[NoSkillz]

Sat. December 17, 2022

Barclays Premier League
Dover (13-1-3, 40 points, 2nd) vs. Wolves (4-2-11, 14 points, 15th)
Crabble Athletic Ground, Dover, UK

Betting Odds: Dover: 1-2 (Favourites) Draw: 13-5 Wolves: 9-2
Past Meetings: 4W 2D 1L

Wolverhampton always give us a tough game and they play an organized, tight, defensive style that's difficult to break down. Last year, we only managed two draws against them and again this year, they are in similar form, sitting above the relegation zone having given up only 24 goals in 17 matches while scoring a measly 18 themselves. They spent some money in the transfer window, splashing £16.25 million on nine players, most notably £6 million on Fulham's 25 year old AML Evgeny Maltsev, who has responded with 3 goals in 20 games and £4.6 million on DC Stewart Jones from Sunderland. They also spent £3 million on striker Guy Luckett from Blackburn and the 23 year old Englishman has responded with 9 goals in 19 games across all competitions to lead the club in scoring.

Rayane Hamon is back in the lineup after serving his one game suspension, otherwise there are no other changes from the Birmingham victory.

Dover: 4-4-2 Control
GK - I. Wilke
D - R. Gaucho, C. Contreras, R. Hamon, S. Loucif
M - A. Bamba, N. Cairney, A. Rocca, G. Bolis
S - S. Andrea, Chiquinho
Bench - D. Traore, K. Zagos, S. Spall, G. Fanfoni, G. Allan, S. Henni, P. Moses

Usually, Wolves play with two DMC's but today they are in a standard 4-4-2. Luckett is up front with Emanuele Testardi and Wayne Hennessey is the goalkeeper. I tell the team to perform well for their supporters and pull aside Gianluca Bolis to tell him I expect a better performance today. He's been highly disappointing lately and Graham Allan is breathing down his neck right now and deserves more playing time.

5' - We have possession and it's Neil Cairney feeding Shanon Andrea. He shows INCREDIBLE SKILL, juking right then moving back to his left to evade a defender and he enters the area, moves the ball to his left foot and shoots past Hennessey and into the middle of the net. My God, Andrea is SUPERB! DOVER GOAL 1-0

9' - It's Cairney again as the architect, sending a wonderful ball up to a charging Arsene Bamba. For some reason, the Wolves defenders back off and take away the pass and that allows our wide midfielder to break in on goal and shoot low into the far corner, past Hennessey and IN. What a start and Wolves already are coming undone! DOVER GOAL 2-0

10' - OH MY GOD! Off the ensuing kick, Neil Cairney tackles a player and the ball comes up to Chiquinho. He passes to the left to Shanon Andrea and he notices the goalkeeper way out at the top of the box so he shoots from 10 yards INSIDE HALF and it's over Hennessey's head and INTO THE NET! HOLY SHIT! It's a David Beckham goal for Andrea and we're up three inside of ten minutes. WOWOWOW. DOVER GOAL 3-0

18' - Luckett takes a pass on the outer edge of our area with his back to goal, turns and shoots but it's right at Wilke. Poor effort from their leading scorer.

22' - Bolis takes a crack and his curling effort is saved in fine fashion by Hennessey. I really thought that one was going in for the snake bitten Bolis.

26' - Wolves have a corner and we clear it out of the box but not out of trouble. They attempt a cross back into the area and it hits Claudio Contreras and deflects all the way across to the far post to a wide open Evgeny Maltsev and their big offseason signing makes no mistake, pounding the ball past Wilke and Wolves are on the board. WOLVES GOAL 3-1

29' - We have possession and it's Cairney again feeding the molten hot Andrea. He turns from outside the area and fires an absolute HOWITZER into the far corner and he has an incredible hat trick! "Andrea has been AN ASSASSIN IN FRONT OF THE GOAL TODAY" says the announcer and it's not hyperbole! DOVER GOAL 4-1

39' - Despite our incredible half, GIanluca Bolis continues to struggle. He makes an ill-advised pass right to a Wolves defender and forces Neil Cairney to take him down. Yellow card for Cairney and our supreme setup man today will miss our next league match, which I believe is against Manchester City. Damn.

45'+1 - Cairney with a blast off a free kick and Hennessey makes the tough stop and his defenders clear it away from danger.

HALFTIME - So much for the low scoring affair! Andrea and Cairney were sensational in that half! We hold 56% of possession and a 12-4 (6-2 on target) shot advantage. I'm pleased.

