A probing opening ten minutes saw Dover take the first shot when Brandon Pierrick hit a low tame shot which looked a regulation save for Adam Desbois, only for the Ambers keeper to see the ball bobble late and force an adjustment to push away for a corner. The Ambers escaped when Pierrick created room for himself on the edge of the box & crashed a thunderous shot off the Cheshunt cross bar and away for safety. The forward must have thought he had opened his account for his new club.
Dover had the better of the exchanges & were getting their full backs into play on overlaps far to often for comfort, throwing in crosses that McKenzie, & Da Silva were doing well to read & clear for Maja, Camara & Hobbs to mop up.
The Ambers finally tested Nelson in the home goal, who saved well when Alfie Cue wriggled free to shoot low. Cue should have hit the target when a timed run beyond the defence was spotted and the pass played between defenders, alas the linesman flagged as the pass was fractionally delayed & Cue had gone beyond the last man. Cheshunt had very strong claims for a penalty when Moses wrestled Reece Beckles Richards to the floor just inside the box, the Ambers top scorer did manage to get a shot away, but it lacked power as he was on the deck at the time, referee Lamport waved claims away, deciding Beckles Richards had backed into the solid 6’2” centre half and caused them both to fall over despite the obvious arms around the forward & difference in size…..
0-0 at half time. Cheshunt Manager Craig Edwards sought to pin the Dover full backs in, bringing on Zech Obiero on the left & then Josh Popoola on the right fifteen minutes later. Cheshunt got on the front foot more and the changes paid off when Obiero latched onto an Alfie Cue flick & drove a low shot from a tight angle, keeper Nelson appeared wrong footed & dived over the ball which deflected into the far corner, much to the joy of the noisy travelling support. Nelson berated the right side of his defence, who came in for more questions when Obiero twisted & turned them inside out to slip a pass into Beckles Richards with his back to goal, the striker manoeuvred to get a close range shot away, well blocked, but looping out to the edge of the area where third substitute Fraser Alexander watched the goalkeeper move left and calmly placed a low volley to the right for a second goal.
Dover had chances but snatched at them & skied shots into their support at the back of the stand, both Pierrick and Ajayi with both failing to hit the target. Dover hadn’t lost in six matches & hadn’t conceded in their last four matches, but now their back four looked fragile, as Popoola linked well with Billy Cracknell on the right & Isaac Pitblado fed Obiero on the left, the home defence were stretched & left gaps. Its was no surprise when Cheshunt helped themselves to a third goal when an Obiero cross found Popoola unmarked at the far post with an easy nod into the net. Dover looked for the offside flag , but it never came as keeper & fullback were on the goal line at the near post.
The Ambers saw out the additional time comfortably for a much needed three points to send fans home to Hertfordshire happy.