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Go Travel Kent League Division One
Saturday 27th September 2003
Belcher 55 Min, Myall 71 Min, 85 Min
Dover Athletic Reserves 2
Hamshare 40 Min, Skelton, 74 Min
Hastings United: Sam Harris Green, Steve Sands, Russell Eldridge, Danny Ellis, Graham Morris, Kieren Startup, Stuart Myall, Mitchell Sherwood, Scott Hayhoe, Stephen Graham, Charlie Belcher.
Dover Athletic From: Israel Amadi, Tim Austen, Craig Cloke, Tom Durrant, James Farrier, Shane Hamshare, Andy Herbert, Tom Hickman, James Rogers, Dale Skelton, Michael Smisson, Sam Vallance, Louis Waddon, Danny Welch, Chris Wright.
By Sandy Harmer
First of all to Dover fans this isn�t the side that started, I couldn�t find out the real side as the programme only had the players in alphabetical surname order, as I know that Israel Amadi is a midfield/striker and is quite short and coloured when it said he was in goal, while this goalkeeper was like Paul Hyde but a bit shorter. Well sometime games slot in place, like the performance suits the result and this game really did, two quality young sides battling all the time, and they never gave up and well separated by the one goal. People may have a go at me after not seeing a reserve game since the 90�s but this has really turned my head upside down, it was the best game of football for a long time that I�ve seen (which include most of the first team games) and that will encourage me to go even more. The United side was picked by first team manager Steve Lovell which in one respect shows that he cares about the team, and the backup and by some of the performances today it won�t be long before the reserve players will be knocking on the first team door!
In truth many fans would say that 3-2 was a totally fair result and I think Dover didn�t realise that United were as good as we were, our first team�s only in the Dr Martens Eastern Division but that doesn�t matter as United dominated early proceedings, with Russell Eldridge and Scott Hayhoe coming close, Dover at the other end had Skelton causing problems in the area and a shot wide from Farrier showed early signs of a good accurate shooting side. But United had Danny Ellis�s shot riffled just over the bar and Stephen Graham shot just wide. But on 40 minutes Dover took the lead against the run of play, after many attacks the ref blew up for an unusual foul (many didn�t see anything, and one being me) and Davies slung the ball across the area and Hamshare rose above the rest and his glancing header went into the top right hand corner.
On the stroke of half time something happened that I have never seen before, being 16 (and nearly 17) and only watching 11 years of non-league football the ref blew up for a free kick on the edge of the Dover penalty area for the keeper took his kick from outside the area, something you see quite a bit but the referee�s never see it, but it didn�t matter much as Danny Ellis wasted the free kick by hoofing it over the bar.
The second half started like the first with United forcing Athletic on the back foot for long periods of play, but on 55 minutes breathtaking stuff from United gave them a deserved equaliser, Stuart Myall�s perfect long ball over to the other side of the park was met by the large figure of 4 foot (I�m exaggerating a bit I think 4 foot 5) Charlie Belcher who ran on into the path of the ball and his lob beat the onrushing Dover keeper, to give United what we deserved. United then had a massive blow with Charlie Belcher going off due to a bad left ankle. The game went even then with Hickman and Rogers coming close while Stephen Graham at the other end sharing good play with Mitchell Sherwood and Scott Hayhoe. But on 71 minutes Dover took the lead again when Hamshares attempted shot hit Skelton�s head on the way through and went in the right hand corner.
United rose their heads and Stuart Myall stormed onwards and upwards after having a terrific game, is passing gave Scott Hayhoe one of the best chances of the match but his snatch shot was straight at the keeper, but only three minutes after taking the lead United drew back level again. Myall got the ball down the left hand side, adjacent to where the Penalty area ends he floated a beautiful ball in and went straight in the top right hand corner, you wouldn�t had seen better than that anywhere today. United got back into the match but Dover got back into the rhythm as well with Dale Skinton being denied at the last minute by a last gasp lung by captain Graham Morris to deny Dover the lead. The same happened a minute later this time Tom Hickmans shot was blocked with only an open goal to aim at but Russell Eldridge got in the way.
Then the killer moment on 85 minutes, a corner from Mitchell Sherwood was headed home by a bullet header from Stuart Myall into the top right hand corner to the joy of the great home support. But no Mylobatic�s!! One unhappy bunny here! Hastings starved out another ten minutes to give United a deserved victory and now only 1 point behind Dover with a game in hand! The attendance was high today about 100, showed the pile of crap up the road how to get people, no need to put a 20% reduction on the prices and publicise in the Hastings Observer.
The reserves only have two away fixtures in October due to the first team being at home every Saturday, the reserves visit Ramsgate on the 4th and then two weeks later on the 18th they visit Deal Town. The first team are at home next Saturday against a strong Yeading side from the Ryman Division One North I believe and they lost for the first time yesterday at Cheshunt 2-1, coincidently Cheshunt will be the team to play if we beat Yeading and Cheshunt overcome Dulwich Hamlet, but away from home. But one good thing that�s in the FA Cup Yeading lost at Histon 7-0! Lets hope united can clone that score.
Claret�n�Blue Man Of The Match
Stuart Myall
How can Steve Lovell leave him out now a class above the rest, showed that you don�t need pace you need accuracy which he did perfectly all afternoon and was involved in all the goals. Great to see him back performing at a high level again.