The away tie at Concord Rangers has now been moved to April.
Our scheduled Vanarama National South match away at Concord Rangers has now changed from Tuesday 21st February to Tuesday 18th April. All the relevant ticket and travel information will be posted closer to the time.
Ins and outs at Crabble today.
Jake Goodman has had his ban rescinded by the FA following an appeal from his red card during against Worthing. Goodman was sent for an early shower in the incident which resulted in the visitors receiving a penalty in which they scored to make it 3-0. The defender will now be available for the trip to Slough tomorrow and will travel with the squad.
Alfie Pavey and the club have decided to end his contract by mutual consent with the forward leaving Crabble with immediate effect. Pavey had been with us over two spells and we wish him well in the future and thank him for his time with us.
Best of luck, Alfie.
Whites fail to break the deadlock in a much improved performance away from home.
All three new signings were thrust straight into the starting eleven for Mitch Brundle’s side as the gaffer looked to make changes from the previous defeat. In came Jack Paxman, David Boateng and Josh Ajayi, replacing Alfie Pavey, Luke Baptiste and Luke Wanadio but it was the hosts who nearly took the lead in the opening minute when Charlee Hughes flashed wide when it looked easier to score.
Dover’s first real chance of the game came in the 9th minute when Carney delivered a lovely cross into Boateng, who’s first time shot was block away for a corner. Just four minutes later and debutant Paxman looked to have opened his Dover account from a direct free-kick only to see it edge past the post by a whisker, via a nick off the defending wall. It was a bright start from the Whites with lots early possession and plenty of neat passes.
However Hemel nearly took the lead in the 19th minute when a low cross from Elftheriou was sliced behind by Sterling with the subsequent corner being cleared to safety. In the 26th minute Dover really should have scored when Carney’s header came back off the bar from a lovely worked cross by Myles Judd. Dover looked to capitalise on the rebound but the referee blew for a foul on a defender.
Judd was in the mix again when he fired a long range effort on 33 minutes which was easily gathered by King in the Hemel Hempstead goal. With the half ticking to a close, a long ball over the backline by Judd was met by the run of Ajayi but the debutant fired narrowly wide. It was the last action of the half as both teams headed to the changing rooms with no goals to show for their efforts.
Ajayi had looked lively in the first half and should have opened the scoring early in the second after just one minute when he shot straight at the keeper instead of finishing when put through on goal. It was a huge chance for the Whites in a game in which we had controlled.
Noah Carney then broke the offside trap and rounded King in the Hemel goal but the angle was not ideal to shoot. Turning back into traffic, Carney slid the ball into the path of the lively Ajayi who’s shot was blocked by two defenders on the line.
The game had become quite stretched mid way through the half with both sides now playing on the counter. Kaylen Hinds shot low into the bottom corner but Nelson saved smartly to keep the scores at 0-0. Just moments later and it was Lee Martin who was warming the hands of King with a left footed shot.
With four minutes of injury time shown on the board, it was down to someone to try and make the headlines but the two teams couldn’t be split and the game was tied. The Whites had the best of the chances but goals pay the rent and unfortunately it wasn’t to be in terms of paying the landlord.
Dover looked a lot more positive in their play than against Tonbridge but only have a point to show for their efforts. It’s now two games without scoring but the chance to put that right comes in a couple of days at home to Worthing. 0-0 but a clean sheet.
The manager was disappointed not to take the three points but could see the positives from the performance. ‘I wanted to win the match but the team looked alot more hungry and I was pleased after Tuesday night. We could have won the game had Josh scored those chances but that will come. The new lads have barely had time to train with us but already I can see they will fit in well.’
We face Worthing on Tuesday at Crabble. See you there.
COYW.
Dover Athletic: Nelson, Judd, Paxman A, Goodman, Higgs, Martin, Sterling, Carney, Ajayi, Paxman J, Boateng
Subs: Wilkinson, Agbebi, Baptiste, Byford, Oliver
Hemel Hempstead Town: King, Eleftheriou, Williams, Poku, Westbrook, Ajayi, Hill, Young, Hughes, Castiglione, Hinds
Subs: Mukendi, Brown, Roberts, Holness, Kane
Attendance: 515
Brundle bolsters his forward line with latest signing but others set to leave.
With Jack Paxman and David Boateng coming through the door the gaffer had wasted no time in bringing in more reinforcements. Josh Ajayi signs a deal with the Whites from Ramsgate amidst interest from Tottenham Hotspur and League Two Stevenage. It’s a deal which will run till the end of the current campaign with an option to extend into next season.
The 19-year-old, who’s scored 17 league goals for the Rams this season, had been invited back for a second week of training with Tottenham under-23s but despite the interest has decided to stay on the south coast. Ajayi had previously been at Crystal Palace in the under-18’s and then had trials at both QPR and Cardiff before finding his feet with Ramsgate.
Welcome to Crabble, Josh.
Dover are now willing to listen to offers for Alfie Pavey and Luke Wanadio with the pair both being transfer listed, while Chike Kandi will be released by mutual consent.
David Boateng pens a loan move until the end of the current campaign.
David Boateng has joined the Whites on a temporary loan deal which will run until the end of the season. The Eagles man will link up with the squad and could well be in the running to make his debut as early as Saturday against Hemel Hempstead Town.
Playing mainly in the full-back role but with the ability to fill in in midfield, he became a regular for the Crystal Palace Under-18s before moving up to the Development side, with no player appearing more during the U18s’ Professional Development League victory in 2017/18. His importance to Shaun Derry’s Under-23s was demonstrated by starting the last 12 games of the 2020/21 season, as Palace’s managed to seal promotion to the Premier League 2 Division 1 via the play-offs. In 2021/22, David Boateng made 19 appearances for Paddy McCarthy’s U23s, including three appearances in the Papa John’s Trophy.
