Dover had an early morning visit to North Kent where they met Thamesmead in the second round of the Kent County Cup. Both teams started quick but most of the shooting was coming from the home team however little to trouble Dan Smith in the Dover goal. A failed battle in the middle of the park gave Thamesmead the space to fire a cheeky attempt from outside the box over the advanced goalkeeper to see the ball go into the back of the net. A non-reflection as to how the possession was going but a further example of how the core centre midfield need to be first to balls with heads and win the first ball. Dover played some creative football, switching play to each side allowing Lewis Saunders to attack the right wing and hit a cross-come-shot into the box only for it to hit the inside of the far post and fall neatly back across goal into the stunned Thamesmead goalkeepers hands. The first half ended with Dan Smith making a stretching left hand save to prevent a Thamesmead advance behind the defence and keep the score line at 1 -0.

With the wind assisting in the second half Dover made a few chances and continued the pace and veracity of attacks. The was a definite hunger to get the equalizer and indeed a winner. The equalizer came from a poor clearance by the home goalkeeper and with Lewis Saunders picking it up about 25 yards out, smashed it into the bottom left hand corner and with the keeper still at the opposite post there was no chance to reach it. A deserved goal and domination starting to frustrate Thamesmead.

A through ball by Thamesmead had Dan Smith making an excellent blind save at the near post only for the striker to pass the ball across the face of goal and a waiting teammate to strike the ball home against a static observing defence. Another bitter blow but Dover had scored before and the way they were playing were likely to again. A second equalizer did come from some great hold up work down the right wing, waiting for the supporting right back Carson Philpott to deliver a perfect ball into the box for Ethan Warman to flick the ball across goal and over the reaching goalkeeper. Dover were on a high and had every reason to believe they could win this or at the least take it to extra time. Dover were playing higher up the pitch and play was putting further pressure on the Thamesmead squad to withhold the barrage. A rare counter in the second half by Thamesmead saw the ball played through the centre of the Dover defence and with the keeper shouting to collect it a stray Dover foot tried to edge the ball away from the striker only to slot it neatly into the back of their own net. A horrible way to concede at any time, but especially in the dying minutes of a cup game destined for extra time. There was little time left and Thamesmead held their stations well to prevent further harm to the score line and it ended with a sad undeserved full-time loss.

For all the heartache an own goal can bring, this will be devastating for a Dover team who played some of their best football this season and failed to come away with a result. More first time aerial challenges from the centre of the park should enable winning the all important first ball to enable attacks to be created earlier. The boys can take away some massive positives in the way they spread the play and battled hard to win balls on the flanks and defence, and should continue that ethic into the next league games with score lines to reflect the quality they clearly possess.”