and their direct play was putting Dover's reshuffled defence in all sorts of trouble. They took the lead in the 12th

minute when a corner was allowed to reach the far post, and Kevin Slinn scored from point blank range. Dover equalised ten minutes later when Tony Browne crossed for Craig Wilkins to shoot low into the corner of the goal.

Nine minutes later Simon Glover gave Dover the lead, his looping header from a Jamie Day free-kick dropping into the far corner of the goal.

Five minutes later it was 2-2, as Dover's defence failed to cut out a quick free-kick and Stuart Wilson shot home.

Dover manager Clive Walker rearranged his side in the second half, and the defence looked much more secure, and with the home defence now under some pressure, it looked as though a winning goal would come. Matt Carruthers was tripped as he was about to shoot but Jamie Day's penalty was saved by Mario Ziccardi.

Carruthers was taken to hospital for an x-ray on his leg, and Darren Davies substituted. With nine minutes left, home forward Kevin Wilkin broke through, and went down under challenge from Paul Hyde. Hyde was booked, and Andy Arnott was also yellow-carded for pointing out that Wilkin dived.

Wilkin was, in fact, lucky to be still on the pitch after elbowing Lee Spiller in the face in the first half, but he got away with a telling off.

Hyde dived to save the penalty at the foot of a post, and ensure a point for the Kent side. It was a reasonable result with both goalkeepers making a number of good saves, and from Dover's point of view, it was a great improvement on the 3-1 defeat suffered there a year ago.

Dover: Paul Hyde, Tony Browne, Kenny Dyer, Dean Readings, Andy Arnott, Craig Wilkins, Jamie Day, Lee Spiller, Israel Amadi(sub: Michael Smissen, 82 min.), Simon Glover, Matt Carruthers(sub: Darren Davies, 62 min).