Season: 2018-2019
Dover Athletic v Sutton United
GOALS from Stuart Lewis, Inih Effiong and Josh Passley handed Whites a routine home win in their final match of the National League season on Saturday lunchtime.
Lewis fired in Reason’s flick in the first half and Effiong hammered in a second after the break as Andy Hessenthaler’s men registered a fourth consecutive victory.
Josh Passley converted a penalty with the last kick of the game as Whites’ ended the season unbeaten in nine league games to finish 14th on the National League ladder, missing out on a top-half finish by virtue of goal difference.
In a slow start, Alfie Pavey blazed well over after Stuart Lewis’ initial shot was blocked.
Pavey was on target with his next effort, heading Bobby-Joe Taylor’s free-kick straight at visiting keeper Ross Worner.
Worner was called into action again moments later, tipping over Mitch Brundle’s cross.
But Sutton’s keeper was helpless when Stuart Lewis’ fired the hosts ahead on 17 minutes.
Dover’s midfielder latched onto Jamie Allen’s pass and smashed the ball into the bottom corner for his second goal in three matches.
Anthony Jeffrey lashed one just wide after cutting inside and Pavey was denied a seventh National League goal of the season by the assistant referee after heading in Jeffrey’s cross.
Brundle went for glory from a free-kick, with Worner dropping down to palm away the skipper’s goalbound effort.
Brett Williams was just off-target with a fierce drive in a rare Sutton attack and the striker’s next shot was on target, but lacked the power to trouble Walker.
The away side went close to equalising shortly after the restart as Tom Bolarinwa smacked the crossbar with a curling effort.
Walker made his first save of the match, tipping away Williams’ bottom-corner bound strike.
Taylor went close to scoring his first goal for Dover, blasting Jeffrey’s cross inches over.
Worner prevented Allen from heading into the bottom corner but was left rooted to the spot when the home side doubled their lead on 76 minutes.
Sub Inih Effiong sprinted clear and slammed his ninth National League goal of the season into the top corner.
Williams almost pulled one back for United but was unable to get the better of Walker.
And Jeffrey’s went close to added gloss to the scoreline in injury-time as Worner scraped his drive wide.
However, the scoring was not over as Passley netted from the spot in injury time after being fouled in the area.
Earlier, boss Hessenthaler made one change to the side that started at Ebbsfleet on Bank Holiday Monday with Mitch Walker, making his final appearance for Athletic, replacing Lee Worgan in goal.
DOVER ATHLETIC REACTION
SUTTON UNITED REACTION
MATCH GALLERY
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”306″ gal_title=”DAFC v Sutton United 27/04/19″]
3 v 0 
Ebbsfleet United v Dover Athletic
ALFIE Pavey’s second-half finish handed Athletic a single-goal victory at Ebbsfleet United on Bank Holiday Monday.
The striker smashed in Anthony Jeffrey’s ball into the area in the 52nd minute to move Andy Hessenthaler’s men up to 15th on the National League table.
The away also ends Fleet’s playoff bid, with Garry Hill’s men six points behind seventh-placed Eastleigh with one game of the season remaining.
Pavey had combined with Jeffrey, coolly converting the winger’s cross on 10 minutes, only to be ruled offside by the linesman.
Home keeper Nathan Ashmore then let Pavey’s ball into the area out of his grasp, but his defence was on hand to block the follow-up shot from the onrushing Mitch Brundle.
Lee Worgan was called into action for the first time midway through the first half.
The visiting stopper beat away Danny Kedwell’s drive after Gozie Ugwu’s initial strike was blocked.
At the other end, Ashmore dived low to parry Bobby-Joe Taylor’s accurate freekick away for a corner.
Jeffrey then outpaced Lawrie Wilson out wide, however, Pavey was unable to guide the winger’s driven cross goalwards.
And the visiting fans were celebrating ten minutes before the break.
Brundle sent a thumping header past Ashmore from Taylor’s set-piece, but Dover’s joy was short-lived as the linesman signalled offside once more, despite heated protestations from Athletic’s skipper
Brundle tried again, seeing his close-range effort at the far post from Jeffrey’s cross clip Myles Weston’s heels and spin away for a corner.
Lokko sent Jamie Allen’s ball wide of the mark and Jai Reason nodded Taylor’s centre narrowly over as the away side continued to apply pressure.
Dover went even closer following the restart through Pavey.
