| Pre-Season Friendly Thursday 3 August 2000 Crabble Athletic Ground | ||
| Dover Athletic | 4 - 3 | Millwall XI |
|---|---|---|
| Vansittart (25, 27, 29), Smith o.g. (34) | Att: TBC | Stuart (54), Gilkes (58), Tyne (63) |
| Dover Team: Hudson (Wash 46), Munday (Browne 46, Moore ??), Norman, Leberl (Beard 46), Shearer (Chalvesche 46, Shearer 85), Strouts, Carruthers (Godden 71), Le Bihan (Hogg 68), Vansittart (Leberl 80), Brown, McRobert |
| Substitutes Not Used: None |
| DAFC Website Man-Of-The-Match: Joff Vansittart |
| Dover Players Booked: None |
| Dover Players Sent Off: None |
Dover recorded their third consecutive pre-season victory against a Millwall XI at Crabble on Thursday evening. The final score was a close 4-3, but that does not tell the full story of the match. The first half was dominated by Athletic and they went in at the break four goals to the good. The inevitable glut of half-time substitutions changed the game and Millwall dominated the second period and almost levelled the game.
It was Joff Vansittart who put Dover in the driving seat as he recorded a hat-trick in just four minutes, probably the fastest hat-trick in the history of Dover Athletic FC. His goals came in the 25th, 27th and 29th minutes. The first was a header at the near post that took a deflection off a defender and beat the keeper. His second was a tap-in after Lee McRobert had terrorised the visiting defence, taking it past three players and into the area before having a shot on goal. The keeper parried and Vansittart was on hand to make it 2-0. Joff's third was a well placed header to beat the keeper at his near post.
Dover made it 4-0 on 34 minutes with a bit of help from the Millwall keeper. Steve Norman's in-swinging corner was claimed under the cross bar by Smith but he fumbled the ball and it was adjudged to have crossed the line.
Dover went in at the break four goals to the good but it was a slightly flattering scoreline and Millwall ought to have scored at least one but a full-stretch save by Kevin Hudson, followed by an excellent double save from the resulting corner, and the intervention of a post, prevented Millwall from convertig their best chance.
Bill Williams made a number of defensive changes at half-time. French trial player Pascal Chalvesche and defenders Simon Beard and Tony Browne replaced Lee Shearer, Jake Leberl and Stuart Munday respectively, and 17-year-old Reserve Team keeper Chris Wash replaced Kevin Hudson.
Dover looked much less solid in the second period with Chalvesche and Beard unable to form an effective understanding in defence and the Whites' backline was breached repeatedly, exposing Wash who did well to keep the ball out on a number of occasions. Millwall controlled the second half and knocked in three goals in ten minutes to give the scoreline a much closer look.
Anthony Hogg replaced Neil Le Bihan on 68 minutes and Roy Godden came on for Matt Carruthers on 71. The totally ineffective Chalvesche was removed from the game before the end, with Lee Shearer returning to the field in his place. Bill Williams later described Chalvesche as the worst triallist that had ever been recommended to him.Jake Leberl also returned to the pitch before the end of the game, and there was a run out for Jason Moore, who is on trial having returned to Dover after a brief spell here a couple of years ago.