A quick(ish) walk down memory lane- 19-12-1998

[The Red Baron]

While we wait for the signings to arrive....

FOOTBALL CONFERENCE.  ROVERS (1) 5 DOVER ATHLETIC (3) 4.

PLAYED AT BELLE VUE, SATURDAY 19TH DECEMBER 1998.

Rovers won one of the most incredible matches ever seen at Belle Vue, coming from 3-0 down, then 4-3 down to snatch a winner six minutes from time. It was an amazing game, with Rovers recovering from a dreadfully lethargic start to capture the points in a pulsating second half. The most disappointed man will be Dover striker Joff Vansittart, who completed a 27-minute hat-trick yet still finished on the losing side.

Rovers made one change from the team that lost so gallantly at Rushden on Tuesday night. Simon Shaw returned to defence after suspension, with Lee Warren replacing Duane Beckett in midfield. Mark Hume was again surprisingly preferred up front to Ian Duerden, who started on the bench. Line-ups:

Rovers: Woods, Shaw, Maxfield, Nicol, Penney (capt.), Sutherland, Warren, Goodwin, Hume, Kirkwood, Wright. Subs: Maamria, Duerden, Caudwell.
Dover: Mitten, Munday, Palmer, Budden, Shearer, Carruthers, Clarke, Wormull, Vansittart, Hynes, Virgo. Subs: Henry, Strouts, Reina.
Ref: P. Joslin (Newark).

Rovers kicked off towards the Town End wearing their usual home strip, the visitors sporting white shirts, black shorts and black-and-white hooped socks. Kirkwood fashioned the first real opening of the game with a strong run, but his shot was blocked by a defender. It was the visitors, though, who struck first. In the fourth minute Rovers defence was caught cold by a ball in from the right which fell to the unmarked Hynes in the area. His shot struck the crossbar and bounced down into the path of VANSITTART, who scored with ease. Rovers looked lethargic and were almost caught out by a strong run down the right by Carruthers, who was pulled up for handball. In the 9th minute Wright was fouled by Munday and took the free kick himself, but Mitten gathered the ball safely under pressure from Hume.

After 12 minutes, Dover doubled their advantage after they won a free kick on the right hand side of the Rovers box when Goodwin was penalised for a tackle. Sutherland disputed the decision and was booked for his pains. Wormull played the ball into the near post and VANSITTART got in ahead of a static defence to prod home from close range. Rovers were making little apparent effort and were coming in for some strong criticism from the home crowd. In the 22nd minute they had their first real attempt on goal when Goodwin sent over a high cross from the right and Kirkwood looped a header towards goal, Mitten clutching the ball just under his crossbar. However, it was Dover who scored the next goal.  In the 27th minute they won a corner on their right, which Virgo swung in to the near post area. Again VANSITTART eluded his markers and got in ahead of Woods to head home.

Three minutes later, Rovers pulled one back following a free kick from the right. Wright floated the ball over and Hume outjumped the goalkeeper, the ball falling loose for KIRKWOOD to run it into the empty net. The goal seemed to inspire Rovers and they won a free kick when Clarke brought down Warren. Clarke was booked, as was Hynes who seemed to dispute the decision. The free kick resulted in a corner to which Hume rose well but headed just over the bar. Then in the 34th minute Nicol began a move which sent Penney away into space and his fierce 25-yard drive was palmed away by Mitten. Another fine run by Penney ended with his pass to Wright whose cross was over-hit, with Hume unable to reach it. In the 40th minute Rovers won a free kick on the edge of the area for pushing, but Wright’s kick sailed over the bar. Then the hat-trick heroVansittart, who appeared to have taken a knock to his head, was replaced by Reina after 42 minutes. Rovers continued to press and in the dying moments a fine ball from Kirkwood found Hume, but the striker’s control let him down and Budden was able to clear. Half Time: Rovers 1 Dover 3.

Rovers made a half-time substitution, Maamria replacing the ineffective Goodwin. Although Dover won an early corner, Rovers continued to make the running and Warren shot wide after a neat pass from Shaw. However, Rovers had a scare in the 50th minute when Hynes, who seemed offside, was allowed to continue his run. He pulled the ball back across the area but Woods and Nicol were able to scramble it away.  After 52 minutes Rovers further reduced the deficit with a splendid goal. Penney took a free-kick short to Wright who passed inside to Kirkwood. The striker laid the ball back into the path of the onrushing PENNEY who gave Mitten no chance with a fierce shot from 20 yards. A minute later Rovers won a free kick some 25 yards out, and Penney fired in a firm, low shot that Mitten did well to hold. Rovers then won another free kick when Wright was brought down by Shearer, who was booked. The free kick was headed behind for a corner, but from the resulting kick the ball was cleared.

