Dover Athletic 1 Hinckley United 1

DOVER manager Richard Langley insisted afterwards that this was a point won rather than two points lost, but he also acknowledged that “the spectators and other people may see it differently”.

From Langley's viewpoint, a draw was a good result because of the weakened team that he had to field on Saturday.

With Billy Bone (groin) and Matt Carruthers (calf) both sidelined by injury and Jamie Day suspended, Craig Cloke was pressed into action as a stop-gap striker alongside Craig Wilkins even though Cloke himself was due to be rested because of a sore knee.

Langley's plans were thrown into further disarray when goalkeeper Dave Wietecha, recalled to the side after missing the previous two matches, had to be replaced by Paul Hyde 10 minutes before kick-off after Wietecha suffered a recurrence of his knee problem in the warm-up.

All this on top of having conceded eight goals in the away defeats at Weymouth and Worcester, and so perhaps the 1-1 draw was indeed a point gained against a tough Hinckley outfit who moved into the top six thanks to their share of the spoils.

Lee Spiller put Whites in front with 18 minutes gone, albeit aided by a large slice of good fortune. When Cloke's long throw-in was half-cleared to the edge of the area, Spiller’s right-foot volley took a severe deflection off Gavin Stone and the ball looped over ‘keeper Tommy Whittle and into the net.

The visitors drew level on 53 minutes. Justin Jenkins found Chris Smith on the right edge of the Dover area, and the pint-sized striker drilled in a low cross which Jenkins turned past Hyde from close range.

Dover spent most of the second period on the back foot.

Dover Athletic: Hyde; Arnott, Browne, Humphrey; Ball, Spiller, Chapman, Millar (Hickman 76), Davies (Rogers 74); Wilkins, Cloke.