He made the first-team bench in the Carabao Cup tie against Oxford United in August 2022. In September 2022, on transfer deadline day, he joined Scottish Championship side Queen’s Park on loan until the turn of the new year.
Welcome to Crabble, David.
Dover head north as once again we hit the road, this time to Hemel Hempstead.
The Whites face Hemel Hempstead Town in the Vanarama National South tomorrow, looking to get back to winning ways after tasting defeat in our last outing. With new additions coming straight into the squad, the gaffer will be looking for a much better performance following the 4-0 defeat to Tonbridge Angels.
‘We have a fully fit squad to choose from but be prepared for changes to be made, that’s for certain. We beat them 4-0 earlier in the season so they will have something to prove against us,’ said Brundle in the build up to the game.
Hopefully we can get a good support to get behind the boys as we look to take another three points.
Unfortunately there will be no DAFCLive Text updates but there will be some updates on the official Twitter page @DoverAthletic
Individual matchday prices are as follows:
Adult: £15
Concessions: £10
Under 18s: £5
For anyone wishing to travel to the game, please see the below:
Stadium: Vauxhall Road, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 4HW
Travelling by car
M25 – Leave at junction 21 for M1 North
M1 – Leave at junction 8 for Hemel Hempstead
A41 – Leave at Hemel Hempstead
Nearest Train Station: Hemel Hempstead
The stadium is a 45 min walk from the station or a 6-8 min ride in a taxi.
Mitch Brundle’s thoughts on the Tonbridge defeat.
We were just poor. No sugar coating around it. Man to man, eleven v eleven, their eleven was better than ours. We had a couple of players who really gave it a go whereas I don’t believe the others did. I gave them the treatment at half time, like most managers would and they came out for five minutes and were fantastic but we never really gave ourselves a chance to be in the game. In the first half we were 2-0 down before we had even got a foothold in the game, which is disappointing.
We dictated the play for large portions of the match but we just lacked that bit of penetration or the final threaded ball. We lacked the will and the want to actually run past players. Just really disappointed. I stand on the sides like the fans do and it hurts me because I am watching what they are watching and that team doesn’t represent me and that’s what I am most disappointed about.
Up till now the team have performed to a certain standard and I couldn’t really change the starting eleven. They performed against Ebbsfleet, Taunton and Hungerford, where we were undone by a freak goal from the wind. Last night just proves that deep down I know what is needed with this team and this is why there will be new additions. I have inherited this squad and the squads done well up till now but we haven’t really found that consistency. Myself and the chairman are working as hard as we can, day in day out, to try and out to the squad but when we do eventually add to the team that will mean players will have to go out.
For me it’s now time to stamp my authority on the team and as much as I hate losing, at this stage it has probably done me the world of good as now we can change the philosophy and how we want to play, the personnel I want to play, for three games I couldn’t question the lads hunger and desire.
Looking ahead to Hemel Hempstead Town.
We have a fully fit squad to choose from but be prepared for changes to be made, that’s for certain. We beat them 4-0 earlier in the season so they will have something to prove against us. In football I never like to say it but only poor teams bounce back. I want my team to be consistent throughout the season but at the moment I will be asking them to bounce back. There will be additions and changes to the squad, there will be a change to the team and I hope that we can put on a performance that will be as far away as possible of that from Tuesday night. Their manager has come in and done fantastically well, but we will try and implement our game plan and hopefully our new additions will make sure of that.
Mitch Brundle looks to bolster his squad with midfield options.
Dover are hopeful in securing Jack Paxman on a loan deal until the end of the season, pending FA and National League clearance. Paxman spent almost five seasons in total with Maidstone, playing regularly in the National League for them, amassing more than 150 appearances and becoming their longest-serving player in the process by the time of his departure across Kent to Ebbsfleet United.
Assured, calm and confident on the ball, Paxman is regarded as one of the foremost technical players in the league and earned the Supporters’ Player of the Year award in his first season at Ebbsfleet.
Paxman has scored four goals in 55 appearances for the Fleet and will hopefully be strutting his stuff soon at Crabble. There is a possibility of more incomings over the next couple of days as well as players moving in the other direction as the manager begins to shape his squad.
Match referee deems pitch unplayable
Today’s game has been called off by the match referee who is unhappy with certain parts of the pitch and has deemed it unplayable. Apologies for anyone who has already traveled to the match. We will confirm ASAP when the match will be rearranged.
Havant & Waterlooville are up next for Mitch Brundle’s Dover.
High flying Havant & Waterlooville visit Crabble tomorrow looking to continue in their bid for promotion from the Vanarama National South. Mitch Brundle will step into the home dugout at the Megger Community Stadium for the first time since being given the managers job on a permanent basis and is keen to begin his tenure with a positive result. The gaffer will be in high spirits after recent performances and will be looking for his team to kick on for the remainder of the campaign.
Dover will be looking to avenge a heavy 4 – 2 defeat back in August at the Draper Tools Community Stadium and will hope that their efforts will be rewarded with the right result this time around. The defeat to Ebbsfleet was a sucker punch to the early work put in place by the new boss but Brundle is keen to ensure that the lads get back on track.
‘There was a level of performance in our last home game that I will expect again,’ said the manager. ‘We will need to be on our ‘A’ game. It’s up to me and Mike Sandmann to prepare the team how we want but it is also down to the players to then perform at the levels they have so far which is what we are asking of them.’
We look forward to welcoming you through the gates at Crabble. As Usual it is pay on the gate, cards are accepted.
Let’s go and get those three points, lads.
COYW
