Calais 1-0 Dover Athletic
(Calais win 3-2 on aggregate)
The Hoverspeed Trophy, Second Leg
Saturday 24th July 2004

The dreams of this young Dover Athletic side picking up their first piece of silverware were dashed by Calais, however the French side are a number of leagues above Dover in their country, and deserved their slender victory.

They were a well organised side that passed the ball around confidently, and should have scored more than the single goal that they managed. Paul Hyde showed why he was retained from last season with an outstanding performance to keep his side in the contest, and we were unlucky not to get an equaliser through Tom Hickman too. The midfielder had a late goal disallowed for offside, and though Dover would still have lost on away goals, it would have been a fitting reward to their young side that performed with great determination and resolve.

The game really revolved around Hyde and the Calais forward line, which must have been disappointed that they failed to put a chance away until the 73rd minute. The first chance for either side came with 14 minutes on the clock, when the Calais number 6 had an effort from 30 yards tipped over by Hyde. Then from the resulting corner, Hyde was again forced to make a save, this time from the number 3.

The only real chance that the Whites had in the first half came moments after these lucky escapes. As the referee finally gave a decision in Dover's favour, Billy Bone stepped up to take the free kick 25-yards out, but it sailed just over the bar. However, the respite for the Kent side's defence didn’t last for long, as Hyde was forced to make a brave save at the feet of the number 10, when he was one on one with the veteran keeper.

The rest of the half was basically played out between the Calais number 9 and Hyde. On the half hour mark, the forward somehow managed to miss an open goal when in the six-yard box, to the amazement to the fairly large crowd in the ground. Then Hyde was forced to dive low to his left to keep out a fierce drive, before stopping an overhead kick from the French forward. However, he saved his best save of the half until five minutes before the interval. After Readings and Spiller got in each other’s way going for the same ball in the box, the ball fell to the number 9 ten-yards out. And although a goal looked a certainty, Hyde managed to tip the ball over for a corner.

The half time break was a chance for the supporters to try to show up the first team, as fans of both sides competed in a match to promote goodwill between the clubs. It gave Whites fans the chance to pull on the Dover shirt and try to win some silverware, in a game that began before the match and finished in the interval of the main event. Dover ran out winners in the end, by 1-0, as captain Steven King scored the only goal, though it could well have been a greater margin of victory.

However, the story stayed the same in the first team game, with Hyde still being forced to keep the home side at bay. Seven minutes into the second period, the keeper produced his best save of the match in my opinion, when he dived to his left to save from the number 6, who then managed to put the rebound wide when it looked easier to score.

Ball and Wright came on just after the hour mark for Welch and the injured Carruthers, but the pattern of play continued. Hyde was forced to make great saves from Calais’ number 9 and number 13, before he was finally beaten by a terrific strike in the 73rd minute. The French number 9 picked up the ball, and lashed it into the top corner from 25 yards. It was no more than the striker (and his side) deserved, but it was still disappointing to concede after holding out for so long.

The sizable Whites following, of nearly 200 according to estimates, thought that they had got the equaliser though three minutes later. A neat flick round the defender by Rogers left him free on the left wing, and his cross was expertly turned in by Tom Hickman, but the linesman ruled him to be offside. Although Calais again went close through numbers 6 and 4 in the closing stages, the score remained at 1-0.

Calais deserved to collect the Hoverspeed trophy, especially for their performance in this second leg, but Whites fans should be pleased with the effort that the young side put in. And Dover did return to England with some silverware, as the supporters’ side was presented with the trophy from their victorious game, which was a just reward for the large band of fans that made the trip across the Channel. It may turn out that if we can encourage some of these fans to return to the club on a regular basis, then that may be more important than a victory from this game, as increased funds are more important than friendly wins in the grand scheme of things.

Dover Athletic: Paul Hyde, Ricky Spiller, James Rogers, Billy Bone, Craig Cloke, Dean Readings, Matt Carruthers (Chris White 64), Tom Hickman, Michael Smissen (Dale Skelton 71), Micky Lane, Danny Welch (Laurence Ball 60).  Subs (unused): James  Farrier

We would like more articles from Dover Athletic FC throughout this season.

Please send them to Stephen McCartney
Email:  stephen@mccartney2000.fsnet.co.uk

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