Saturday misery continues - Eastleigh 1-2 Dover

EASTLEIGH 1-2 DOVER ATHLETIC



SATURDAY 29th AUGUST 2009
Blue Square South

Report by Ray Murphy

Eastleigh slipped to their fourth successive Saturday defeat against the early Blue Square South pace setters and last season's Ryman League champions Dover Athletic.

Still missing both first choice wingers in Shaun McAuley and Tony Taggart as well as the influential Jamie Brown Eastleigh gave a second debut to James Taylor on a month's loan from AFC Totton.

The visitors were first to show as an attacking force and Eastleigh were shell-shocked to be behind on forty seconds. A long throw into the Eastleigh six-yard box from Shaun Welford saw hesitation in the Eastleigh defence, which allowed Frannie Collin to prod Dover ahead.

Dover almost added a second goal within a minute. A cross-cum-shot from John Wallis was clawed away by Jason Matthews. On fifteen minutes though, a low drive from Nicky Southall was pushed down by Matthews but only to the feet of Collin to hammer the ball into the roof of the net and Dover into a two-goal ahead.

Eastleigh reduced the arrears within sixty seconds. From the kick off Peter Adeniyi fed Anthony Riviere who cleverly sent a chip shot from eighteen yards over the top of Dover goalkeeper Lee Hook to put Eastleigh back into the game.

The next attempt on goal came on twenty four minutes again from Riviere, who with a thundering shot from twenty yards brought another fine save from Hook. Play switched from end to end as both sides played neat quick interpassing football that created chances at both ends.

Tom Jordan headed an Adeniyi cross just wide on thirty five minutes then as the interval approached there was a cluster of chances. Jordan and Aaron Martin collided on the half way line allowing a free run on goal from the offside looking Wellford but Matthews managed to get the striker to veer his run away from goal. Danny Smith produced a top class last-ditch tackle just on the edge of the box to deny Welford a shot. From a Brett Poate corner Andy Forbes headed the ball back across goal only for Taylor to head over the bar. A Steve Clark cross was caught on the volley by Taylor only to be saved by Hook then Poate floated a free kick just wide of the target before the interval whistle was heard.

The game was entertaining and no one would have guessed that it would have been a goalless second period. Forbes had two chances in the opening five minutes of the second period that was saved by Hook before Dover’s Tom Davis shot tamely at Matthews when well placed in the penalty box.

Forbes was denied with another shot on the hour then nine minutes later Richard Gillespie was bundled over in the area by Dean Hill and Eastleigh were awarded a penalty. The normally reliable Forbes sent the ball to Hook's right but the ‘keeper guessed correctly and pulled off another fine save.

An excellent cross field passing movement from Dover in the seventy fifth minute saw a first touch pass from the right flank by Lee Browning fall into the path of Southall but the Dover captain could not find the power behind the shot to beat Matthews. Play switched immediately to the opposite end where Gillespie fired over the bar.

Matthews had to be alert to stop a long-range effort from Danny Walder, which was followed again at the opposite end with a delicate chip shot from Gillespie bouncing agonisingly just the wrong side of the upright.

Eastleigh went all out in search of an equaliser in the dying stages finishing the game with Jordan being a fourth striker. In the games stoppage time a Forbes header from a Clark cross cannoned off the foot of the post then from a Poate corner a Jordan header was cleared off the line by John Keister before Smith fired an effort over the bar.