City's perfect home record ended by Dover fightback

MATCH REPORT: Bath City 1 (Griffin 50) Dover Athletic 2 (Bricknell 61, Thomson 70)

Dover Athletic came from behind to end Bath City's 100 per cent home record in Blue Square Bet South.

The visitors had finished the better in a dour first half but City went ahead through a Charlie Griffin volley five minutes after the break.

However, Dover continued to cause problems at the back for City and goals from Billy Bricknell and captain Steven Thomson gave them the victory.

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After a quiet first 15 minutes, Dover threatened with shots from Jamie Smith and Bricknell that went wide, while City had penalty appeals waved away when Kurtis Guthrie went down on the edge of the box.

The visitors also had a penalty shout turned down and produced some half-chances but the first half-hour was forgettable and opportunities were few and far between.

City's best moment came when Gethin Jones and Josh Low combined well to find Adam Connolly on the right-hand side of the box but his shot went well wide.

Noah Keats was cycnically brought down to deny the hosts a counter-attacking chance shortly afterwards but the rest of the half belonged to Dover.

Connolly made a vital block to deny Barry Cogan and Ben May tested Glyn Garner with a stinging volley, while May also had a goal disallowed for offside after heading home Cogan's cross.

May was in the action again on the stroke of half-time when he met Smith's cross and headed the ball towards the bottom corner, but Garner made an excellent save low to his right.

City did have one final chance in injury time when Griffin fed Connolly but his shot fizzed across the face of goal.

With Kerry Morgan on in place of the injured Low, the hosts started the second half more brightly and had an early opening when Guthrie and Griffin combined to set up Keats but his shot was blocked.

City went ahead after 50 minutes when Griffin sent a long-range volley crashing against the crossbar and Keats' follow-up was blocked but the ball fell again to Griffin and he volleyed powerfully home.

However, the lead lasted just over ten minutes as Smith's flick-on found Bricknell and, with offside appeals in vain, the visiting striker volleyed into the far corner.

May nearly put the visitors ahead five minutes later but his header went just wide from Cogan's free-kick, while Guthrie had the ball in the net for City but was clearly offside.

Dover went ahead in the 70th minute when a free-kick on the edge of the box was deflected by the wall but fell kindly to visiting captain Thomson, who showed good composure to round Garner and tap home.

Smith had a chance to extend Dover's lead with ten mintues remaining but shot just wide, while Griffin's free-kick came back off the wall for City.

Controversy erupted in the 82nd minute as Dean Rance went through on goal for Dover and his shot was blocked on the line by Morgan. The visitors were adamant that he had used his arm but the referee gave a corner and Rance was shown a second yellow card and sent off for his protests.

City could not use the extra man to carve out a final chance as Dover comfortably held on for victory.

BATH CITY: Garner, Jones, Rollo, Burnell, Preece, Harris (Canham 72), Connolly, Keats (Allen 64), Guthrie, Griffin, Low (Morgan h-t). Subs not used: Ball, Norris.

DOVER ATHLETIC: Walker, Sessegnon, Wynter, Rance, Simpemba, Webb, Cogan, Thomson, May (Forster 89), Bricknell (Modeste 78), Smith. Subs not used: Watt, Harrington, Hook.

REFEREE: Adam Crysell (Braintree).

ATTENDANCE: 614.