Category: First Team News

FA CUP VIP EXPERIENCE

Tickets are now on sale for our VIP Platinum Suite for our FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie against Yate Town at Crabble this Saturday (3pm).

To see the match from the best seats in the house and to enjoy a very special experience costs £28 per person.

Please note that this price does NOT include entry for non-season ticket holders who do attend, and they will still need to pay entry on the turnstile on the day.

The experience includes:

  • Butler hosted lounge with large TVs and projector showing the game

  • A three-course meal, served at your table

  • Reserved undercover premium padded seating

  • Complimentary tea, coffee & mineral water, plus dedicated paid bar before and after the match

  • Complimentary matchday team sheet

Arrival at the ground should be at 1pm and food will be served at 1.30pm.

There are only 64 spaces available, so all tickets will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis.

The dress code is smart casual.

To buy your passes please email [email protected] or call the office on 01304 822373

We very much look forward to welcoming you to the suite soon.

CHAIRMAN’S UPDATE

Chairman Jim Parmenter has issued a rallying call to the local community to get behind the club, on and off the field.

Mr Parmenter was left dismayed by a section of Whites support which turned on the management team during Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Barnet at Crabble.

Speaking to Radio Kent’s and Kent Non-League Podcast host Matt Gerrard after the game, the Chairman admitted: “I thought it was pretty disgusting. I think the fans should be getting behind the team. What this town and community needs to do is get behind their football club. They know the trials and tribulations we’ve been through, for what I believe were the right reasons. I’ve made sure the club is here for the town. What we need is people to come to games and get behind the team. It’s only with people’s support that we’ll get ourselves out of this.

“Andy is working on a very limited budget, for reasons we all know, and with that budget, we have 24 players, quite a lot of them are young, and 11 were injured today. That’s the sort of thing he’s having to work with. It’s not a question of me backing Andy. If you know the facts, there’s nothing you can say about the manager – he’s doing the best he can with what he’s got available.”

Mr Parmenter renewed his appeal for investment in the club and also revealed the club was keen to attract new volunteers.

He said: “There’s a lot of work here done by a very few people. We need volunteers, we need investment and we need people to take an interest and get behind the club. What we don’t need is people criticizing the manager, the staff, the club, or players on social media or in the stands. It doesn’t do anybody any good. If you want the club here and for it to succeed then you need to get behind it and support it.”

“We’ve been looking for investment for years. Last week we went to Grimsby and they had a crowd of 6,000 and 100 people dining before the game. Our last home game we had 600 and 8 people dining. We’re competing with massive money in this league. There are 13 big, ex-league clubs backed by large crowds or very rich investors. Dover’s been up there competing with them for 16 years on very limited resources, but now we really do need more resources.

“I’m retired now, I’m getting older, the club does need an injection of money and a new modern approach maybe. It’s all well and good talking like that, but if nobody comes in to do it then I have to keep doing it, or the club folds.

“We’ve had no real serious interest at all. It surprised me a little bit but Dover is an unfashionable place, it’s not a London club that overseas investors go for. Dover is a backwater, the football club has been one of the success stories of Dover, for 16 years. Now we are struggling and what we need is the support of the town and the community.

“At the moment it falls on me to keep the club going. I’ve often thought about walking away but family and I have put a lot of time, money, and sweat in here. You’ve seen the developments we’ve made around the ground. We have a league standard ground and to see that fall and close would be a really sad event so we’re going to try to keep it going and see what transpires.”

Despite the appeal for investment, Mr Parmenter remains positive about the club’s on-field prospects, despite Whites finding themselves 17 points from safety after 11 games in Vanarama National League.

He said: “It’s not been a great year, everyone knows our position. We had a great groundswell of support for us throughout the country early on and we thought that might translate into gates but unfortunately, our gates have been quite low, which hasn’t helped.

“It’s only 11 games played, anything can happen, we’re not resigned to anything at all.

“We get a couple of wins together and anything could happen. It’s not over until the fat lady sings, as they say.

“I think we can survive in this division. Obviously, we’ve got to find some wins from somewhere. I’m hopeful we should have five or six players back for Saturday’s FA Cup game. Hopefully, that might be the turning point for us – if we get a win in that it could be the conduit for moving forward.”

