Dover will continue to search for their first win of the season when they host Solihull Moors in a rescheduled National League fixture tonight.

The game was postponed earlier in the season due to two positive COVID-19 cases in Andy Hessentahler’s squad.

Whites earned their second point of the season last Saturday after the 1-1 draw at Weymouth.

Meanwhile, our opponents have started the season well and they sit just below the playoff spots in eighth place.

They’re currently on a three-game winning streak, having started the season without a win in their first three games with two draws and one loss.

Last time out, Neal Ardley’s side won convincingly at home to Boreham Wood. Having gone two goals up inside the first 28 minutes, The Wood pulled one back with 10 minutes left of the first half. However, Danny Newton’s second of the game early in the second half won it for Solihull Moors.

These teams would only play each other once last season as Whites failed to finish the season. The game at Crabble saw Solihull score a goal in each half through Nathan Cameron and Kyle Hudlin as they defeated Dover with ease.

SOLIHULL MOORS’ PLAYER TO WATCH

Joe Sbarra has already scored seven goals in the first six games this season and has already beaten his total throughout the whole of last season where he scored six goals for Moors.

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.

Andy Hessenthaler’s side will be aiming to bounce back from Tuesday’s disappointing 4-1 loss at Eastleigh when they travel to Weymouth on Saturday.

The game will be shown live on BT Sport at 5.20pm.

Weymouth currently sit 11th in the National League having played six games so far this season.

They have won two, lost three, and drawn one of those games.

Last time out, despite going ahead twice at Dagenham & Redbridge on Tuesday, Weymouth ended up losing 4-2 against the current league leaders, with Josh Leslie-Smith and Bradley Ash scoring the goals for The Terras.

The last time we played Weymouth was in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round in 2019.

Goals from Jai Reason and Anthony Jeffrey were enough for Whites to qualify for the First Round, as they came from a goal down to defeat The Terras.

WEYMOUTH’S PLAYER TO WATCH

Bradley Ash has started the season in fine form for The Terras, with three goals coming in his first six games from the club since joining from Chippenham Town.

TEAM COLOURS

For fans wanting to show the same colours as the players, we will be wearing our home kit.

MATCHDAY INFORMATION

Stadium – Bob Lucas Stadium, Radipole Ln, Weymouth DT4 9XJ

The match kicks off at 5.20pm and ticket prices are as follows:

Adult – £16

Concession (Over 65) – £11

16-19 – £7

Under 16 – £4

Under 7 – 50p

Information on how to buy tickets can be found HERE

COVERAGE

This game will be shown on BT Sport

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

SATURDAY’S NATIONAL LEAGUE FIXTURES

Bromley vs Barnet

FC Halifax Town vs Stockport County

Grimsby Town vs Eastleigh

Notts County vs Maidenhead United

Solihull Moors vs Boreham Wood

Torquay United vs Southend United

Wealdstone vs Aldershot Town

Wrexham vs Dagenham & Redbridge

Yeovil Town vs Chesterfield

Dover will be looking to get their first win on the board when they travel to Eastleigh this evening.

Whites picked up their first point of the campaign last Saturday after the 0-0 draw against high-flying Chesterfield at Crabble.

Despite picking up their first points of the season, Dover remains bottom of the league on -11 and still has a lot of work to do to catch the teams just above them in the table.

Our hosts are one of those sides, having picked up two points in their first four games.

Last time out, they came from behind to draw against fellow early strugglers Barnet. Having gone a goal behind midway through the first half, Ben House equalised for The Spitfires with 20 minutes to go.

This fixture was cancelled last season as Whites were not able to finish the season, however, the game at Crabble was full of excitement as Dover came from behind to win 3-2, with Sam Wood, Louis Collins, and Ade Azeez getting the goals.

A win for Whites this evening would see them remain bottom of the table as they try and continue to eat into the point deduction. They will however close the gap on others around them if results go their way.

Like Dover, the home side are already in need of points to push up the table. A win for The Spitfires could potentially move them up to 13th, however they will need a big sway in goal difference for this to happen.

EASTLEIGH’S PLAYER TO WATCH

Striker Ben House scored nine goals for Eastleigh last season and has already followed this up by scoring twice this season.

TEAM COLOURS

For fans wanting to show the same colours as the players, captain Sam Wood and his teammates will be wearing their all-red kit.

MATCHDAY INFORMATION

Stadium – Silverlake Stadium, Stoneham Lane, Eastleigh, SO50 9HT

The match kicks off at 7.45pm and ticket prices are as follows – please note it is card payment only on the gate

Adult: £15

Concession (60 & over): £10

Student (17-21): £5

Junior (12-16): £2

Under 11:  Free

Information on how to buy tickets can be found here: https://www.eastleighfc.com/tickets/ 

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.

