Category: First Team News

CLUB STATEMENT

Dover Athletic can confirm that all management, players, and staff have now been furloughed to safeguard the club’s long-term future.

Chairman Jim Parmenter, who has funded the club for the past seven weeks after the initial government grant funding ended in December, said he had been left with no option but to make the decision to prevent the club from becoming insolvent.

“We are operating in unprecedented times. We have to make difficult decisions.

“We wanted to leave the decision that has been made as long as possible before making this final announcement in the hope a support package may appear.

“Unfortunately no support has been forthcoming, so it is with the deepest regret that the club must now furlough all staff and players and reduce operations to a bare minimum.

“All financial reserves have now been completely exhausted.

“For 15 years, I have run the club without debt and I do not intend to change that now.

“The club will be unable to fulfill further National League fixtures until appropriate funding is made available.”

As a result of this decision, our three loan players, Harry Ransom (Millwall), Ryan Hanson (Hull City), and Oliver Webber (Crystal Palace) have all returned to their parent clubs.

HALIFAX GAME POSTPONED

Saturday’s National League game at FC Halifax Town has been postponed following a pitch inspection at The Shay Stadium on Friday morning.

Snow and sub-zero temperatures in West Yorkshire in recent days have left the pitch frozen and unplayable.

We will bring you details for a new date as soon as they are confirmed.

GAME OFF DUE TO SNOW

Our National League fixture against Maidenhead United at Crabble on Tuesday has been postponed due to the weather.

The decision was made on Monday morning after heavy snowfall over the past 24 hours covered the pitch and with the forecast showing no signs of conditions improving, the game was postponed.

A new date for the game will be advised.

HARTLEPOOL GAME OFF

Dover Athletic’s National League fixture against Hartlepool United at Crabble on Saturday has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

A pitch inspection this morning rendered the pitch unplayable and the decision was taken to call the game off.

The two clubs will now arrange a new date for the game.

MATCH PREVIEW: YEOVIL TOWN VS DOVER

Whites are back in action on Saturday as they travel to fellow National League strugglers Yeovil Town.

Andy Hessenthaler’s men will look to continue on from their 3-1 victory against Barnet on Tuesday night.  Will De Havilland scored twice in three minutes to put Dover 2-0 up inside 20 minutes, before a brilliant volley from Ahkeem Rose put Whites three up at the break.

Barnet did get one back midway through the second half, however Whites kept the visitors at bay in wet and muddy conditions as they picked up only their third win of the season to move off the bottom of the National League.

With that win, Whites now sit 22nd in the National League table, however still have games in hand over every team in the league due to COVID-19 postponements.

Meanwhile, our hosts only sit two places above us in the league table having only won four of their 16 games.

A win against Yeovil will see Dover remain in 22nd, however they will close the gap on their opponents and on Weymouth if they fail to beat Notts County.  However a defeat for Whites could see them drop down to bottom of the league if Barnet defeat league current league leaders Torquay.

A win for The Glovers could see them move up one place above King’s Lynn Town, however a Dover victory would see the hosts move into the relegation zone if Weymouth beat Notts County.

Despite this being the first meeting in the league this season, both teams have already played each other in the FA Cup this season.

On that day, The Glovers came away with a penalty shootout victory to move onto the First Round after Dover had twice come from behind to force spot kicks. Yeovil would make it to the Second Round of this year’s tournament before losing 3-2 to fellow National League side Stockport.

Saturday’s game could see former Glover Oscar Gobern return to Huish Park. The midfielder spent the 2017-18 season there, playing 11 league games for the club.

Yeovil’s Player to Watch

Joe Quigley has had a good season for The Glovers so far, having scored five in 14 games. The forward also has experience of playing in the National League, totaling up over 100 games for eight sides before his move to Yeovil.

Coverage

This game will be played behind closed doors, however, you can watch the game for £9.99 on The Glovers streaming service ‘YTFC Live’.

Details on how to buy your match pass can be found here.

We will also have live updates on Twitter – @DAFCLiveText – Follow us and get all the news as it happens.

Saturday’s National League Fixtures

Barnet Vs Torquay United

Boreham Wood Vs Eastleigh

Bromley Vs Aldershot Town (5.20pm)

Dagenham & Redbridge Vs Chesterfield

FC Halifax Town Vs Maidenhead United

Hartlepool United Vs Sutton United

King’s Lynn Town Vs Wrexham

Solihull Moors Vs Wealdstone

Weymouth Vs Notts County

Woking Vs Stockport County

MATCH REPORT: DOVER 3 – 1 BARNET

Whites moved off the bottom of the National League on Tuesday night after a convincing win over relegation rivals Barnet.

