Dover Athletic 1 Woking 1

IF DOVER win tomorrow night's FA Cup replay at Woking their prize will be a mouth-watering first round proper tie against Oxford United at Crabble.

Reaching that stage of the competition for the first time would become something of a "holy grail" for many Whites fans, but manager Clive Walker takes a more pragmatic view.

After watching his side fail to make home advantage count in Saturday's fourth qualifying round tie at Crabble, Walker admitted: "To be honest, I am not that disappointed. I know there is this big thing about us never having reached the first round, but if it happens it happens.

"And getting a replay means more money for the club. At least if we get beat now we will have got two gates out of the tie."

Although that calculation fails to take into account the £20,000 prize money on offer to the winners, Walker's focus is clearly on trying to getting Dover back into the Conference at the first attempt and his attitude to the cup was probably reflected in his team selection. The manager deciding against playing Tommy Tyne up front despite his goalscoring return at Newport the previous week. With Nicky Dent available again after suspension, Walker had the opportunity to play Dent and Tyne up front with Simon Glover performing as an attacking left midfielder in a 4-4-2 formation.

That would have given Whites more potency going forward, but instead Walker plumped for the safer option of packing his midfield with a 3-5-2 line-up. Injuries may have had a significant influence on his decision, with Andy Arnott and Danny Chapman both short on fitness because of knocks which they were still carrying.

It also would help to explain why Dover's front men found themselves more and more isolated as the game wore on. Walker added: "(That) was one reason, but I also think that our young lads at the back were sitting too deep."

Walker could be seen at various stages of the second half urging his back three to push up and so encourage his midfield men further forward, but by then the Conference side were making their extra quality count and in the end a replay was a good result for Whites.

However, they will look back and wonder what might have been if they scored more than once from three excellent first-half chances.

After surviving a couple of hairy moments early on, Dover's midfield began to exert some control, inspired by a brilliant 17th minute run by Matt Carruthers who burst past two players before crossing low to the far post where Dent's side-footed effort was blocked by Cards 'keeper Shwan Jahal. Then, as the ball rolled invitingly across the face of the goal, Glover seemed certain to score but got tangled up in his own feet and the chance was gone.

It was the sort of miss that you felt was always likely to come back and haunt Whites at some stage, but Paul Hyde kept Woking out for the time being with a full-length diving save from Barry Moore's curling left-footer before Dover snatched the lead with 33 minutes gone.

Woking midfielder Ian Hamilton lost possession to Andy Arnott on the halfway line, and the Dover captain strode forward before sliding the ball carefully into Dent's path in the inside left channel. The striker turned past his marker before rifling a low drive into the far corner from just inside the area.

It was a clinical strike from the experienced Dent, his ninth of the season, and soon after Dover went close to doubling their lead.

Again Glover was heavily involved. First, his left-foot volley was deflected inches over by a Woking defender, and from the ensuing corner Glover failed to force the ball in from close range with Woking waiting in vain for an offside flag.

And that, attacking-wise, was about the end of it for Whites. The closing stages of the first half offered an indication of what was to come after the break as Woking pushed dforward in search of an equaliser. Steve Norman produced one vital clearance and Neil Smith should have done better than blaze a free shot over the bar, but new Woking boss Glenn Cockerill ensured that his men kept their momentum going straight after the restart and within five minutes the visitors were on level terms.

Kenny Dyer could not get any distance on a clearing header from Whites' six-yard line and Moore brought the ball down with his back to goal before turning and flicking a neat pass through to Ian Simpemba. The midfieder, on loan from Wycombe Wanderers, drilled the ball across Hyde into the far corner, and that was the signal for Woking to take control of the game.

With Dover badly missing the suspended Lee Spiller's energy and darting runs from midfield, they were penned back in their own half for long periods. Dent too, was carrying a first half knock which meant his contribution became increasingly limited, and with Dover's midfield men rarely getting forwards it meant that the ever-willing Glover was left to forage a lonely furrow up front.

Woking went for the kill, and it took an inspired 76th-minute save from Hyde to prevent them from going in front. The Dover 'keeper thrillingly blocked Simpemba's close range volley, although Hyde was honest enough to admit afterwards that he knew little about it.

Tyne came on two minutes later for Glover, but he too found support in short supply and the fact that Dover had to wait until five minutes from time to win their first corner of the second half told its own story.

They did create a little bit of late pressure, but by now Woking had settled for a replay knowing that a repeat of their second-half display would almost certainly reap the £20,000 bonus on offer.

Walker added: "I thought we played well in the first half, but in the end we had to scrap to get a draw. Woking are a Conference side, with quality players all around the field, and playing against them is a great learningprocess for our young lads."

Dover Athletic: Hyde; Readings, Humphrey, Norman; Browne, Chapman, Arnott (James 90 mins), Dyer, Carruthers; Dent, Glover (Tyne 78).