TUESDAY’S NATIONAL LEAGUE FIXTURES

Boreham Wood vs FC Halifax Town

Chesterfield vs Barnet

Dagenham & Redbridge vs Weymouth

Grimsby Town vs Wrexham

Maidenhead United vs Stockport County

Notts County vs Wealdstone

Solihull Moors vs Torquay United

Southend United vs Aldershot Town

We will be looking to get our first points of the National League season when Chesterfield visit Crabble (3pm).

Whites are yet to get off the mark this season, with three defeats coming from their opening three games.

Last Saturday, despite being ahead twice, they were narrowly defeated 3-2 at Altrincham in an entertaining contest which saw Koby Arthur and Aaron Cosgrave get their first goals of the season.

Meanwhile, the visitors, who are expected to be near the top of the table come the end of the season, have had an almost perfect start to the season and sit second in the table after four games.

After winning their first three games without conceding a goal, the Spireites’ winning start came to an end in the 2-2 draw against visiting Bromley last weekend, in a game which saw the Kent side equalise in the 96th minute.

The last time these two sides met was the final game of the 2019-20 season, with all fixtures after this game being cancelled due to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The game finished 1-1 at Crabble, with both goals coming in the last 10 minutes.

Tom Denton put the away side ahead in the 80th minute from the penalty spot, before Whites equalised in the 88th minute through Nassim L’Ghoul.

You can grab your copy of our digital programme by visiting issuu.com/doverathleticfc

Dover will be looking to get their first win and points of the season on Saturday afternoon as they travel to Altrincham.

After starting the season late due to COVID-19, Whites were hit with back-to-back defeats over the Bank Holiday weekend, losing 2-0 away to Maidenhead before a 1-0 home defeat to Boreham Wood through a Jake Goodman own goal.

It means we remain bottom of the league on -12 points.

Meanwhile, our hosts have started the season with a 3-1 win over Torquay and a 2-0 defeat at FC Halifax Town and currently sit in 12th place.

The teams were only able to play each other once last season, with this fixture being cancelled due to the club being unable to complete the season.

In the fixture at Crabble last season, it was the visiting side on the day who sneaked a 1-0 victory thanks to a goal from Fisayo Adarabioyo, with a fine display from Alty’s goalkeeper Tony Thompson keeping his side ahead.

The Robins boss Phil Parkinson has brought in a number of experienced players into his squad over the summer, none more than Dean Furman who has made 58 appearances for his native South Africa, scoring four goals.

He has also got experience of playing in the Football League with Bradford, Oldham, and Doncaster as well as spending time with Scottish Premiership side Rangers.

A-Jay Leitch-Smith and Ben Pringle have both joined on a free transfer from Morecambe. Leitch-Smith has over 240 games worth of experience in the Football League, playing for the likes of Crewe, Yeovil, Port Vale, Shrewsbury, and the aforementioned Morecambe.

The centre-forward also spent a season on loan at Dundee in the Scottish Premiership where he would play a total of 28 games.

Like his former Morecambe teammate, Pringle has also spent most of his career in the Football League. He has most notably played for Rotherham, Fulham, Preston North End, and fellow Kent side Gillingham. He also has further EFL experience with Torquay, Ipswich, Oldham, Grimsby, Tranmere, and Morecambe.

David Fitzpatrick, Joe Bunney, and Marcus Dinanga have also all joined from Football League clubs. Between them, they have played over 250 EFL games.

Finally, Connor Kirby has rejoined the club for a second loan spell, whilst Brad Jackson and Kennedy Digie have joined from Chester and Hereford.

Altrincham’s Player to Watch

Josh Hancock was the host’s top scorer last season and he will be looking to get his first goal of the season on Saturday.

Coverage

To stay up to date with the game, please follow @DAFCLiveText on Twitter to get live text coverage of the game.

Saturday’s National League Fixtures 

Boreham Wood Vs Stockport County

Chesterfield Vs Bromley

Dagenham & Redbridge Vs Wealdstone

Eastleigh Vs King’s Lynn Town

Grimsby Town Vs Barnet

Maidenhead United Vs Torquay United

Notts County Vs Aldershot Town

Solihull Moors Vs Weymouth

Southend United Vs Wrexham

Yeovil Town Vs FC Halifax Town (5.15PM)

After a weeks delay, Dover finally start the National League season with a visit to the oldest continuous football ground in English football as they travel to Maidenhead United.

Whites were due to begin the season at Crabble against Solihull Moors last weekend, however this was postponed after two COVID-19 cases were found within the group, meaning the playing and management team had to self isolate for 10 days.

Meanwhile, our hosts came from behind last Saturday to beat FC Halifax Town 2-1 in their opening game of the season.

Dover are one of five teams yet to play a game this season, however sit bottom of the league on -12 due to the punishment given by the National League after the club were unable to complete last season’s campaign and had to cease all football operations due to financial reasons.

This is one of the reasons why these two teams did not play each other in the National League at all last season.

