Dover Athletic 2 Cheshunt 1

STUNNING strikes by Dover defenders Dean Readings and Daniel Braithwaite earned three priceless points for Whites at the Hoverspeed Stadium on Saturday.

Defeat for Whites against their fellow strugglers would have effectively ended their interest in retaining their Ryman League, premier division, status.

While this wasn’t one of Dover's better performances, it was a match in which only the result really mattered.

In the game’s early stages, however, one would not have thought that Cheshunt were a side enduring a miserable run of results. Indeed, in the opening half hour The Ambers, fielding a side unrecognisable from the one that battered Athletic 5-2 in August, posed all the questions against a Dover side that looked as though the pressure of the occasion had got to them a little.

Few could reasonably argue that Whites were not fortunate to go behind in this period as the electric pace, if not the precision, of Cheshunt front man Dean Fenton caused them all sorts of problems.

Most notably, keeper Paul Hyde made a wonderful save to deny Fenton, clean through on goal and looking certain to score having been sent clear by Steve Obeng. Anything other than a perfectly timed intervention would have resulted in a penalty and a sending off, but Hyde’s dive to take the ball off Fenton’s toes was timed to perfection.

Moments later, Hyde produced another good save at the base of his left hand post, keeping out a low drive from midfielder Bobby Highton.

Early domination apart, Cheshunt were certainly not above dishing out a little rough stuff with young Shane Hamshare being singled out for the most heavy-handed attention. Quite how Ross White stayed on the park after clattering Hamshare and then man-handling referee Frank Meilack is somewhat bafffling.

Yet while Whites had barely shown as an attacking force at this stage, their first shot on target gave them the lead after 29 minutes. As Braithwaite curled in a corner from the right, Cheshunt had a couple of opportunities to clear their lines before the ball reached Readings in the left hand corner of the penalty area. He powered a super shot around keeper Michael Kalli.

Cheshunt equalised early in the second half. While Whites were caught cold defensively, full credit must go to Fenton for a blindside run and sublime first time finish to toe end the ball past the exposed Hyde, after Obeng had knocked the ball in from the flank.

Dover's winner came on 65th minutes as the visitors again failed to clear their lines effectively from Craig Cloke’s long throw in from the left touchline. As the ball sat up nicely for him just outside the 18-yard box, Braithwaite despatched a smartly struck volley that left Kalli with no chance.

A couple of minutes later, Whites had a great opportunity to put the game beyond the visitors when they were awarded a penalty after Victor Renner went down under a challenge from Dave Reddington. Kalli didn’t commit himself to diving either way and his right boot kept out Cloke’s spot kick.

Dover Ath: Hyde, Vallance, Barnard, D. Readings, Cloke, Braithwaite, Carruthers (Hickman-90), Hamshare, Renner, Hogg, Wright (Matata-60). Subs not used: K Readings, Maynard, Rogers.

* Listen to manager Clive Walker’s post-match interview with KM-fm’s Graeme Dewdney…