Bryco Cup 3rd round: Dover Athletic 1 AFC Wimbledon 2

DOVER were knocked out of the Bryco Cup at the first hurdle on Monday after a narrow home defeat to AFC Wimbledon.

In the overall scheme of things, the result does not matter. What was vital was that a little pride was restored following the abject performance against Hendon on New Year’s Day.

Dover were the better side and can consider themselves unfortunate to have gone out of the competition, after what proved a cracking game of football.

Steve Browne made five changes to Saturday's starting line-up, including a surprise recall for goalkeeper Paul Hyde, and Whites looked a different side from 48 hours earlier.

Wimbledon faced sustained pressure in the first 10 minutes as Dover played more good football than they had in the previous two games.

During this period, Whites forced five corners and from one of them, floated in from the left by the outstanding James Rogers, Dons keeper Paul Smith made an exceptional save to keep out Dean Palmer’s powerful header.

However, the visitors, as teams seem to do regularly against Dover, scored from their first noteworthy attack after 23 minutes.

As the Dons broke at pace, front man Richard Butler, having looked to have controlled the ball with his arm, got in behind Daniel Braithwaite and cut the ball back for David Frost to score with a fine finish from 15 yards.

But Whites stuck to their task and were unlucky not to draw level in the final minute of the first half.

After Victor Renner had done wonderfully well to get past two Dons defenders by the corner flag, Chris Wright just failed to make a connection to his cross at the near post.

The second period started like the first, with Whites putting Wimbledon under 20 minutes of the most intense pressure seen at the Hoverspeed this season.

But again the Dons broke to score a second goal that would ultimately decide the tie.

As the highly-rated Robert Ursell curled in a cross from the left, Hyde was left completely wrong-footed when Frost failed to connect with a header and the ball found its way into the net.

There was still plenty of life in this absorbing cup-tie, however, and Whites reduced the deficit soon with 19 minutes remaining.

The goal came following another sustained spell of pressure. Jude Sterling got on the end of Rogers’ inswinging corner and although his effort was blocked substitute Tom Hickman was on hand to drive the ball home from close range with his first touch of the match.

Dover continued to lay siege to the Wimbledon goal. As Renner seized on an underhit back pass to round Smith, there was the mother of all scrambles before a Rogers shot was deflected behind.

And when the excellent Shane Hamshare headed a partially cleared corner back into the danger zone, Renner found the net only to be thwarted by a marginal yet correct offside call.

Nobody would have swapped a victory here for three points from this Saturday's trip to Northwood, but if Dover play like this again, they will have a great chance of a victory.

Dover: Hyde, Readings, Grime, Palmer, Sterling, Braithwaite, Hamshare, Rose, Wright (Hickman 70), Renner, Rogers.