Lewes 1 v 3 Dover Athletic

Tuesday 26th November 2024, Kick-off 20.00

Isthmian League Premier Division

Dripping Pan, Lewes

Admission: £14.00

Programme: Online

Attendance: 606

A match report from a Lewes perspective can be read by clicking here, also copied and pasted below 

Video highlights can be viewed by clicking here

Rooks suffer defeat to Dover

A Danny Bassett goal, along with a much improved second-half showing from Lewes, wasn’t enough as they were beaten 3-1 by Dover Athletic’s first-half dominance on Tuesday night in a game that was delayed due to traffic problems, reports Christopher Coleman.

George Nikaj directed a header in early, before a Ruben Soares-Junior curled effort after only 11 minutes left Lewes already with a mountain to climb.

Despite having plenty of opportunities to halve the deficit, the game was ultimately decided in the first half after Dover won a penalty after a foul by keeper Toby Bull, who couldn’t get enough of a hand on Luke Baptiste’s spot kick. The Rooks’ second–half performance was a much improved one, and was rewarded after Dover keeper Walker’s save fell at the feet of captain Bassett, who rifled the ball into the bottom right corner.

However, this would be all Lewes could muster from their chances, and the result itself means they drop to seventh, outside the play–off places, and leaves Dover comfortably top.

The game was delayed 15 minutes due to traffic delays which caused the Dover team to arrive late.

High-flying Dover were in red hot form, and were coming off of a win against Bowers and Pitsea, whereas Lewes were trying to bounce back from a defeat against Dartford on the weekend.

Lewes’ team showed only one change, with Tolu Ladapo in for Jack Enkh, while Dover sent out an unchanged eleven.

Lewes were almost behind in the opening two minutes, but a great save from Bull kept the scores level. However, Lewes would find themselves behind not long after as Nikaj headed in from inside the box.

Soares-Junior made it 2-0 three minutes later with a curled finish into the bottom corner, which was assisted by scorer turned provider Nikaj. A goal-line clearance from Marcel McIntosh was enough to prevent it becoming three after a Dover shot took a couple of ricochets off two Lewes players.

Lewes were getting plenty of chances, but most were being intercepted well by Dover defenders and diverted for corners where possible. It gave a glimmer of hope that the Rooks were not fully out of the game just yet.

It was frustrating, then, that Dover hit the hosts against the run of play to make it 3-0. Bull brought down Baptiste after an overlap in the box, and the striker converted from the resulting penalty, despite the keeper getting a fingertip on it. Dover were showing why they are currently top of the table.

Manager Craig Nelson made two half–time changes, with Maliq Morris and Ben Mundele coming on for Hamilton Antonio and Jerry Puemo.

McIntosh almost got Lewes a lifeline early in the second half but his front–post header from a corner just sailed over. Yet Lewes would get their goal through Bassett on 60 minutes, as he benefitted from a rebound off Dover keeper Walker to hammer a shot into the corner to give the Rooks a little bit of hope about getting back into the game.

Unfortunately it wasn’t to be as Dover ground out the result. McIntosh recovered well from a defensive error to prevent a fourth for the visitors. Then at the other end Lewes almost had their second, but a free kick from the left flew fractionally over the head of Ethan Kaiser, followed by a Bassett volley that only found the goalkeeper’s hands.

Lewes’ second–half improvement left them to rue what might have been, but they were ultimately beaten by a Dover team looking to be promoted automatically as soon as possible. The Rooks will now be looking towards the game against ninth–place Canvey Island on Saturday to get back on form after two straight defeats, as they seek to get back into the playoff places.

Lineups

Lewes: 1. Toby Bull, 2. Jerry Puemo, 4. Matt Warren, 5. Ethan Kaiser, 6. Marcus Sablier, 7. Danny Bassett (C), 8. Hamilton Antonio, 9. Gianluca Botti, 11. Tolu Ladapo, 17. Calvin Ekpiteta, 19. Marcel McIntosh SUBS: 10. Eddie Allsopp, 12. Nabeel Ghannam, 14. Shae Hutchinson, 15. Maliq Morris, 20. Ben Mundele.

Dover Athletic: 1. Mitch Walker (C), 2. Roman Charles-Cook, 3. Fuad Sesay, 6. Luca Cocoracchio, 7. Luke Baptiste, 10. George Nikaj, 14. Ruben Soares-Junior, 16. Harrison Pont, 23. George Wilkinson, 24. Francis Mampolo, 26. Jacob Mensah SUBS: 4. Jeremiah Gyebi, 5. Joe Tennent, 9. Eniye Amgbaduba, 15. Tamas Amgbaduba, 8. Alfie Matthews.