The centre-forward curled Brundle’s lay-off onto the crossbar with Ashmore beaten.
But Pavey was not to be denied and fired Dover ahead on 52 minutes.
Jeffrey fired across the goalmouth for the centre-forward to notch his sixth National League goal of the campaign.
Worgan denied Fleet an instant leveller, saving Bagasan Graham’s bouncing header and the same player volleyed high over Worgan’s crossbar minutes later.
Danny Kedwell was just off target with a header from Jack Payne’s ball in the area and a Dover counter attack nearly ended with Jeffrey netting, only for Ashmore to pluck the ball from out of the Guyana international’s feet as he went to round Fleet’s keeper.
Whites’ fans behind the Fleet goal were stunned when Jeffrey missed his next chance.
The pacey wide man blasting over from a few yards after sub Inih Effiong had diverted Josh Passley’s pass towards goal.
Effiong shielded Ashmore off the ball, but Pavey curled his fellow striker’s ball wide of the mark.
Reason then headed Passley’s cross over the bar, but despite late home pressure, Athletic held on to register their sixth league win on the road this campaign.
Earlier boss Hessenthaler made four changes to the side that beat Aldershot on Good Friday. Passley, Pavey, Reason and Scott Doe came in for Effiong, Nortei Nortey, Manny Adebowale and Joshua Debayo.
Whites next host Sutton United on Saturday 27th April, Dover’s final National League game of the 2018/19 campaign, kick off 12:30 pm.
DOVER ATHLETIC REACTION
EBBSFLEET UNITED REACTION
MATCH GALLERY
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”305″ gal_title=”Ebbsfleet United v DAFC 22/04/19″]
0 v 1 
Dover Athletic v Aldershot Town
A LATE goal by Stuart Lewis handed Whites’ back-to-back victories in the National League at Crabble on Saturday.
Midfielder Lewis followed up after visiting stopper Jake Cole spilt out Anthony Jeffrey’s ball across goal to extend Dover’s unbeaten league run to seven matches.
The victory lifts Andy Hessenthaler’s men to 17th in the league table on 54 points, with boss Andy Hessenthaler setting a revised target of 60 points by the end of the season.
Earlier, Rollin Menayese headed over from John Goddard’s cross as the game’s first meaningful chance went the way of the already relegated Shots.
Inih Effiong then went for glory, exchanging passes with Anthony Jeffrey before forcing visiting goalkeeper Jake Cole into a low save from the edge of the area.
Effiong then slipped in Jamie Allen, but Dover’s forward slipped at the crucial moment and sent his shot sailing over the crossbar.
The home side continued to create chances and Bobby-Joe Taylor, playing in a more advanced role for Whites, headed Jeffrey’s pinpoint ball back across the goalmouth and out for a goal-kick.
Aldershot’s first attempt on target arrived shortly after the restart when Goddard took aim, however, Worgan was equal to the long-ranger and parried the ball away.
Effiong swivelled in the area, only to see his strike bravely blocked by the visiting defence, while Jeffrey had Cole scrambling along his goalline with a dipping 30-yarder.
Kevin Lokko then glanced Taylor’s corner off-target and the away side went even close five minutes before the hour mark.
Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong found Reece Grant in the area, but the striker was unable to hit the target as the ball deflected off Joshua Debayo and onto the foot of the post before being cleared the safety.
Athletic and Effiong were left looking to the skies with their next opportunity.
Taylor slipped in Dover’s top scorer at the far post, only for Cole to somehow deny Effiong with a spectacular block from point-blank range.
Goddard stabbed McDonnell’s pass just wide and sub George Elokobi volleyed past the far post from distance.
Cole continued to thwart the hosts, somehow palming over Nortei Nortey’s deflected top corner-bound strike.
And the Shot’s stopper was not finished there.
Referee David Rock ushered play on following a foul on sub Alfie Pavey, but while the Aldershot defence remained motionless, Cole was out quickly to deny Allen.
Stuart Lewis had an effort cleared off the line and moments later the Aldershot backline denied Athletic.
Jeffrey outsprinted his opponent out wide, finding Allen to thump the ball goalwards, only for Rollin Menayese to acrobatically clear the ball off the line.
Sub Kadell Daniel nearly scored his first goal of the season, firing inches wide, while Cole gathered Jeffrey’s long-distance effort at the second attempt.
Agyepong raced through to steal the win late on, only for Worgan to make a sprawling save.