In the 58th minute Rovers put together a super move, again instigated by Penney. His pass found Hume who played a return pass that Penney was just unable to reach. However, Rovers had a scare minutes later when Clarke burst clear despite looking offside. Penney managed to check the run, but the Dover man still got in a shot which struck the outside of the post with Woods beaten. The ball ran out to Carruthers who crossed to the far post where Hynes headed just over.

After 63 minutes, Duerden replaced Hume, but again it was the Rovers goal which had a narrow escape. Hynes crossed from the left and Woods missed the ball completely, allowing Reina to head goalwards, only for Maxfield to scramble the ball off the line. At the other end Penney picked up a loose ball and fired in a fierce shot from 25 yards that forced a good save from Mitten. There followed some good interplay between Wright and Warren, whose pass found Duerden on the edge of the area, and his pass just failed to find the advancing Penney.

In the 76th minute, though, Rovers levelled the match with another quality goal. After some neat interplay between Penney and Kirkwood the ball reached Duerden on the edge of the area. He drew out the defence then slipped a fine ball to MAAMRIA who fired a low shot into the bottom corner. Rovers were immediately forced to reshuffle, Caudwell coming on for Maxfield, who had taken a knock, with Warren moving back into defence. Dover then should have re-taken the lead. Wormull and Hynes both appeared to be yards offside but play was allowed to continue, and Wormull wasted his chance by shooting straight at Woods. However, in the 80th minute Dover did go ahead again with the sort of breakaway goal they had threatened for some time. Virgo outpaced Warren down the Dover left and cut inside to fire a low angled shot. Woods did well to parry the effort but the ball ran to HYNES who scored from close range.

Rovers refused to be undone by this setback, and a minute later they levelled matters again courtesy of a bizarre own goal. There seemed little danger as Shearer went to clear following a free kick, but he struck the ball against BUDDEN’s leg, and the ball rebounded off his colleague into the net. Immediately after, Rovers won a free kick 25 yards out for a foul on Penney, who took the kick himself and shot just wide. With five minutes left Rovers went ahead for the first time with what proved to be the winning goal. Nicol played a neat ball to Duerden on the edge of the area, and he turned it back to KIRKWOOD who fired a powerful 15-yard shot past Mitten. Dover responded by sending on Strouts for Shearer in an attempt to regain salvage a point, but Rovers held firm and played some intelligent possession football. Dover’s Carruthers was booked for fouling Wright on the left touchline, and following a short free kick the Rovers man took the ball into the corner as Rovers denied Dover the time and possession they needed to fashion an equaliser. Final Score: Rovers 5 Dover 4.

VERDICT:

A truly incredible game, which will live long in the memories of those that saw it, but will not be fondly remembered by most of the Dover team and the Rovers defence. Rovers were truly awful in the early stages, each of Vansittart's three goals coming as a result of sloppy and inattentive defending, but once they pulled a goal back they played some spirited stuff. Skipper David Penney inspired his colleagues with some terrific runs from midfield, and his powerful and accurate shooting deserved more than the one goal he achieved. Kirkwood too was tremendous, and it was fitting that he scored the winner. This goal, plus the second-half strikes by Penney and Maamria, were superb efforts, each one featuring good approach play and lethal finishing. It was unfortunate that such an entertaining spectacle was only witnessed by 2,119 spectators, a decent crowd by Conference standards but Rovers’ lowest of the season for a League game. I’m sure those who missed it will not want to miss next Saturday’s encounter with Leek Town.

JOHN COYLE

[Donnywolf]

Brilliant review of a truly memorable game

I chuckled on the day with Uncle Ken [was it] struggling to pronounce the scorers name - and he was bestowed with 3 different names and I bet he was elated when JV left the scene although he had to announce him "leaving" the pitch

[CJK]

I can remember that Vinsittart name popping up on teletext all the time!

[Chris Black come back]

Dover was truly memorable that season. The reverse fixture was the absolute carnage of our first game in the conference, then the home game was this beauty.

[DRCraig]

Bad memories but good memories.

[andysly]

Brilliant review of a truly memorable game

I chuckled on the day with Uncle Ken [was it] struggling to pronounce the scorers name - and he was bestowed with 3 different names and I bet he was elated when JV left the scene although he had to announce him "leaving" the pitch

Off topic a bit, but that brought back the Nottm Forest 0-8 in the league cup, back in the relegation to the conference season. Van Hoojydink, Van Hoidonk, Van Hoogdonk, different pronunciation every goal

[Donnywolf]

... still cant find a younger Jeff Stelling [on a blooper prog] annoncing Pierre van H had signed for Celtic

It was