MATCH REPORT: Dover Athletic 2-0 Wealdstone (FA Cup R1)

WEALDSTONE limped out of The FA Cup with a whimper, offering barely any threat to hosts Dover Athletic who won through to the FA Cup Second Road more comfortably than the 2-0 scoreline suggests.

The Stones never got to grips with what was required to win an awayday cup tie, and played into the Whites’ hands by passing around in front of their opposition and never properly testing the Dover goalkeeper.

Athletic kept danger at arms’ length with two banks of four and an additional man on patrol between midfield and attack, ready to spring on the counter, and were obliged by a Wealdstone team which failed to operate at any kind of meaningful tempo.

Jack Bates’ first-half double, a pair of fine strikes from outside the box, proved plenty good enough to defeat a lacklustre Stones.

Indeed, Wealdstone boss Gary Waddock judged his team’s first 45 so insipid that he used an unprecedented ‘electric shock’ style move of a quadruple half-time substitution. But it had only a short-lived effect on the flow of the match as Stones slid out of the FA Cup at Crabble.

There were three changes to the starting line-up from last weekend’s win over Southend United. Team captain Connor McAvoy came in for Dion Conroy, Milton Oni replaced Aaron Henry and Luke Norris started instead of Fejiri Okenabirhie.

Dover took less than 15 minutes to go in front. Joe Newton was tamely dispossessed, the ball fed inside and Bates – having had a steadying touch – curled an accurate shot away from Dante Baptiste and inside the far corner.

Wealdstone’s No. 1 was busy a few minutes later, plunging low to deny ex-teammate Sak Hassan whose low far-post volley forced a smart reaction from Baptiste.

Oni had Stones’ first sight of goal moments later, but shot high & wide after Joe Newton’s half-cleared cross fell to him just inside the box.

Dylan Kadji was robbed of possession by Hassan just after the half-hour mark. He found Ruben Soares-Junior for a fierce shot which was beaten out by Baptiste, who was grateful to see the rebound hacked clear.

Shortly after, Stones were spared by an off-side flag after a melee from a set-piece saw Athletic with the ball in Baptiste’s net.

But it was two to the hosts just three minutes from the interval, and there was no keeping out Bates’ rasping 25-yarder. Striding onto a square pass, he left Baptiste with no chance thanks to an arrowing strike to the keeper’s right.

Waddock exercised the option of using four of his eight subs at the break. It was an understandable roll of the dice – and not really much of a gamble given what had gone before.

On came Dion Conroy, Fejiri Okenabirhie and two players returning from injury: Rohan Maher and Kyle Smith.

With an increase in natural width, Stones’ improved intent forced some early corners and then a good chance for Okenabirhie but his shot lacked sufficient power.

That came six minutes into the second-half, but in the next attack at the other end Soares-Junior should have done better than head straight at Baptiste from a free-kick.

Smith’s surging run and bullet of a low cross rather hit Okenabirhie than the striker connecting with the ball, and what appeared a good 58th-minute chance went begging.

On 62, Baptiste had to claw out ex-Stone Corey Andrew’s poke goalbound after a bouncing ball forced McAvoy into an unwanted back header that fell into the striker’s path as he navigated round the keeper before trying for goal.

Hassan had two more looks at goal for Dover, both good chances, either side of what was to prove Wealdstone’s best chance of a route back in when Okenabirhie saw his shot denied by a sprawling save.

Soares-Junior could easily have made it three four minutes from time, but couldn’t add what would have been a deserved gloss on the scoreline for the Kent club when he snatched at a good chance to blaze over.

Stones’ topsy-turvy form took a downward turn in Kent and has cost them the possibility of a lucrative FA Cup Round Two tie.

They can now only make amends with better at Hartlepool United in the league next weekend, but must wait until December 12 to kick off their bid for a return trip to Wembley in the FA Trophy.

Line-up: Baptiste; McAvoy (c), Francis-Clarke, Kanu (T Newton 62); Chesters (Smith HT), Oni (Maher), Kadji, Wells-Morrison, J Newton (COnroy); Norris, Olomola (Okenabirhie HT).
Subs not used: Long (GK), Uchenna, Kaunda.

Att: 1,913 (away fans figure TBC)