Dover produced a first-class defensive performance to hold-off Second Division Bournemouth for two hours in the LDV Vans Trophy only to be denied by a penalty shoot-out.

Still troubled by injuries, Bill Williams fielded the same side that beat Rushden at the weekend. Meanwhile, Bournemouth chose to make a number of changes to their on-form team.

The Whites started brightly in the opening minutes but Bournemouth soon settled into their rythm and began to play some slick passing football. Jerome Defoe, on loan from West Ham, looked to be the danger man and his pace and dribbling kept the Athletic defenders on their toes. Dover's attacks were restricted mainly to long balls from the back to Hockton and Vansittart.

Bournemouth applied steady pressure on the Dover defence but the Whites' back three of Lee Shearer, Simon Beard and Colin Pluck were outstanding, and in midfield Danny Chapman and Jimmy Strouts both produced their best performances of the season so far as they held Dover's rearguard action together.

Despite Bournemouth having the better of possession and chances, it was Dover who took the lead, against the run of play. A rare Athletic counter-attack resulted in Dover's first corner of the game and Matt Carruthers' set-piece was converted by the head of Danny Hockton for his third Dover goal in only his second game for the club.

Bournemouth were shocked by the goal and they increased their attacking efforts, but when they could get past the imposing presence of Simon Beard and his defensive colleagues, they found Paul Hyde's handling and reactions were faultless.

Towards the end of the half Dover were finding more opportunities to break and a minute before the interval Jimmy Strouts came close to doubling Dover's lead. The ball was played ahead of Strouts and his marker had a couple of yards head start but Jimmy powered past his man, took the ball in his stride, evaded two challenges and struck a fierce shot from 10 yards that was well blocked by Menetrier in the Bournemouth goal.

In injury time Dover threatened again with a slick move in the final third of the pitch, orchestrated by Neil Le Bihan and Matt Carruthers, that saw the White's string together around 15-20 passes but they could not create an opening.

After the break things continued much as they had in the first half, with Bournemouth doing most of the attacking and Dover defending very well. However, on 63 minutes the Cherries did eventually get the better of the Athletic back line when Willie Huck beat the offside trap and slotted the ball past Paul Hyde to make it 1-1.

The home side continued to stretch Dover but they could find no way through. Dover brought on Dave Clarke for Jimmy Strouts with seventeen minutes remaining but, despite showing glimpses of his undoubted class, he was unable to create anything from midfield.

Dover did have one very good chance to win it in normal time when Carruthers, cutting in from the right, hit a fierce shot past Menetrier but the ball came back of the post. Bournemouth also had a close effort in the dying minutes. Defoe broke into the Dover area and with Hyde following him he hit a shot from an impossible angle that rolled slowly towards the goal with Hyde stranded, but Shearer raced back to hack the ball off the line.

After 90 minutes of quality entertainment the match went into a 30 minute spell of sudden death Golden Goal extra time. The game followed the same pattern in the first period of extra time but it was Dover who had the best chances to win the game. Vansittart had a 20 yard lob that cleared the keeper but just didn't come down enough to go under the bar, then on 104 minutes Neil Le Bihan launched himself at a cross from the right and connected with an excellent diving header that beat the keeper and looked to be going in but unfortunately just missed the far post. At the other end Paul Hyde had to make two fine reaction saves in quick succession to keep the Whites in the game.

The second period of extra time almost saw Bournemouth get the Golden Goal a minute before the seemingly inevitable penalty shoot-out. Jamie Day lobbed Hyde and the Dover player-coach could only watch as the ball dipped towards the back of the net. The crossbar intervened though and Hyde reacted quick enough to get in the way of the follow-up shot and to force a penalty shoot-out.

So after 120 minutes of intelligent attacking play from the home side and inspired defending from the visitors, the match was to be decided from the penalty spot. Bournemouth won the toss and the shoot-out was staged in front of the home end with the home side kicking first. Bill Williams nominated his five kickers: Danny Hockton, Joff Vansittart, Steve Norman, Simon Beard and regular penalty-taker Lee Shearer. Grant stepped up first for Bournemouth and beat Hyde with an excellent penalty into the top corner. Hockton replied for Dover with an equally emphatic strike. Howe beat Hyde to make it 2-1 to the Cherries and Vansittart attempted to level the score for Dover but his shot was too central and was well blocked by Menetrier. Hyde could do nothing to stop Broadhurst's spot-kick which gave the home side an imposing 3-1 advantage. Steve Norman stepped up to reduce the defecit to 3-2 but when Stock scored Bournemouth's fourth the pressure was on Simon Beard to keep Dover in the tie. Beard's penalty was saved by Menetrier but Dover were reprieved when the referee ordered the kick to be retaken because of an infringement by the keeper. Beard fired in another attempt but Menetrier blocked that one as well and Dover were out.