CAPTAIN’S REACTION

Alex Hoad talks to captain Sam Wood following the National League defeat against Barnet at Crabble.

MANAGER REACTION

Andy Hessenthaler hopes the start of Dover’s FA Cup campaign could provide the club with a boost at the perfect time.

Whites have endured a torrid start to the Vanarama National League season with no wins and just three points from their 11 games so far.

The Dover boss faced up to questions from BBC Radio Kent’s and Kent Non-League Podcast host Matt Gerrard about his future following Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Barnet at Crabble but has already begun plotting his side’s path into the FA Cup First Round, despite the visit of Southern League Premier Division side Yate Town next Saturday being viewed in some quarters as a potential banana-skin.

Hessenthaler was joined in his office by chairman Jim Parmenter after the final whistle and admitted: “He’s said we’ve got to take stock and go again next Saturday. He’s obviously disappointed like we all are.

“It’s another game we’ve lost by the odd goal and we’ve conceded two poor goals. It just keeps happening. It’s frustrating, but like the chairman said (in my office) we’ve got to come in on Monday and Thursday and try and get through in the FA Cup. A result next week might be just what we need. I’m sure Yate will be rubbing their hands together – it’s a banana skin, but it might be the catalyst to kick us on.”

He added: “I wouldn’t walk away from anything. We’re doing as much as we can. We had nine out injured today. We know what we’ve got in the dressing room. I don’t think we’ve ever been able to pick our strongest team. The chairman knows what we’re dealing with here. We’ve got two players playing for nothing out there, just putting it out there – Yannis Drais and Matt Bentley are non-contract players, fair play to them, they’re not getting a penny.

“I’m hoping to get a few lads back for next week. We’ll come in Monday and Thursday and then pick a team to try and get through to the First Round of the FA Cup.”

Hessenthaler and Nicky Southall were part of the Gillingham side which reached the last-eight in 2000 and he insisted: “It’s massive for the club, the players, and the staff. I know what the FA Cup is all about, I have got to the quarter-finals, but I’ve also gone out to a team like Yate before too, so I have that experience – some of our boys probably haven’t. It’s a big game, we’ve got to get a result, get through and hopefully that might give us a lift.”

The manager reiterated his view that his squad are giving their all, and going the extra mile to try and secure the first win of the campaign.

He claimed: “The boys had a real go, we’ve got players playing out of position – Travis Gregory playing right-back, bless him, I thought he was terrific. Barnet’s front four are a handful. Confidence is low. Winning matches is the only thing that will change that but we’re not going to do that if we keep giving silly goals away.

“After we got the goal back we perhaps should have gone on and got back into the game at 2-2, but the belief isn’t there at the moment because of the situation we’re in. It wasn’t for the lack of trying. We have to try and keep their heads up.

“Of course the boys are low. We just want a little bit of the rub of the green, we’re not getting that. We’re lacking that bit of real experience in the middle of the field, that horrible person in there that can organise a team. Their first goal came from a quick free-kick, we switched off. Someone like me, when I was playing, I’d have been in there standing on the kicker so he couldn’t take it and we could get organised. We are lacking that.”

MATCH REPORT: DOVER 1 – 2 BARNET

By Alex Hoad

Another Aaron Cosgrave rocket was not enough to prevent Dover falling to a third straight home defeat, going down 2-1 to Barnet in Vanarama National League on Saturday.

The on-loan AFC Wimbledon striker added another impressive long-range strike to his showreel to register his 4th goal of the campaign, but it wasn’t enough to prevent an 8th loss in 11 matches.

Whites remain 17 points from safety – thanks in large part to the league-imposed 12 point penalty – despite netting at Crabble for the second time in 4 days having begun the season with no goal in four matches at Crabble.

Barnet began the day second-bottom but made it four games unbeaten under caretaker boss Dean Brennan and climbed to 17th after another improved display.

The Bees thought they were ahead inside 90 seconds when the lively Ephron Mason-Clark fed Daniel Powell down the right and his low cross was slammed home by Mason Bloomfield, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.Koby Arthur saw a shot deflected over the bar from 20-yards soon after, but the deadlock was eventually broken on 10 minutes as Mason-Clark drove towards the byline before sending a deep cross to the back post.

Ben Richards-Everton nodded the ball back into the centre where Bloomfield arched his neck to turn a close range header past the helpless Adam Parkes.

