SAM PULLS OUT ALL THE STOPS FOR SHAYMEN
DOVER’S title hopes were dented by a resolute Halifax side in a scrappy affair at Crabble.
Halifax were particularly indebted to goalkeeper Sam Johnson for two spectacular first-half saves, denying both Mitch Brundle and Ryan Bird in quick succession.
And Shaymen boss Billy Heath was full of praise for his backline after they recorded their third clean sheet in four matches.
“You know what Dover are going to do,” said the visiting boss. “To a man my lads were all tremendous out there.
“I said before the game we just need to match their physicality and we put a really good shift in. This ground is a really difficult place to come and we restricted them to little.”
The hosts were almost ahead early, but Josh Wilde nipped in to clear the danger before early substitute Kadell Daniel could slot home Mitch Pinnock’s searching delivery.
Scott Garner was next to put his body on the line for the Yorkshire side as the defender blocked Connor Essam’s drive from Brundle’s corner.
Star man Johnson produced a couple of stunning saves before the break; the stopper tipped away Brundle’s dipping 25-yard volley and was up quickly to save the lurking Bird’s followup from close range.
A mistake from Essam had Danny Clarke one-on-one with Dover keeper Mitch Walker, but Giancarlo Gallifuoco was able to track back and clear the danger.
Gallifuoco then went close to breaching the Halifax defence after the restart, but headed Brundle’s corner just wide.
Bird thought he had won it late on, latching onto Jake Hibbs’ headed clearance, but Athletic’s top-scorer blazed wide from the edge of the box. The away side had to hold on with ten men for the remaining few minutes, with Hibbs shown a red card for a second bookable offence. But the Kent side were unable to find a winner, much to the frustration of their boss Chris Kinnear. “It was not a good game,” claimed Dover’s manager. “They played with five men in midfield and the tallest fella in the world up top, but that is something we will have to learn from. “We did not look as sharp as we have done, but that is football and all we can do is move on. There is a long way to go.”