Jamie Grimes is joined by hat-trick hero Ricky Miller and Sam Magri after the 3-2 win at Barrow AFC.
Category: First Team News
STAR STRIKER RICKY MILLER OPENS UP
Ricky Miller was named the National League Player of the Year ahead of the draw with visiting Macclesfield Town on Tuesday.
But the striker, who has 37 league goals to his name ahead of Saturday’s game at Barrow AFC, admitted it was a night of mixed emotions for him.
Miller, who was presented with award by Dover chairman Jim Parmenter said: “It’s amazing to receive this accolade, but it would have been even more enjoyable had we been in the play-off places as we should be.
“Yes, I scored a lot of goals, but that is what I am paid for and not making the play-offs will make it feel like it was all for nothing.”
Despite his obvious disappointment, there have still been plenty of highlights for Miller this season and he revealed his top two.
“The winner at home to Forest Green live on BT Sport was my favourite goal – I’m sure you could tell from my celebration!
“The match against Braintree at Crabble was also really special as I had been to my grandads funeral the day before, so to score four really meant a lot to me.”
Miller’s success this campaign is a stark contrast to the previous one, with a trial of racial abuse and assault hanging over his head when he signed for Dover permanently in June 2015.
He said: “I was hung out to dry by Luton and I lost my home and relationship – I was ready to quit football.”
Justice prevailed six months later as a not guilty verdict was delivered and all charges dropped.
Miller said: “I’m so grateful to the gaffer, Jake, Jim and my team-mates for showing faith in me.
“I was working hard before the trial, but my head was all over the place.
“When I managed to clear my name, my head cleared and my form improved. I was able to score a few goals in the second half of that season.
“But I consider this to be my first proper season where I have been able to concentrate on football and performances.”
Having hit ‘rock bottom’, Miller’s advice for anyone who finds themselves in an similar position is simple.
“Just do it for your loved ones if you can’t do it for yourself. Do it for the people around you. Work hard, keep your head down and remember the sun always rises.”
So what now for the league’s top-scorer?
He said: “I am not 21 anymore, but I still have my own ambitions.
“This was the season to spearhead my career and I want to play as high as I can and have at least five good years at the top.
“Yes, it is a nice feeling to have a lot of other clubs and managers saying nice things about me, but they weren’t interested when I had nothing.
“I have to give a lot of credit to Dover for letting me rebuild my career and I hope I have repaid all the faith to the club and to the fans over the last two years.”
PREVIEW: BARROW AFC V WHITES
Dover are mathematically still in contention to win the fifth and final play-off place ahead of the long trip to Barrow AFC for Saturday’s final game of the regular season.
However, the odds on doing that are stacked against boss Chris Kinnear’s side with fifth-placed Aldershot Town having a three-point cushion and the Hampshire side are also six goals better off than Whites.
It leaves Dover needing to win convincingly at the Furness Building Society Stadium and hope that struggling Braintree Town win at Aldershot.
Kinnear insists his players will fight until the final whistle sounds.
He said: ” We have one game to go and anything can happen – there could well be a twist in the tale because football can be a funny old game at times.
“Who knows if we can do it? We’ll go there, give it a real go and see what happens.”
BARROW’S RECENT FORM
Byron Harrison and Akil Wright scored for the Bluebirds in a 2-0 win at relegation-haunted Braintree last Saturday.
Harrison struck on the half hour mark before Wright fired home five minutes later.
Those three points leave Barrow one point behind Dover.
LAST MEETING
20/08/16 Dover 3-1 Barrow
Striker Ross Lafayette (pictured above in action against Barrow) continued his perfect start at Crabble, scoring in his third consecutive game since arriving from Eastleigh as Dover cruised to victory.
There was no confusion about the second goal when Lafayette scored 11 minutes into the second half after he raced onto Jack Parkinson’s long ball and fired past goalkeeper Joel Dixon.
Sam Magri then headed home a pin point cross from Thomas, his first goal for the club.
Ross Hannah grabbed a consolation from the penalty spot after he was bundled over in the area by goalkeeper Steve Arnold.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
21/11/15 Dover 3-1 Barrow
08/08/15 Barrow 2-1 Dover
HITMEN
Ricky Miller’s penalty in the 2-2 draw with Macclesfield at Crabble on Tuesday night made it 37 goals for league’s top-scorer and Player-of-the-Year.
Lafayette also netted and now has 12 for the season while Moses Emmanuel has 11.
Barrow’s leading marksman is Byron Harrison with 19.
DOVER TEAM NEWS
Assistant manager Jake Leberl confirmed on Thursday evening Tyrone Sterling (hamstring) and Ricky Modeste (leg) are both doubtful ahead of the trip to Cumbria.
DOVER COLOURS
For Dover fans wanting to show their colours at Barrow by wearing the matching shirts as the players, captain Jamie Grimes and his team-mates will be wearing their yellow shirts.
COVERAGE
The game starts at 12:15pm but if you are unable to make the near 750-mile round trip to Barrow, we will have live updates on Twitter – @DAFCLiveText – follow us and get all the news as it happens!
Coverage starts from 11.15am.
SATURDAY’S OTHER NATIONAL LEAGUE FIXTURES
Aldershot Town v Braintree Town
Chester v Boreham Wood
Dagenham & Redbridge v Woking
Eastleigh v Wrexham
Gateshead v Bromley
Guiseley v Solihull Moore
Maidstone United v Tranmere Rovers
Southport v Lincoln City
Torquay United v North Ferriby United
York City v Forest Green Rovers
AWAY TRAVEL
There will be a Supporters Club coach making the trip to Maidstone’s Gallagher Stadium for the final of the Kent Reliance Senior Cup between Dover and Welling on Monday 1st May and it’s not too late to reserve your seat on it.