Whites battled back and Arthur drew a flying save from Aston Oxborough, who also turned a low Matt Bentley effort around his near post on 23 minutes.

The all-energy Cosgrave was inches away from a leveler when he flung himself at Sam Wood’s looping set-piece just before the half-hour, only to see his header trickle past the post with Oxborough stranded.

Powell flew down the left and fired a shot past the post before the break while 10 minutes after the interval, Rob Hall showed some superb trickery to create space before seeing a near-post shot blocked by Parkes.

After scoring the opener, Bloomfield turned provider for the crucial second just before the hour, threading a defence-splitting pass for Powell to run through and slot past Parkes.

Dover did halve the deficit five minutes later when the tireless Cosgrave fizzed a rocket just inside the post from well outside the box – reminiscent of his breathtaking strike at Altrincham.

Andy Hessenthaler introduced Ricky Miller and Khale Da Costa in an effort to salvage a point and Da Costa sent a diving header straight at Oxborough from a deep Miller cross with 20 minutes remaining.

Hall saw a shot blocked by Parkes and Bees sub Kian Flanagan could only find the side-netting on the break in the closing stages while Jake Goodman’s glancing header in stoppage-time went straight to the grateful keeper as Dover fell to a sixth one-goal defeat of the season so far.

MATCH PREVIEW: DOVER VS BARNET

Andy Hessenthaler’s injury-hit squad faces another stern test when Barnet visit Crabble on Saturday.

The Bees, the side above Whites on the National League table, are unbeaten in their previous three outings after draws against Kings Lynn Town and FC Halifax Town following a 3-1 win against Weymouth at The Hive.

Tuesday’s defeat against Aldershot at Crabble sees Barnet 16 points ahead of Whites.

Barnet drew 1-1 at Kings Lynn on Tuesday.

Joe Widdowson put Barnet ahead in the fourth minute, turning home Rob Hall’s corner.

But the hosts levelled midway through the first half as Michael Clunan fired home from the edge of the area.

King’s Lynn could have won it after the break but Sam Sargeant saved Gold Omotayo’s penalty, with Ross Barrows missing the rebound.

BARNET’S PLAYER TO WATCH

Midfielder Mitch Brundle needs no introduction to Dover fans. Our former captain got his first goal for Barnet in their 3-1 win against Weymouth two weeks ago..

LAST TIME WE MET 

In our only fixture against the Bees last season, and our final home game before the club’s results were expunged, Whites won only their third game of the campaign.

Will De Havilland’s double inside the first 20 minutes put Hessenthaler’s men 2-0 up before Ahkeem Rose made it three midway through the first half.

Michael Petrasso pulled a goal back on the hour mark, but Whites held on for victory on a cold, wet night at Crabble.

MATCHDAY INFORMATION

Tickets for this game must be bought at the turnstile only. Both cash and card are accepted.

Prices are as follows:

Adults – £18

Over 60 – £15

Under 18 – £9

COVERAGE

If you are unable to make the game, we will have live updates on Twitter – @DAFCLiveText – follow us and get all the news as it happens.

PROGRAMME
Grab your double edition match day programme for just £1 covering the games against Aldershot Town and Barnet HERE
SATURDAY’S NATIONAL LEAGUE FIXTURES
Altrincham vs Maidenhead United
Boreham Wood vs Dagenham & Redbridge
Bromley vs Torquay United
FC Halifax Town vs Weymouth
King’s Lynn Town vs Solihull Moors
Southend United vs Chesterfield
Stockport County vs Aldershot Town
Wealdstone vs Eastleigh
Woking vs Grimsby Town
Yeovil Town vs Notts County

VIDEO: MANAGER REACTION

Manager Andy Hessenthaler speaks to Ryan Clark after Tuesday’s home defeat against Aldershot Town.

MATCH REPORT: DOVER 1 – 2 ALDERSHOT TOWN

Despite scoring for the first time at Crabble this season, Whites continue to look for their first National League win after a home defeat against Aldershot Town.

Tommy Willard gave the away side the lead from a counter attack, before Aaron Cosgrave scored his and Whites’ first goal at Crabble this season to level.

Aldershot retook the lead through Toby Edser in the second half and despite efforts from Dover, they held on to take all three points.

