Dover finished a disappointing season by saving their worst performance until the end as they were humiliated by Gravesend & Northfleet in the final of the Kent Senior Cup at Crabble. Eight years without a trophy became nine as an inept defensive display coupled with some sloppy attacking allowed the visitors to stroll to what must have been their most comfortable victory of the season.

Joff Vansittart, the architect of Gravesend's downfall in previous meetings between the two sides with five goals in three games, had jetted off to the US at the weekend on holiday so Dover started with Danny Hockton and Matt Carruthers up front in a 5-3-2 formation. There was no place in the starting line-up for either Steve Brown or Lee McRobert. Reserve team star Dave Bathgate was also on the bench. Simon Beard and Steve Norman were both making their 100th first team appearances for Athletic.

Athletic got off to the worst possible start when they conceded a goal after just three minutes. The normally faultless Stuart Munday misjudged his header and inadvertently put Che Stadhart through one-on-one with Paul Hyde. Stadhart rounded Hyde's despairing dive before finishing expertly from a difficult angle.

One became two as ex-White Steve Restarick engineered an opening for Wilkins to hit the Fleet's second on 20 minutes.

Ex-Gravesend man Tony Browne, who had been less at fault than some of his defensive colleagues was substituted after just 25 minutes as Dover threw on Lee McRobert in an attempt to get back into the game. The Whites were forced to make another change seven minutes later when Simon Beard pulled-up with a hamstring injury and was replaced by Colin Pluck.

Dover's front two of Hockton and Carruthers made no impression on Gravesend's defence but they weren't helped by some wayward passing from the midfield.

The second half continued in much the same way as the first and after 57 minutes Dover put the game beyond themselves as their defence self-destructed. Somehow Dover conspired to set-up Aaron Barnett inside the area and after his shot had beaten the out-of-postion Paul Hyde, Stuart Munday desperately attempted to clear off the goal-line but only succeeded in slicing the ball into the roof of his own net.

The fourth and final goal came from the penalty spot after 68 minutes. Steve Norman pulled down a Gravesend player and Jimmy Jackson sent Hyde the wrong way to score from 12 yards.

For the rest of the game the Whites tried desperately to avoid the indignity of conceding five against lower league opposition and in the end escaped with just a four goal hiding. Lee McRobert had a couple of half chances to grab a consolation goal for Dover and Matt Carruthers headed narrowly wide from Steve Norman's near post corner.

Dover players appeared thoroughly embarassed as they were given a slow hand clap in the second half and taunted with chants of "What a load of rubbish" from the Dover supporters in the River End. Bill Williams was going to announce his retained list after the match, on the evidence of this performance it won't be a very long list.

The only positive point was the first team debut of Dave Bathgate who replaced Danny Hockton for the final twelve minutes.