Dover finally made the breakthrough on 89 minutes thanks to Lewis’ first goal for the club.
Lewis tucked the ball into the bottom corner after Cole parried out Jeffrey’s ball.
Earlier, boss Andy Hessenthaler four changes to the side that started at Barrow last week. Adebowale, Jeffrey, Debayo and Allen came in for Scott Doe, Josh Passley, Pavey and Jai Reason with the latter two named as substitutes.
Whites next travel to Ebbsfleet in the National League on Bank Holiday Monday 22nd April, kick-off 3 pm.
DOVER ATHLETIC REACTION
ALDERSHOT TOWN REACTION
MATCH GALLERY
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”304″ gal_title=”DAFC v Aldershot Town 19/04/19″]
1 v 0 
Barrow v Dover Athletic
RICKY Modeste’s injury-time winner completed an impressive comeback as Dover ensured National League safety at the Furness Building Society Stadium.
Having been two goals down following a goal either side of the break from John Rooney and Lewis Hardcastle strikes from Mitch Brundle and substitutes Anthony Jeffrey and Modeste in the final 17 minutes sealed a memorable comeback for Andy Hessenthaler’s side.
The victory assures Athletic’s place in the top tier of non-league football with three National League games remaining of the current campaign.
It was almost a nightmare start for Whites when Rhys Norrington-Davies escaped out wide, however visiting stopper Lee Worgan saved the midfielder’s initial shot from the angle, before recovering quickly to block the rebound from the same player.
And Norrington-Davies was not finished there.
The left-sided player was quickest to react to Jack Hindle’s deflected shot, only for Worgan to deny the wideman for a third time, bravely blocking his shot from point-blank range with Rooney clattering the rebound against the post from yards out.
Inih Effiong, on the hunt for his ninth National League goal of the campaign, latched onto Brundle’s long ball, chipped the ball over home goalie Joel Dixon’s head, but as the forward was about to pull the trigger, recovering defender Sam Hird was able to make a crucial interception and turn the ball away for a corner.
A scramble in the visitor’s box almost resulted in the opening goal, however, Jai Reason, Alfie Pavey and Effiong were unable to find a route to goal, with the latter denied by spectacular block on the goalline by Dixon.
Minutes later and Athletic were on the attack again. Effiong sent Reason clear and with just one defender between himself and the goal, opted to play in Pavey, however, the striker’s first-time shot flew inches wide of the post.
The opening goal did arrive two minutes prior to the break courtesy of Rooney.
Hindle found Rooney in space on the edge of the penalty area and the Bluebirds’ playmaker made no mistake, curling the ball into the top corner.
Effiong almost levelled just before the half-time whistle, however, was unable to beat Dixon at his near post following a darting run.
Brundle took aim from 30 yards shortly after the restart, with the ball flying just over the crossbar.
At the other end, James Philpot saw a close-range effort hacked off the line by the away defence.
Hird was almost left red-faced as he volleyed Brundle’s cross over his own bar.
Philpot then saw an effort deflect just off target, however, fortune favoured Barrow’s next attempt on 69 minutes as Ian Evatt’s Barrow went two goals ahead.
Lewis Hardcastle took aim from the edge of the box and the ball struck the chest of the unfortunate Kevin Lokko and past the already diving Worgan to double the home side’s advantage.
But Athletic were back in the game four minutes later through their captain.
Sub Jeffrey crossed low from the left for the onrushing Brundle to fire into the bottom corner of the net.
The assister then turned goalscorer nine minutes from time as Dover levelled.
Bobby-Joe Taylor’s through ball was seized upon by Jeffrey who smashed the ball into the bottom corner out of reach of Dixon.
And the turnaround was sealed as the clock moved into injury-time.
Taylor crossed for Modeste to stab in the winner and cause wild celebrations among the 25 travelling supporters.
There were more jubilant celebrations at the full-time whistle as Dover’s win, coupled with a defeat for Havant & Waterlooville and a draw for Aldershot, was more significant than just the three points.
Earlier, boss Hessenthaler made one change to the side that drew with Chesterfield last week. Nortey replaced the injured Bedsente Gomis and Jamie Allen returned from injury to take his place among the substitutes.
Whites next host Aldershot Town in the National League on Good Friday 19th April, kick-off 3 pm.
DOVER ATHLETIC REACTION
Photo Credit: Barrow AFC
2 v 3 
