Magpies can't stop Dover (From Dorset Echo)

Magpies can't stop Dover

6:57pm Sunday 1st November 2009 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(1)

DORCHESTER TOWN 1 DOVER ATHLETIC 3 DORCHESTER Town failed to pile more misery on Dover Athletic as they succumbed to the visitors’ strong second-half display.

On-loan striker Andre McCollin scored on his debut but it proved to be mere consolation after Athletic settled the game with a quick-fire two-goal salvo just before the hour mark and then netted another inside the final 10 minutes.

The Magpies had good spells, particularly at the end of the first half, but Dover – who had lost three in a row despite being second – had just too much for the county town side.

McCollin and fellow loanee Louis Lavers, signed 24 hours before from Yeovil Town, were thrown straight into the starting 11, with Harry Montacute and Matt Groves dropping to the bench.

An early clash for goalkeeper Regan Coward with striker Shaun Welford failed to knock the young custodian off his game, something he proved twice in the early stages.

In just the seventh minute, Dover’s Frannie Collin broke down the right and slid the ball across the edge of the area to Southall, who hit a powerful low drive that Coward was more than equal to with a full-length dive to his left.

The home side’s stopper was at it again to deny Southall just nine minutes later when he reacted sharply to divert the ex-Gillingham midfielder’s header away from the top right-hand corner and over the bar, following Adam Birchall’s dangerous left-wing cross.

Collin hit a free-kick straight at Coward before the Magpies finally began to trouble Athletic Moss exchanged passes with Ian Selley and raced on to the return, reaching it 20 yards out at the same time as goalkeeper Dave Wilkinson. The visiting player touched the ball first but Moss diverted it goalwards, only to see it dribble wide.

Southall smashed wide just past the half-hour mark but Town finished the half strongly.

McCollin got involved for the first time when he swivelled and drilled across the face of goal, and even better chances were to follow for Dorchester in a matter of seconds, with the on-loan front man cursing his luck.

A slip in the Dover defence allowed McCollin to race away through the middle and round Wilkinson, only for Thomas Wynter to get back and rob him.

However, Mark Jermyn followed up with a shot that was blocked by Wilkinson and Selley was even closer but Dean Hill cleared his low drive off the line.

But Dorchester failed to build on this and, nine minutes after the break, the game turned in the visitors’ favour with two goals in the space of four minutes.

Collin netted a penalty after referee Iain Parsons adjudged Phil Walsh to have brought down the same player.

Coward could not repeat his penalty heroics of midweek as he dived to his left while the Athletic man drove his spot-kick low into the middle of the goal.

Manager Roy O’Brien responded by bringing on Andre Costa for left back Lavers, with Neil Martin dropping back and Costa taking up a role on the right-hand side.

However, less than 60 seconds later, Dover created their second goal down the Dorchester left.

Matt Fish swung a cross over that was headed back by Rogers into the path of Birchall, who seemed to have all the time in the world to control the ball inside the six-yard box and smash it into the net past a helpless Coward.

Some desperate attempts from McCollin, Moss and Devlin failed to find the target, and after a lull in proceedings, the game took a nasty turn 10 minutes from time when Ashley Vickers clashed with Welford.

After both fell to the floor, the Dover striker appeared to catch the Magpies’ assistant manager in the face with a double-footed kick. However, a yellow card each was the only outcome.

Only three minutes later and Vickers’ weak backpass was latched on to by Birchall, who rounded Coward and netted from an acute angle.

Dorchester did grab a late consolation through debutant McCollin. Devlin’s left-wing corner was glanced on by Walsh, creating the opportunity for the Glovers man to swivel and tuck the ball into the net in the final minute of normal time.

Magpies: Coward, Jermyn, Lavers (Costa 59), Selley, Walsh, Vickers, Devlin, Gleeson, Moss, McCollin, Martin. Subs not used: Groves, Barnes, Symes, Montacute.

Dover: Wilkinson, Fish, Wynter, Hill, Schulz (Rogers 46), Leberl, Southall, Moore, Welford, Collin, Birchall (Walder 78). Subs not used: Davis, Browning, Hook.