WHITES ARE GROUNDED AGAIN BY TOP NOOR
NOOR Husin’s exquisite volley proved the difference as Southend United continued their climb up the National League table – and brought poor Dover back down to earth.
An army of nearly 2,000 fans flooded Crabble and went home happy after Husin – a new signing from Dartford – bent a delicious left-footed shot into the top corner.
Buoyed by their first win of the season – and first in 364 days – against Eastleigh on Tuesday night, Dover caused the Blues problems and felt they deserved a point from a pretty uninspiring encounter.
Boss Andy Hessenthaler made three changes with Sam Wood returning and full debuts for former Braintree midfielder Arjanit Krasniqi and former King’s Lynn forward Michael Gyasi.
Southend boss Kevin Maher brought Jason Demetriou back in as captain with Norwich loanee Matt Dennis returning up front after missing their midweek draw at Aldershot.
New signing Harry Cardwell saw appeals for a penalty dismissed inside three minutes as Dover keeper Adam Parkes rushed to gather a poor header from Jake Goodman while Dover’s Harry Ransom rose highest to head a curling Koby Arthur corner goalwards on 22 minutes, only for his effort to be blocked on the line.
Husin saw a volley from a half-cleared Tom Clifford corner blocked at the other end and on the stroke of half-time Dennis got his angles wrong and nodded a header from a Will Atkinson cross past the post with Parkes stranded.
Gyasi caused the Blues plenty of problems after the break and only his wayward finishing kept the deadlock intact. The breakthrough eventually arrived 17 minutes from time from Southend’s first real chance of the half. Sam Dalby saw a header blocked but the ball broke towards the edge of the area where Husin leapt two-footed into the air before using expert technique to guide the ball into the top corner with his left-foot.
Dover almost found an instant response as Arthur darted across the area before hooking a low shot past the flat-footed Arnold, only to see the ball thud the inside of the post and roll along the line before being cleared.
Victory made it 11 points from six games on the road for Southend while Dover remain on minus-5 points and 30 points from safety.
“It’s the crazy world of football,” Hessenthaler claimed. “We probably played better today than we did on Tuesday when we won. There wasn’t much in the game first half but second half we had a few chances. They never looked like scoring but one lapse of concentration and we got punished.”