They were due to play at York Road at the beginning of December however a COVID case meant the game had to be postponed, whilst the game at Crabble was called off due to heavy snowfall. These postponements meant both games were pushed back, however were never played due to the aforementioned reasons.

Magpies boss Alan Devonshire has made six signings during the summer, with the standout name from a Dover point of view being ex-White Will De Havilland who joined Maidenhead after leaving Dover in the summer.

They’ve also signed Emile Acquah and Kane Ferdinand from fellow National League clubs Southend United and Woking, with the latter scoring the winner on his debut for the club in the 89th minute last weekend.

Charlee Adams also joined the Magpies on a free transfer. The centre midfielder is an experienced player in the National League, having previously played for Dagenham & Redbridge and Barnet.

Finally, goalkeeper James Holden joined the club on loan from Reading.

Whites’ visit to York Road will also mean a quick return for Seth Twumasi who will be looking to make his competitive debut for Dover against the side he left in the summer.

Maidenhead’s Player to Watch

Sam Barratt has started the season in fine form with one goal from one game and will be looking to match the 15 goals he scored for our hosts last season.

Coverage

To stay up to date with our opening game of the season, please follow @DAFCLiveText on Twitter to get live text coverage of the game.

Saturday’s National League Fixtures

Boreham Wood Vs Aldershot Town

Chesterfield Vs Wealdstone

Dagenham & Redbridge Vs Bromley

Eastleigh Vs Wrexham

Grimsby Town Vs Weymouth

Notts County Vs Torquay United

Solihull Moors Vs Barnet

Southend United Vs Stockport County (5:20PM)

Woking Vs FC Halifax Town

Yeovil Town Vs King’s Lynn Town

Dover travel to Tonbridge Angels this afternoon in their final pre-season friendly.

Whites come into this game having won six of their seven pre-season friendlies, including a 4-1 victory against a Watford XI last night.

This will be the last time manager Andy Hessenthaler will be able to see his squad in action before the National League season kicks off at Crabble against Solihull Moors on 21st August.

Like Dover, this will also be our hosts final pre-season game, with their season beginning next weekend.

They had wins against Colliers Wood United, Grays Athletic, Lewes and Merstham to start their campaign, however currently sit on a three game winless run having lost to Worthing and Sevenoaks Town as well as being held to a 2-2 draw at Kingstonian.

Please note – There will be no LiveText coverage for this game.

Admission Details

Adult – £5

Senior/Concession – £4

13-17 year old – £3

Under 12 – Free

Tickets for this afternoon’s match can be bought here https://www.tonbridgeangels.co.uk/buy-tickets. Card payments can also be taken on the gate.

Previous Meetings

24th July 2017 – Tonbridge Angels 0 – 2 Dover Athletic

Andy Hessenthaler will welcome his former club Watford to Crabble tonight in Whites final home pre-season fixture.

Our manager spent five years with the Hornets between 1991-1996 and scored 11 goals in just shy of 200 games for the club.

Hessenthaler’s men have had a good pre-season thus far, and tonight’s game will be another good test ahead of the National League season opener against Solihull Moors on August 21st.

Whites will be looking to add to the 15 goals they have already scored in their wins against Ashford United, Deal Town, Folkestone Invicta, K Sports, and Whitstable Town. They have only failed to score in the 2-0 defeat against League Two Stevenage.

Our Watford loanee, goalkeeper Adam Parkes, is also eligible to play against his parent club.

Admission Details 

Free for season ticket holders

Adults – £10

Concessions – £5

Under 11 – Free with paying adult

Upcoming Pre-Season Games

6th August – Dover Athletic VS Watford (7:30pm)

7th August – Tonbridge Angels VS Dover Athletic (3:00pm)

Dover will look to bounce back from their first pre-season defeat when they travel to Whitstable Town this evening.

Whites’ 2-0 defeat to League Two Stevenage on Saturday ended their unbeaten run through their pre-season campaign, having won all four of their previous games.

This evening’s game will be the start of a busy week for Andy Hessenthaler’s men, with their final three pre-season friendlies taking place, including two on consecutive game this weekend.

For our hosts, tonight’s game will be their penultimate friendly before the season, with their trop to Chipstead on Saturday ending their pre-season campaign.

Like Whites, Whitstable have only had one defeat in their pre-season, coming in a 4-2 loss to Canterbury City. This loss was sandwiched in between draws against Deal Town and Margate as well as an intra-squad friendly. They most recently beat Marlow 1-0.

Please note – There will be no LiveText coverage for this game.

Admission Details

Gates will be open from 6pm

All payments at the bar and refreshments are contactless payments only

Upcoming Pre-Season Games 

3rd August – Whitstable Town VS Dover Athletic (7:45pm)

6th August – Dover Athletic VS Watford (7:30pm)

7th August – Tonbridge Angels VS Dover Athletic (3:00pm)