In wet and muddy conditions, Andy Hessenthaler’s men were 3-0 up at the break thanks to Will De Havilland’s early double and Ahkeem Rose’s fine volley.

Substitute Michael Petrasso pulled a goal back on the hour mark for The Bees, but the hosts held on for their first win of 2021 as they leapfrogged their hosts in the table.

Both sides had early chances, with ex-White Alfie Pavey seeing his early effort tipped wide by Dover keeper Oliver Webber, before Rose dragged his shot narrowly wide at the other end.

It was the home side who struck first when Ryan Hanson’s floated free-kick was inadvertently flicked into path of the lying-in-wait De Havilland, with the defender making no mistake from close range.

Centre-back De Havilland doubled his tally for the game and the season two minutes later, firing in after Sam Wood’s corner was played into a dangerous area.

Whites then added a third with 10 minutes of the half remaining when Rose gave visiting stopper Scott Loach no chance with an accurate volley from the edge of the penalty area.

Petrasso pulled a goal back for The Bees on the hour mark, bundling the ball in the net after connecting to a cross, however Whites held firm as the conditions worsened, almost adding a fourth on two occasions in the final 10 minutes.

First Rose tried to chip Loach from distance, but the Barnet keeper, already out of the penalty area, was able to head the ball away, before Ade Azeez’s shot was deflected onto the post from Barnet’s number one.

The win moves Whites to within seven points of safety ahead of their next league match, a crunch clash away to Yeovil Town, who sit one place above the relegation zone.

Hessenthaler made four changes to the side that lost against Solihull three days earlier, with Wood, Travis Gregory, Marvel Ekpiteta and Azeez coming in for TJ Bramble, Marshall Wratten, Jack Munns and Bayli Spencer-Adams, with the latter returning to parent club Watford earlier in the week.

MATCH PREVIEW: DOVER VS BARNET

Dover will look to put their defeat to Solihull Moors behind them as they welcome fellow strugglers Barnet to Crabble.

Despite being on top during the early stages of Saturday’s defeat, a goal on the half hour mark turned the tide of the game, with The Moors doubling their lead in the second half.

Following that defeat, Andy Hessenthaler’s men remain bottom of the league, with The Bees sitting one place above them in 22nd.

Both teams have been hit with numerous postponements over the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Dover still having played the least amount of games out of everyone in the league.

It’s not been much better for Barnet with the side from North London only playing 2 more games this season, with only Whites and Solihull Moors playing less so far.

Both sides having matching records in their last five games, losing four and drawing one. A win for Dover will see them leapfrog the visitors and will go two points behind Weymouth if they lose away at Aldershot.

A win for Tim Flowers’ side will see them move level on points with Weymouth, however they will stay behind The Terras on goal difference.

The two teams only played each other once last season, with the game at Crabble being cancelled due to the pandemic.

Whites came away with all three points at The Hive earlier that season, with Inih Effiong scoring the only goal of the game in second half stoppage time.

Since then Effiong left Dover and joined Stevenage in the summer, he would then join The Bees on a one month loan where he scored once in five games for the club. After leaving Barnet, he joined Notts County on loan until the end of the season.

Tuesday evening’s match could also see the return to Crabble for both Jack Connors and Alfie Pavey who are now on the books at The Bees.

Connors joined Whites for the 2018-19 season, but only made 10 league appearances for the club, spending alot of his time out on loan at Hampton & Richmond Borough. He left Whites at the end of that season and joined Dulwich Hamlet at the beginning of last season, before earning a move back to the National League with Barnet this season. He has played five times for The Bees so far this campaign.

Pavey signed for Whites during the 2018-19 season and would go onto score 11 goals in 37 games for the club before leaving for Barnet a year later.

The forward is yet to score in 15 league appearances for the club, however missed most of last season with a broken leg. He joined Dartford on a two-month loan in November, but was recalled early after making four appearances for the fellow Kent side.

Barnet’s Player to Watch

JJ Hooper joined the club at the beginning of the season and is a proven goalscorer in this league, having scored regularly for both Bromley and Wrexham before joining Barnet. The striker also has four goals in 12 games this season.

Coverage

This game will be played behind closed doors, however, you can watch the game for £8 on DAFCtv.

Details on how to buy your match pass can be found here.

We will also have live updates on Twitter – @DAFCLiveText – Follow us and get all the news as it happens.

Tuesday’s National League Fixtures 

Aldershot Town Vs Weymouth

Altrincham Vs Wealdstone

Boreham Wood Vs Chesterfield

Bromley Vs Woking

Eastleigh Vs Dagenham & Redbridge

King’s Lynn Town Vs Stockport County

Solihull Moors Vs Notts County

Torquay United Vs Sutton United

Wrexham Vs FC Halifax Town