58' - Goodness! From a horrific angle and on his weaker left foot, Andrea drills a shot at goal and Hennessey makes an acrobatic save to keep him from scoring his fourth.

60' - Another great passing play culminates in Andrea getting a curling shot at goal but Hennessey makes the diving stop.

61' - We're just working on all cylinders right now. Andrea again gets loose but the ball is tackled away by the Wolves defence. However, it's right to a following Chiquinho and he gets two great cracks at goal but the very busy Hennessey makes two fine saves!

62' - Rocca has a corner and it's cleared out to Cairney. He sends the ball back to a retreating Claudio Contreras and the big defender then passes into the middle to Rocca. He sends a trademark curling blast from outside the area past the beleaguered Wolves keeper and we strike for our fifth! BEAUTY! DOVER GOAL 5-1

65' - We work possession again and Rocca delivers a great pass through the defence and into the area and it's ANDREA AGAIN getting it and putting it in the net! But wait…OFFSIDES?!!?! SUPER marginal call, as it was Arsene Bamba who was offsides and Andrea looked fine. No goal.

We take out the EXCELLENT Shanon Andrea and the EXCELLENT Neil Cairney and bring in Said Henni and Gian Marco Fanfoni.

Wolves have moved to a 4-1-4-1 with a DMC.

68' - We suffer a bit of a breakdown as Ashley Butler gets in on goal but Wilke makes the good save. Wilke had time to charge out and get that ball but he hesitated and was fortunate to make the save.

80' - We use our last substitution, taking out Andrea Rocca and bringing in Shaun Spall.

89' - Wolves are down to ten men after Ashley Butler gets hurt on a challenge from Renato Gaucho. We have possession a couple minutes later in their end and it's young Fanfoni again, sending a delightful ball to the out-of-form Gianluca Bolis. He uses his trademark speed to gun into the area and his low blast is at Hennessey but squirts through him and into the net! That's EXACTLY what Bolis needed…an ugly goal! DOVER GOAL 6-1

Awesome performance once again!

Dover 6 - 1 Wolves
Goals - Shanon Andrea 3 (9.6), Arsene Bamba (8.3), Andrea Rocca (8.1), Gianluca Bolis (8.3)
Assists - Neil Cairney 3 (8.9), Claudio Contreras (7.1), Chiquinho (7.9), Gian Marco Fanfoni (6.9)
Man of the Match - Shanon Andrea
Other Dover Notables - Ingo Wilke (7.0), Salim Loucif (7.9), Rayane Hamon (8.1), Renato Gaucho (7.7)
Attendance - 18,406

We are on a SERIOUS roll right now, destroying the teams we need to be destroying and this was no different. 55% possession and a 21-7 (12-3 on target) shot advantage. Sensational stuff.

-- As indicated, the seriously in-form Neil Cairney will miss our huge game against Manchester City due to yellow card accumulation.

-- Chelsea stay four ahead after beating Reading 2-1. Sunderland stun Arsenal at Emirates Stadium 1-0 while United cool off Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 at Old Trafford. Man City also keep pace, beating up on Derby 4-0.


BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE - STANDINGS
(ALL TEAMS HAVE PLAYED 18 GAMES UNLESS NOTED)

1. Chelsea - 47 points
2. Dover - 43 points
3. Manchester United - 42 points
4. Manchester City - 39 points
----------------------------------------------------
5. Arsenal - 36 points
6. Sheffield Wednesday - 35 points
7. Sunderland - 29 points
----------------------------------------------------



Bonus Clause Money IN

-- We receive £250,000 from Middlesbrough, as Thomas Andersen plays in his tenth league game for their club after being transferred out in the summer window. We'll take it!



Dover U18 Team Update

-- The youth team get back on the winning track with a 3-0 win over Eastbourne Boro. Pete Smith scores twice and Ben Patterson notches a single in the victory.




Premier League Team of the Week

-- Once again, we get four players named to this week's team, with Rayane Hamon, Gianluca Bolis, Neil Cairney and Shanon Andrea all getting honoured.



Dover Reserves Team Update

-- Zoltan Bardi scored late as a substitute as we come back from two goals down to defeat Wolves 3-2. Promising winger Lyubomir Kunchev and Wayne Rooney also scored in the contest.



Next Up

-- A huge Boxing Day matchup against Manchester City in Premier League holiday action.