Dover Athletic 2 Folkestone Invicta 1

ANYBODY who didn’t feel at least a touch of sympathy for Folkestone manager Neil Cugley after watching this eventful Boxing Day derby must have been in a “Bah, humbug!” festive mood.

Second from bottom of the table and with no money to spend on new players, Cugley saw his young side again finish empty-handed after giving Dover a real examination on a gluepot of a Crabble pitch.

Whites boss Clive Walker certainly felt for Cugley afterwards, saying: “If I was in Neil’s shoes I would be feeling a bit peeved off now because Folkestone played some good stuff, and they are one of the best sides we have played here this season.

“They have got some good front players and I can see them really whacking someone soon. But we got the game on, there was a good crowd and we got the three points, and so we’ve got to be grateful.”

Heavy overnight rain had put the match in doubt, but hard work on the pitch by a team of volunteers led by chairman Mick Kemp enabled referee Ian Gosling to give the “go-ahead” at lunchtime, and the 1,609 crowd were treated to a game which had plenty of goalmouth action.

With Andy Arnott (knee), Danny Chapman (groin) and Kenny Dyer (virus) all ruled out, Walker fielded an unusual 3-4-3 formation which offered the Invicta front men more space than he would have liked, and Dover were grateful that Paul Hyde’s reflexes remain as sharp as ever.

With Allan Tait showing impressive touch and awareness on the difficult surface, Folkestone carved out a series of first-half chances but on each occasion John Ayling, James Dryden and Tait were denied by the Dover ‘keeper, with his best moment coming just before the break when he produced an excellent double save from Ayling.

Hyde’s heroics meant that Dover went in at half-time a goal to the good thanks to a 35th-minute strike from Lee Spiller. The midfielder pounced after Tony Browne’s high ball into the box was only half-cleared, and Spiller’s shot took a slight deflection as it spooned up into Maurice Munden’s top right-hand corner.

Whites could point to a high corner count as some justification for their first-half advantage, but they raraly looked threatening at set pieces.

Instead, Dover’s most effective attacking weapon after the break was provided by Matt Carruthers. Despite having suspected glandular fever the midfielder, who switched flanks at half-time, frequently used his pace to skip past Invicta left back Mark Towse, and it was Carruthers who eventually created Whites’ second goal.

But before that Dover had to endure a nervy 10-minute spell following Folkestone’s overdue 65th-minute equaliser. Whites were caught out by a counter attack and Dryden delivered a precise throughball into the path of Mark Chandler, who nudged the ball past Hyde as he advanced out of his area.

Now Invicta had their tails up, and more clever work by Tait set up a chance for James Miller, but the heavily left-footed midfielder sliced his right-footed attempt horribly wide.

Dover, however, were clearly rattled, none more so than Hyde who could have undone all his earlier good work by getting sent off after 79 minutes. The trouble started when Hyde received a long lecture from the referee after getting upset at a challenge by a Folkestone player as he pushed the ball away.

Then, from the ensuing corner, Hyde violently shoved Tait to the ground as he stood in front of him after the ‘keeper had collected a Anthony Henry header. Fortunately for Hyde the referee didn’t see it, although how the linesman didn’t is another matter.

The Invicta fans behind Hyde’s goal were left furious, and their frustration deepened a minute later when, from Carruthers’ low cross, Simon Glover hit the bar and Tommy Tyne’s rebound effort was turned into his own net by Folkestone centre half John Guest.

Carruthers departed from the action soon after, his legs finally giving up on him, but Dover held on for a somewhat undeserved Christmas bonus.

Walker added: “It was hard going out there but we stuck at it, as we have done all season, and sometimes that’s enough to win you football matches.”

Dover: Hyde; Patterson, Readings, Norman; Browne, Spiller, Day, Carruthers (James 81); Glover, Tyne, Dent.