Three mad minutes at the end of the first half ultimately cost City the chance to take anything from this entertaining encounter at the Crabble. Leading 1-0 through Robbie Simpson's 7th league goal of the season, City contrived to gift their hosts an equaliser then the lead as the interval loomed large.
Dover made the early running as City failed to find much rhythm. Tommy Tyne fired in a shot from some distance after four minutes that was well off the mark and didn't trouble Martin Davies in the City goal. Two minutes later and Tyne went much closer. Jack Wignall was caught out as he attempted to hook away a bouncing ball, Tyne dispossessed him and raced through on goal only for Matt Rice to put in a timely tackle as he pulled the trigger, the ball going behind for a corner.
Dover continued to press and forced a number of corners that almost paid dividends on a couple of occasions. Danny Chapman saw a close range shot blocked by a sea of legs and Andy Arnott rose highest in the 16th minute to head over the bar.
City were making little or no impression on the game as they relied too much on long balls and flick-ons that rarely found their mark although Robbie Simpson looked lively and came close once or twice to breaking through. However, Dover were looking by far the greater threat and should have taken the lead in the 20th minute. A City corner was cleared and Dover broke upfield through Tony Browne, he in turn found Lee Spiller who's pinpoint cross dropped over the head of Rice to Michael Smissen who planted his free header straight into Davies' arms.
It took until the half hour mark for City to register their first effort on the Dover goal when Rob Nightingale let fly from just outside the area clearing the bar by some distance, however, five minutes later they took the lead.
Kevin Wilkin watches his
header fly wide
Stuart Niven's long throw, which has become a major weapon in recent weeks, did the damage. Kevin Wilkin flicked on finding Simpson unmarked, standing on the penalty spot, he needed no time for thought and leathered the ball past a startled Paul Hyde in the home goal.
Suddenly it was City who were looking dangerous. Moments later Simpson sent Danny Bloomfield sprinting through on goal but Hyde was quickly out to claim at his feet. Then Wilkin glanced a header inches wide of the upright with Hyde rooted to the spot, after Niven had floated in a great free-kick.
City were looking good to extend their lead but Dover hit back with Jamie Day firing in a dipping shot from 30 yards that cleared the bar by only a foot, but there was no indication of the collapse that was soon to follow as City looked comfortable.
Robbie Simpson puts pressure
on the Dover defence
The sudden downturn in City's fortunes was begun in the 43rd minute and it's a spell that Jack Wignall will quickly want to forget. There didn't seem much danger as Day looked for space on the left flank, but Wignall failed to close him down effectively and the former Bournemouth man planted the ball straight onto the head of Tyne unmarked eight yards out, he gobbled up the chance, glancing a header into the far corner.
Directly from the kick-off City almost conceded again and it was Wignall again at the centre of things. It was his poorly hit backpass that Tyne latched onto, forcing Davies to produce a fine stop, pushing the ball around the post for a corner. From the place kick City broke through Simpson, his pass sending Bloomfield sprinting towards goal, chased by Browne. Bloomfield got a shot away but it was weak and off target, Hyde happy to watch it trickle across the goalmouth.
As the clock ticked over to the final minute of normal time Wignall blotted his copybook again, this time gifting Dover the lead, conceding a penalty with a reckless challenge on Day. Day was attempting to chest down Spiller's lofted free-kick when Wignall barged him from behind, referee Knight showing no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Day dusted himself down before sending Davies the wrong way with a shot into the bottom left corner. Wignall didn't emerge for the second half, Tim Wooding taking his place.
The second period saw City put up an improved display, at times stroking the ball around nicely and enjoying spells of ascendency but without really showing enough of a cutting edge to turn things around.
Early on, Spiller gave Davies some cause for concern when he spotted the City keeper off his line and produced a dipping shot from 40 yards that just cleared the bar but that in truth was a pretty rare foray forward for Dover as City started to take charge.
Just before the hour came a guilt edged chance for City. Colin Vowden's long clearance was flicked on by Simpson sending Bloomfield away. He made his way to the byeline before pulling back an inch perfect ball to Wilkin, only three yards out. Scoring seemed a formality but as the striker hit his shot a defender appeared from nowhere to deflect the ball into the air and into the arms of a grateful Hyde.
Minutes later and City were on the attack again, this time from a corner. Hyde flapped at the near post and Matt Rice was unlucky to see his shot blocked, then, as Dover desperately tried to clear, Chapman appeared to handle, appeals for a penalty fell on deaf ears.
The introduction of Wooding had been instrumental in City's second half improvement, the full-back getting forward at every opportunity.
Wilkin looks to flick-on at the
near post
In an attempt to curtail his activities Dover introduced Simon Glover to try and give the City man more defending to do and it almost paid instant dividends. He had only been on the pitch a couple of minutes before he got round Wooding and delivered a killer cross to the far post where Smissen, sliding in, somehow managed to put the ball wide with the goal at his mercy.
Shane Wardley emerged as an unlikely attacker in the 77th minute when he picked up the ball 25 yards out. Taking advantage of some hesitancy, the City fullback dribbled his way past two defenders before firing in a shot that beat the dive of Hyde but also the post.
As the game entered it's final minutes Glover again came to the fore, twisting and turning Wooding before finding another substitute Nicky Dent on the edge of the 6 yard area. He controlled well and turned but Davies was quickly down at his feet to smother any danger. In the 90th minute, City had their second penalty appeal waved away when Chapman clattered into the back of Wilkin in order to head clear, the move continued and Niven returned the ball into the danger area and triggered an almighty goalmouth scramble, but the ball just wouldn't fall for a City player.
Post match reaction
Gary Roberts
I think we did enough to come away with a point at least yesterday. We were not in any real trouble prior to conceding or prior to us scoring our goal. We did quite well in the first half, although we didn't have much of the play early on. I thought, however, that at the time we scored we looked quite good value to go on and take something from the game.........more
