HORNCHURCH 1 DOVER ATHLETIC 0

Dover were expected to bring 250 supporters to urge on the title favourites and early season table toppers, but many of them failed to materialise, leaving Urchins with a stack of unsold programmes. Urchins used the same squad from the previous matches, with Mark Janney coming into the starting line up. Dover started well, and surged upfield, and a Walford shot cannoned off of Goddard and back upfield, where Curley touched on to Janney whose cross went out for a corner. Hodges floated the ball over and Rogers could only play the ball back to Hodges, whose follow up centre was held by keeper Whitehouse. Whitehouse almost gave away an early goal when his weak clearance was intercepted by Janney and Mark’s powerful run opened up the away defence, but his centre was headed away by Schulz.

Tomlinson, at left back, then sent Kris Lee away, and Kris touched inside to Simon Parker, and thence out to Mark Janney, whose cross was headed away by Rogers. Dover looked dangerous but could not get in a shot on target, the closest being when Goddard and Styles combined to keep out Welford, who won a corner, which was taken by Wallis and headed away by Goddard. Urchins had a great chance to open the scoring when Dale Brightly’s long kick sent Kris Lee racing in from the left, and keeper Whitehouse had to race out of goal to kick wildly away.

Dover put on the pressure, and Moore, from the left back position, sent a good pass along the left to Walford, ran forward to take the return, and fired in a shot which was blocked by John Purdie. A minute later Browning swung the ball over from the left and Goddard headed out for a corner, which Wallis swung in dangerously and Styles headed out for another corner. Wallis again took the kick and Brightly punched away. Urchins began to get on top, Hodges free kick being headed out by Hill as Curley moved in, whilst Dover still looked dangerous, when Wallis took a corner which went across the goal to Collins who touched back to Rogers, before Purdie cleared, setting up a home attack in the process. Simon Parker and Kris Lee exchanged passes, and the low cross into the middle saw Mark Janney leaving the ball to FRANK CULEY, who cracked the shot home from the edge of the area. Dover surged back, Browning passing inside to Walford who hammered his shot yards over the bar, and Walford then made a penetrating run, before finding Collins, whose first time shot went wide of the post.

The search party which went out to find the missing away supporters came back and reported that they were still sailing up the Ingrebourne, so hopefully they would bring back with them the eight balls which were lost in the river on Tuesday last, whilst seventy or so who had made the trip were looking decidedly glum. However one supporter went home happy, as he walked away with the £90 jackpot.

Steffan Ball came on for Simon Parker at half time, and Donny Barnard for Lee Hodges, with Mark Goodfellow moving across to left back and Andy Tomlinson moving to left half, now known as left midfield. Urchins, kicking towards the restaurant end of the ground, started well, and Mark Janney’s run down the right saw him win a corner, from which Styles went close, and the ball rebounded to Steffan Ball, whose shot skimmed the post. A Janney free kick saw Steffan Ball homing in, but he was blatantly held back and could get no force behind his shot, the referee allowing play to continue. The ball was booted upfield and Walford played a good pass out to Fish whose cross was well saved by Brightly. Collins then broke away on the right side and his centre was punched out by Brightly, and the ball was played back again to Wallis, whose long range shot was on target but caused Dale no problems.

Brightly’s long kick found Ball, who quickly turned and made ground, and Whitehouse did well to save the goal bound shot. A long Whitehouse kick saw Collins racing in, and Goodfellow tackled to concede a corner. Wallis as usual took the kick and although Schulz had come up late and unnoticed, Brightly easily held the ball as it came over. Lee then picked up Ball, who was tackled by Rogers, and two minutes later Lee hooked a first time shot inches wide of the post. There was a lengthy hold up when Richard Goddard received a head injury and Des Boateng came on, with Curley dropping back to cover. Dover failed to exploit the gap left by Goddard, and it was Urchins who took the initiative, when Ball was pulled down and Tomlinson’s free kick was headed away by Schulz. Dover threw everyone up field and Jones sent Wallis Hughes away on the left, his cross being half cleared as far as Fish who hammered his shot well wide, to the delight of the EastSide.

Tomlinson to Ball, and Hill conceded the corner, from which Lee went close with a good header. Ball then made the running, before finding Janney on the far side, and another corner resulted, which Janney took and Whitehouse held. Boateng made a good run but was stopped by Keiser, and in the four minutes added on for the Goddard stoppage, Hill made a long run and won a free kick on the edge of the area, which Gore hit high and wide, and in the final minute Dale Brightly was booked for a foul. Nothing wrong with that except the ball was out of play and Dale had not touched the Dover player, but from the free kick the ball was crossed to Moore who hit it high and wide, as the final whistle went.