Dover went to Woodcombe for their 12th game of the season not really knowing what to expect, especially with the winds and pitch and Woodcombe being new to the league, it was always going to be tough. The match started very scrappy with the wind all over the place. Dover didn’t manage to get hold of the ball at all, Woodcombe were very organised and disciplined and Dover couldn’t find a route passed for the first 30 minutes and it was Woodcombe who managed to take the lead with a long shot going under the Dover Keeper Luke Lockhart, who conceded his first goal in 2019 and has been in great form. Dover couldn’t break Woodcombe down until the final seconds of the game when Dover were awarded a free kick in dangerous territory. Ethan O’ Donnell stepped up with his left foot and squeezed it in passed the goalkeeper to make it 1-1 in a very tough first half.
2nd half Dover decided to change up the system a little bit and play an unorthodox false 9 pushing Captain Owen Armstrong in that role. It worked and changed the game with his power and presence the Woodcombe defence didn’t know whether to stay with him or drop off and it opened up so much space for George Nikaj and Liam McVie. Liam was exploiting the space down the left hand side and caused a lot of problems and finally taking one of the chances with a well worked goal and a tidy finish to dink it over the keeper to make it 2-1. The front 3 started causing a lot more issues as the game went on and working the ball into the box, it was Liam McVie again who finished nicely to make it 3-1. The final goal came from Dover man of the match, it was just a simple pass back but the quick thinking of skipper Owen Armstrong to charge down the keeper and get his rewards for a great 2nd half display
Dover Team
Luke Lockhart, Bailey Wadham, Arthur Clarke, Ethan O’Donnell, Taylor Sinnock, Raz Rai, Sid Gurung, Owen Armstrong, Jack Finny, Toby Swinn, George Nikaj, Liam McVie, Jack Coulson
