Dover Athletic return to cup action this Saturday as Isthmian Premier Division side Burgess Hill Town visit the Megger Community Stadium in the Second Round of the Isuzu FA Trophy. The Whites head into the tie full of confidence following last weekend’s memorable 2-0 victory over Wealdstone in the Emirates FA Cup, with Jack Bates’ stunning first-half brace securing a place in the Second Round Proper. With Jake Leberl’s side enjoying an impressive run of form, attention now turns to another knockout competition as Dover look to continue their cup success and book their place in the next round of the FA Trophy.

Dover Athletic

Dover Athletic secured their place in the Emirates FA Cup Second Round with a memorable 2-0 victory over National League side Wealdstone, courtesy of two spectacular first-half goals from Jack Bates. In front of 1,913 supporters at Crabble, Jake Leberl’s side produced another impressive cup performance against higher-league opposition. Dover opened the scoring in the 14th minute when a long clearance from Mitch Walker found Sak Hassan. After penalty appeals were waved away, the loose ball fell to Bates, who fired beyond goalkeeper Dante Baptiste from the edge of the area. Hassan nearly doubled the advantage moments later, but Baptiste denied him at the far post. Bates struck again shortly before half-time, finishing a swift counter-attack with a stunning 25-yard effort to put Dover firmly in control. Wealdstone made four changes at the interval and threatened through Fejiri Okenabirhie, who fired narrowly wide before being denied by Walker. Dover also had opportunities to extend their lead, with Corie Andrews, Hassan and Ruben Soares-Junior all going close. The Whites held firm to complete an impressive victory and progress to Monday’s Second Round draw, continuing their remarkable FA Cup journey.

From the Management

“Saturday was absolutely brilliant from start to finish. We had a really good crowd, a fantastic atmosphere and an unbelievable result against Wealdstone. I thought we thoroughly deserved the victory. We scored two outstanding goals through Jack Bates, but we also created some really good opportunities on the counter-attack and could have added to the scoreline. We’ve got a really good group of players here, and I’ve always believed we’d continue to grow stronger as the season progressed. It’s pleasing to see that happening. We’re delighted to be in the Second Round of the FA Cup, but we don’t want our season to be just about that competition. We’ve got important league games coming up and want to keep pushing on.”

Burgess Hill Town

Burgess Hill Town came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw away at Chatham Town in the Isthmian League Premier Division on Saturday afternoon. The visitors made a positive start at the Bauvill Stadium, with Jack Strange, Ben Pope and Charlie Lambert all threatening during an evenly contested opening half. Despite Burgess Hill creating several promising opportunities, Chatham broke the deadlock shortly before the interval through Ben Allen, who converted the hosts’ first effort on target. The Hillians responded immediately after the restart, drawing level in the 47th minute. Yoan Edoukou delivered a dangerous free-kick into the penalty area, where Strange rose highest to power a header into the net. Buoyed by the equaliser, Burgess Hill continued to press forward in search of a winner, enjoying further attacking opportunities as the second half progressed. Chris Whelpdale and Nicky Wheeler were introduced during the closing stages, with Reggie Ward also making a late appearance as the visitors looked to maintain their momentum. However, neither side could find a decisive breakthrough, and the contest finished level. The result saw Burgess Hill claim a point on the road ahead of their FA Trophy Second Round trip to Dover Athletic on Saturday 14 November.

Burgess Hill arrive at Crabble in their second season back at Step Three after an impressive return to the Isthmian Premier Division in 2025/26. Having won promotion through the play-offs a year earlier, the Hillians exceeded expectations by finishing eighth – the highest league position in the club’s history. Gary Mansell’s side have again been competitive this term and currently sit 11th, collecting 22 points from 16 matches with five wins, seven draws and four defeats. Their 26 goals scored and 28 conceded underline a campaign containing plenty of closely fought matches. Recent weeks have been mixed. Heavy defeats against St Albans City and leaders Enfield Town were followed by an improved 1–1 draw at Wingate & Finchley, where Chris Whelpdale scored before a stoppage-time penalty denied Burgess Hill victory. Saturday brought another point on the road, with Jack Strange heading the equaliser in a 1–1 draw at Chatham Town. Their FA Trophy campaign began emphatically with a 6–2 victory over Winslow United before a dramatic first-round tie at Erith Town. Harry Lawson scored twice and Strange added another in a 3–3 draw before the Hillians converted all five penalties to win the shootout 5–4 and secure today’s trip to Crabble.

Last Time

Although Dover and Burgess Hill met in pre-season at Crabble as recently as July, when the Whites recorded a 1–0 victory, their last competitive encounter came almost exactly ten years ago in the FA Cup. The sides met at Leylands Park on 15 October 2016 in the Fourth Qualifying Round, with Chris Kinnear’s Dover side looking to secure a place in the First Round Proper. The Whites made the perfect start when Ricky Miller opened the scoring after nine minutes, collecting Ross Lafayette’s knockdown before driving a low finish beyond goalkeeper Alan Walker-Harris. Dover continued to create the better opportunities and doubled their lead in the 32nd minute. Jim Stevenson released Mitch Pinnock, whose half-volley found the bottom corner. A third arrived shortly before the interval. Miller worked his way along the byline and managed to get an effort towards goal from a tight angle, with Ricky Modeste making certain from close range to give Dover a commanding half-time advantage. Tyrone Marsh was introduced at the break and made an immediate impact, completing a flowing move involving Miller and Modeste to make it 4–0 five minutes into the second half. Miller then grabbed his second in the 58th minute, capitalising on a defensive mix-up to complete the scoring. Burgess Hill continued searching for a consolation, but Mitch Walker denied Pat Harding before producing another excellent save from a long-range effort late on. The 5–0 victory sent Dover into the First Round Proper, where they were subsequently drawn away to Cambridge United. Pinnock was named Dover’s star player on an afternoon watched by 629 supporters.

The Venue

We look forward to welcoming Burgess Hill to the Megger Community Stadium. More information on getting to the ground can be found here: https://doverathletic.com/visit-crabble/

Megger Community Stadium. Crabble Athletic Ground, Lewisham Road, Dover, Kent, CT17 0JB.

Admission  

Admission prices for Saturday’s FA Trophy fixture are as follows:

Adults: £18
U18: £10
U7: FREE with a paying adult

Cup fixture all must pay entry, season tickets are not valid.

We only accept card on the gate and operate a cashless ground.