James McShane opened play on the south coast, with the Wanderers sporting a new look – white shorts beneath our home strip.
Less than a minute had passed before our first chance of the game came to fruition, with the ball finding Dennon Lewis on the edge of the Dover penalty area. His shot, however, bounced comfortably into the hands of goalkeeper Mitchell Walker.
It was the hosts who took the lead in the tenth minute. A cross from the left by Baptist found the head of Sharriff, who was able to beat Foulkes. 1-0.
Following the goal, we quickly got back on the front foot, with Alfie drawing a strong save from the goalkeeper down low to his right.
The hosts looked set to double their lead as a counterattack saw Nikaj go one-on-one with Foulkes. The striker clipped the ball over the keeper, but with slightly too much lift, as it bounced square off the crossbar before being cleared by the Wanderers’ defence. Dover then hit the woodwork again moments later, with the ball rebounding off the upright and away from danger.
Alfie tested Walker again towards the end of the half, with a well-struck effort that required a superb save from the man in pink, deflecting it out for a corner that unfortunately came to nothing. We were in again soon after, with Brennan taking a sublime touch from a looping ball to the right, driving into the box and laying it off to Alfie, who was in a good position but unable to get the power he’d have liked behind his shot.
Half-Time: Dover Athletic 1-0 Dorking Wanderers
A relatively quiet fifteen minutes followed the break, with Harrison Foulkes the first of the two goalkeepers to be called into action, catching a strong shot from distance. Marc White made his first change of the game, bringing on Jordan Norville-Williams – from a bench featuring four academy learners – in place of James McShane.
We levelled the game soon after, with Josh Taylor receiving the ball in the penalty area and striking low into the bottom right corner, right in front of our travelling fans who were in full voice. 1-1.
Our pressure didn’t relent following the goal. Brennan picked up the ball on the left-hand edge of the box, took a touch and sent a zinging shot towards the top left of the Dover goal, which was met by the diving hand of Walker, deflecting it out for a corner. Following the corner, which didn’t lead to a major opportunity, Louie Annesley made way for Tony Craig in defence.
We had another good chance soon after, again through Josh Taylor, whose powerful header from the right required sharp concentration from Walker to keep hold of it.
The hosts reclaimed the lead in their first attack since the start of the half. A fast break from Sharriff saw him drive in behind our defence and go one-on-one with Foulkes, finishing to restore Dover’s lead. 2-1.
It was only a matter of minutes before we got back on level terms. Taylor again found himself in the thick of the action, cutting the ball in from the right-hand side to Frank Vincent, who tapped home from close range for his first league goal for the Wanderers. 2-2
The game continued to intensify as we approached full-time, with the biggest chance falling Dover’s way as they hit the crossbar for the second time with a cannoning shot from the edge of the area.
Full-Time: Dover Athletic 2-2 Dorking Wanderers
The points were shared at the Megger Stadium after a competitive game full of chances for both sides. We’re back at Meadowbank on Saturday as we take on Torquay – we’re expecting a big crowd, and we’d love to see you there. Tickets are available on our website.