Earlier in the day, Andy Hessenthaler made two changes from the defeat to Grimsby on Saturday, with Cosgrave and Ricky Miller coming in for Matt Bentley and Khale Da Costa.

Cosgrave almost gave Whites the perfect start within the first five minutes, however after getting past an onrushing Mitch Walker, the angle closed on him and the attacker was forced to look for options, which he almost found in Miller who was running into the box, but the pass just missed the foot of Whites’ number nine.

Moments later, Miller did get a sight at goal, but after receiving the ball outside the area, his shot was blocked by the defence.

Chances kept coming for Whites and it was Miller again who would’ve felt like he should’ve done better. Cosgrave did really well to collect a long ball before beating a defender, but after getting it into the box he squared it towards Miller who mistimed his shot with it being easily cleared.

Despite looking good coming forward, Whites needed loanee goalkeeper Adam Parkes to keep the score level when Korie Andrews ran down the right and after beating a couple of defenders fired his shot, but the goalkeeper did well to keep it out.

Cosgrave kept looking to come forward and almost gave Whites the lead, but after running into the box his shot was saved well at the near post by Walker.

These missed chances came back to haunt Dover as against the run of play, the away side went ahead through Willard. After breaking from a Whites corner, the Shots found themselves in a two on one situation with Andrews squaring it into the path of Willard to score into an open net.

First half chances were hard to come by after this, but Whites were almost level with a couple of minutes to go in the half after brilliant work by Koby Arthur who laid it off to Ben Williamson after running past three defenders, Williamson found space for a dangerous cross, however nobody could get onto the end of it as it was cleared.

Cosgrave looked dangerous throughout the whole game, and got his reward early in the second half with his first home league goal of the season. After collecting a long ball just inside the Aldershot half, the attacker found some space between him and the goal before running into it and opening his body up to shoot into the far corner from an acute angle.

Second half substitute Bentley almost completed the turn around with 20 minutes to go, but after picking up the ball and driving towards goal, he could only pull his shot wide of the target.

Edser reinstated the visitors lead with 15 minutes to go, smashing the ball past Parkes from inside the box after good link up play between Aldershot’s forwards.

Whites looked to come forward late on but Walker made easy saves from Cosgrave and TJ Bramble and Danny Collinge as the away side held on.

MATCH PREVIEW: DOVER VS ALDERSHOT TOWN

Andy Hessenthaler will be looking to see his team bounce back from defeat this evening as they welcome Aldershot Town to Crabble.

Whites conceded five in the first half on Saturday as they fell to a 6-0 defeat away to top of the league Grimsby.

This result means that Dover remain bottom of the table on -9, having just picked up three points this season.

Meanwhile, our opponents sit one place above us in 22nd. They have lost three from their last five games and sit 13 points above Whites on four points.

Last time out, heavy rainfall meant that their home game against Wrexham was abandoned in the second half with the Welsh side leading 2-0.

ALDERSHOT’S PLAYER TO WATCH

Despite only picking up one win so far this season, AFC Wimbledon loanee Corie Andrews has been in fine form for The Shots, scoring five goals in his first nine games this season.

MATCHDAY INFORMATION

Tickets for this game must be bought at the turnstile only. Both cash and card are accepted.

Prices are as follows:

Adults – £18

Over 60 – £15

Under 18 – £9

COVERAGE

If you are unable to make the game, we will have live updates on Twitter – @DAFCLiveText – follow us and get all the news as it happens.

PROGRAMME
Grab your double edition match day programme for just £1 covering the games against Aldershot Town and Barnet HERE
TUESDAY’S NATIONAL LEAGUE FIXTURES

Altrincham vs Grimsby Town

Boreham Wood vs Torquay United

Bromley vs Weymouth

FC Halifax Town vs Notts County

King’s Lynn Town vs Barnet

Southend United vs Eastleigh

Wealdstone vs Solihull Moors

Woking vs Dagenham & Redbridge

Wrexham vs Chesterfield

Yeovil Town vs Maidenhead United

HOME DRAW IN FA CUP

Dover Athletic will host Yate Town in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round.

The tie will be played on Saturday 16th October at Crabble at 3pm.

The Southern League Premier Division South side, who are based in Gloucestershire, beat Combined Counties League side Redhill 3-0 last Saturday to advance to this stage