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Under-18s on top (March 24, 2008) City Under-18s 7 v Dover Athletic 1
City went top of their league with a seventh consecutive win, beating a strong Dover Athletic side at Bridge.
They got away to a flying start, taking the lead in the first minute, Dover conceded a corner on the right side and Kye Westgarth`s glancing header put City in front. With the game being played in slippy conditions and with snow falling, the good football played by both teams belied the conditions. Dover equalised on 22 minutes when a forward was allowed an unchallenged jump from a corner to plant a firm header into the City net. As at Folkestone last week, City instantly responded with Aaron Campbell latching onto Calum McGeehan`s lofted pass. With quick feet and good strength, he held off three Dover defenders to shoot low across the 'keeper to restore City`s lead.
With City`s defensive unit again working and covering well and 'keeper Mike Magrino ever alert, Dover were unable to deal with the set plays and only a superb reaction save by the Dover 'keeper prevented a headed own goal before Aaron Campbell headed in Mike Turner's near post corner in the 32nd minute to give City a 3-1 lead.
Dover lost a player to an eye injury caused when both he and McGeehan slid in on a 50/50 ball on halfway, gaining McGeehan an unlucky yellow card . Dover pressed towards the end of the half and nearly pulled a goal back, hitting the outside of a post.
With the snow falling heavily and the line markings dissappearing, the referee was going to call the match off unless the lines could be repainted. After managing to get in the maintenance shed, the lines were quickly marked, allowing the match to continue.
Early pressure in the first five minutes of the half was withstood before City took a firm grip on the game with burst of three goals in a ten minute period. The first came with Mcgeehan releasing Campbell who held the ball up well before tucking a ball inside the full back to Jack Winder whose low cross was tapped in from the edge of the six yard box by Daniel Mannings.
With Mike Turner putting in a lot of good work down the left flank, City`s fifth arrived with his low ball into Jamie Maxted at the near post. He turned outside the defender and beat the 'keeper with a sweetly struck shot. The third of the goals and City`s sixth came when again City put the Dover defence under pressure and after two shots were charged down the ball fell to James Turner whose low shot skipped up off the surface and in off the Dover 'keeper.
With frustration showing, several tackles began flying in. City's players kept calm and Dover were reduced to ten men for a reckless and dangerous two footed tackle from behind on Maxted. With the play becoming very stretched, Dover created a couple of good openings, bringing out a flying two fisted save from Magrino but it also left them open at the back and City`s attacking players spurned several openings, the easiest after a five man move with Mannings slicing wide of an open goal. But when Dover took a quick goal kick Mannings closed it down well, forcing the full back to pass back to the 'keeper where Mannings again closed down his clearing kick to plant the ball through the 'keepers legs to cement a fine victory Click here to return to the News page
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