It leaves Crabble at 1pm and the cost is as follows:
Adults Members £12, Adult Non Members £25 and accompanied child (under 16) £5.
Please call or text Andy on 0793 4300335 to book your seat or see him in the Centre Spot on Saturday.
Please note you are now required to pay for your seat in advance by cash or by cheque or via bank transfer.
Visit http://www.dasc.co.uk/ for all the details.
REACTION: DOVER ATHLETIC 2-2 MACCLESFIELD TOWN
Boss Chris Kinnear has his say after the draw with Macclesfield at Crabble on Tuesday.
CAPTAIN’S REACTION
The raw pain was etched on captain Jamie Grimes’ face as he spoke after the draw with Macclesfield at Crabble on Tuesday.
MILLER WINS TOP AWARD
Striker Ricky Miller has been voted the Vanarama National League Player of the Year for the 2016/17 season.
Miller has scored 36 times in league matches this campaign, including four hat-tricks, and he is currently five short of the all-time fifth tier record.
Votes were cast in mid-April from each Vanarama National League club, with Miller claiming the award by a landslide.
The 28-year-old’s goals have helped steer boss Chris Kinnear’s side in with a chance of securing a play-off spot for a second successive season.
The award will be presented before tonight’s crucial Vanarama National League match where Whites host Macclesfield Town at Crabble.
PREVIEW: WHITES V MACCLESFIELD TOWN
Assistant boss Jake Leberl has issued an impassioned rallying call to Dover fans as his team prepares for what could be their final home game of their National League campaign against Macclesfield Town tonight..
Dover are sixth on the table ahead of the clash with the ninth-placed Cheshire visitors and are currently four points behind fifth-placed Aldershot Town but with a game in hand on the Shots.
It means nothing else but a win will do tonight to keep alive any hopes of Dover have of reaching the play-offs heading into Saturday’s final day of the regular season.
Leberl said: “You cannot under-estimate how much the fans matter at this club. They’re our 12th man and I know that because I’ve played here.
“Saturday’s loss to Torquay was extremely disappointing and frustrating after knowing going into that game how big it was and coming away with nothing – nobody needs telling that, especially the fans.
“We have two games to go and we need two wins – we need the fans to stay behind us. We need to be together, we need to be united because this play-off race has not been won yet.
“Football is a funny old game and anything can happen.”
MACCLESFIELD’S RECENT FORM
The Silkmen were unable to gatecrash Lincoln City’s promotion party on Saturday as the home side came from behind to win 2-1 in front of a crowd of 10,031.
Mitch Hancox stunned the Imps after he gave the visitors the lead in the 23rd minute before Terry Hawridge pounced on an loose ball to level the scores six minutes later.
The winger grabbed his second late on with a curling finish to seal the title and a return to the Football League for Lincoln after a six year absence.
LAST MEETING
10/01/17 Macclesfield 2-1 Dover
Captain Jamie Grimes’ second goal in as many games was not enough to prevent Whites losing at the Moss Rose.
Grimes (pictured above celebrating his goal in January) beat goalkeeper Scott Flinders to James Hurst’s free-kick to head his side infront in the eighth minute.
That’s the way it stayed until Chris Holroyd scored from close range in the 67th minute before the striker claimed his second of the night after raced clear to slot the winner past goalkeeper Steve Arnold seven minutes later.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
12/4/16 Macclesfield 0-0 Dover
17/10/15 Dover 2-1 Macclesfield
18/10/14 Macclesfield 1-0 Dover
HITMEN
Ricky Miller remains the top scorer in the National League with 36 goals.
Moses Emmanuel and Ross Lafayette both have 11.
Macclesfield’s leading marksman is Holroyd with 13.
DOVER TEAM NEWS
Assistant boss Leberl said on Monday evening that there are no injury concerns ahead of the game
COVERAGE
The game starts at 7:45pm but if you are unable to make the trip, we will have live updates on Twitter – @DAFCLiveText – follow us and get all the news as it happens!
Coverage starts from 7pm.
MATCH SPONSOR
Today’s match is being sponsored by EXCLUSIVE HOUSEHOLD STAFF.
MATCH BALL SPONSOR
Today’s match ball is jointly being sponsored by JOHN MARTIN and the CORNWALLIS COMPANY.
All of us at Dover Athletic thank all our sponsors for your support and we hope that you enjoy your time with us this evening.
TUESDAY’S OTHER NATIONAL LEAGUE FIXTURE
Maidstone United v Lincoln City
AWAY TRAVEL
There will be a Supporters Club coach making the trip to Barrow on Saturday 29th April and it’s not too late to reserve your seat on it.
It leaves Crabble at 3am and thanks to a donation from the Supporters club, the cost is as follows:
Adults Members £20, Adult Non Members £35 and accompanied child (under 16) £10.
Please call or text Andy on 0793 4300335 to book your seat or see him in the Centre Spot tonight.
Please note you are now required to pay for your seat in advance by cash or by cheque or via bank transfer.
Visit http://www.dasc.co.uk/ for all the details.
REACTION: DOVER ATHLETIC 1-2 TORQUAY UNITED
Dover boss Chris Kinnear on Saturday’s defeat at Crabble.