Basingstoke 1 Dover Athletic 1
Billy Bricknell salvaged a point for Dover Athletic as they drew
1-1 at Basingstoke in Blue Square Bet South on Saturday.
Glen Southam replaced the injured Dean Rance in the Whites side
and after Terry Dixon suffered an injury in the warm-up boss Nicky
Forster promoted on-loan Dagenham & Redbridge winger Danny
Green from the bench to the starting line-up.
Green had the first sight of goal but blasted wide seven minutes
in and Southam fired over the bar from the edge of the box
after a good move involving Bricknell and Purcell on 17
minutes.
Bricknell (pictured) lashed a shot well wide when he should have
played Purcell through, and Tom Wynter blasted another chance off
target in a first-half largely devoid of chances.
Stoke keeper Ashley Bayes parried a Jemal Johnson cross to Barry
Cogan but he was closed down by a defender and the chance was
gone.
The closest either side came before the break was a goalbound
effort from the hosts which was superbly saved by Whites keeper
Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz.
Five minutes after the interval Purcell shot wide while Southam
blocked a shot on the edge of the box at the other end.
Green teed-up Johnson to fire over from 20 yards but the hosts
broke the deadlock shortly before the hour when a cross from
dangerman Sam Delano-Yorke was turned in at the back post by Shaun
McAuley.
Almost immediately Bricknell drew a save from Bayes and Wynter
nearly slid in an equaliser before Bayes tipped another Bricknell
effort round the post.
The hosts were denied a killer-second by the offside flag and
Whites made them pay when Bricknell headed home a delightful cross
11 minutes from time.
The hosts piled on the pressure in the closing stages, but
Jaimez-Ruiz kept them out and Southam made a crucial block to
ensure a share of the points.
Dover remain five points clear of Basingstoke in sixth, but
moved within seven points of Chelmsford, who occupy the final
play-off place, having played two games fewer than the Essex
side.
Do you think Dover will secure a play-off place by the
end of the season? Have your say below.
10/03/12
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