Windsor & Eton 1 Dover Athletic 1

IT IS fair to say that whoever takes on the vacant role as head coach at Dover Athletic will have their work cut out.

However, should caretaker Gary Whittle put his name forward, safe in the knowledge his reserve team position is secure, another good performance on the road will not have harmed his chances.

Whittle seems to be doing a good job of working with the resources available to him. And whilst Dover's performance may not have impressed a neutral purist, a point was fully deserved.

Whites, adopting a 4-5-1 formation, invited their opponents to make the running. The Royals enjoyed a good deal of possession, but were reduced to shooting from distance, a policy that seldom troubles a ‘keeper of Paul Hyde's calibre.

Both of Windsor's first half chances came from errors. First, John Scarborough slipped to allow No 9 Peter Holsgrove a clear sight of goal. Dean Readings read the situation superbly, however, to block Holsgrove’s well-struck drive.

Later in the half, a misunderstanding between Readings and James Farrier seemed certain to gift Windsor the lead as Tony Reid chipped the ball over the advancing Hyde, but his effort rolled wide of a post.

Athletic only had a Matt Carruthers free kick to show for their first half efforts and that was comfortably gathered by ‘keeper Chuck Martini.

Two minutes into the second half the game was held up for 10 minutes when referee Mr Wynne pulled up with a hamstring injury. Fortunately, an assessor was able to run the line, allowing assistant Mr O’Brien to take up the whistle.

The game looked destined for a stalemate until Windsor took the lead after 71 minutes. A free kick was not effectively dealt with, allowing Paul Holsgrove to volley past Hyde from close range.

Whites', however, were level within five minutes. Royals full-back David Tilbury pushed substitute Buster Smissen in the back to give away penalty and Craig Cloke converted from the spot.

Dover were pleased with the result against a side who had lost just once in their opening nine games, especially given the continued absence of striker Craig Wilkins. However, they must continue to make progress if they are to pull away from the bottom of the table.

Dover: Hyde, Farrier (Skelton 46), Humphrey, Readings, Scarborough, Hamshare, Spiller, Cloke, Welford (Smissen 67), Carruthers, Rogers. Subs not used: Wright, Lott, Mullin.

Attendance: 210