Archives: News
LOOK BACK: NOVEMBER
NOVEMBER saw Dover take maximum points on offer in the Vanarama National League, with four wins and 12 points to take the side one point ahead of Dagenham and into the play off positions.
The other fixtures saw Whites go toe-to-toe for more than 200 minutes of football against League Two side Cambridge United over two Emirates FA Cup games.
Cambridge Utd 1-1 Dover Athletic
On a bitterly cold afternoon at the beginning of November, Dover travelled to League Two side Cambridge United to battle it out for a place in the 2nd Round of the Emirates FA Cup.
Cambridge had the better of the first half and created some great chances, but couldn’t put them away. However, eventually their pressure paid dividends and a shot from Berry was spilt by Dover goalkeeper Walker and Mingoia was on hand to eventually score to see Dover behind at the half time whistle.
Dover came out a different side in the second half, with Dover hitman Ricky Miller receiving more of the ball and Dover began to create serious chances to level the game up.
Both sides knew that the next goal would be crucial and Cambridge almost made certain of the game when Ikpeazu was found through on goal by a Mingoia pass, but with just Walker to beat, the towering Cambridge striker couldn’t direct his shot on target.
Dover grabbed a 82nd minute equaliser when top-scorer Miller smuggled the ball into the goal following a Lafayette cross, sending the ever-singing Dover fans into jubilation.
Cambridge were made to rue their poor finishing as Miller’s goal was enough to force a replay at Crabble.
Highlights:
Solihull Moors 2-3 Dover Athletic
Dover returned to league action the following Saturday away to Solihull Moors, a team that last time out had earned a credible 2-2 draw away to Yeovil Town in the FA Cup.
Affairs began well for Dover, with Miller seeing his shot rattle the crossbar. However, Whites soon found themselves a man down after just 26 minutes when Jack Parkinson slipped over while trying to deal with a pass back and fouled the Solihull forward while getting back on his feet, leaving the referee no choice but to send the Dover man for an early bath.
Moors would then go into half time a goal up a Brown headed home his effort from a corner kick in the 43rd minute. Many would have thought a goal and a man down Dover were a finished side and that Solihull would finish the game off in the second half, but Dover and Miller had other ideas.
The in-form Dover striker levelled things up for Whites eight minutes after the restart by firing the ball hard and low beyond Moor goalkeeper Lewis.
Much to the surprise of the home side, Dover were the team to score the subsequent goal, Miller latching onto a Grimes long ball in the 60th minute before placing his shot for his and Dover’s second.
Miller threatened again after hitting the upright from a free-kick andhe would would cap a fine performance by making it 3-1 with 15 minutes to play.
He took advantage of a loose ball after Lafayette’s effort hit the woodwork and prodded home from close range to complete his third hat-trick of the season and give Dover a two-goal advantage.
Solihull managed to pull back a goal deep into injury time when in the 94th minute but it was too little too late and Dover left with all three points to move up to sixth place.
Highlights
Dover Athletic 2-4 Cambridge Utd
The following Thursday, Dover hosted Cambridge in an evening kick off live on BT Sport in the replay of their 1st Round Emirates FA Cup tie which ended 1-1 12 days prior.
Dover started defender Sam Magri, who had missed the Solihull game having played throughout both of Malta’s two international fixtures against Slovenia and Iceland.
Both sides put on an improved display and Dover had the first chance of the game after 15 minutes, but Miller couldn’t get his shot on target. Ikpeazu had a chance after being one-on-one with Walker but the Dover goalkeeper showed his ability and blocked his shot.
Cambridge then hit the post following an accurate Mingoia cross. Miller had another opportunity to break the deadlock after Thomas played him through but couldn’t beat the Cambridge goalkeeper.
Ross Lafayette then had the half’s best chance; an in-swinging Modeste cross found Lafayette only yards from the goal and unmarked, but the usually clinical striker couldn’t direct his header on target.
It would take until the 70th minute for the game’s first goal to arrive with Miller scoring his 22nd goal in all competitions to give Dover the lead.
Cambridge then hit the Dover crossbar just afterwards and when Roberts had his effort ruled offside by the assistant referee, Whites looked poised to escape with the narrow win.
However, extra time was forced late on in the 91st minute after a shot from a free-kick was spilled and then reached first by Roberts who couldn’t miss.
With Miller having to be substituted with a minor injury before the end of the 90 minutes, extra time then ensued, with both sides facing another 30 minutes and possibly penalties thereafter.
A thunderous shot from Thomas following a corner kick in the 102nd minute of play made it 2-1 to Dover and gave Whites the belief that they could be victorious.
The ball fell to the Dover left-back who struck the ball on the volley with such power and skill that the Cambridge defenders and goalkeeper could barely move before the ball had slammed into the back of the net.
Unfortunately for Dover, Cambridge would equalise for the second time of the night just eight minutes later after captain Legge headed into the net from a cross.
It looked as if the tie would have to be settled by penalties until the 118th minute of extra time when Elito slotted home from an angle to give Cambridge a 2-3 lead.
Dover tried to go more attacking to save the tie but were caught on the counter attack and conceded again two minutes later when substitute Williamson fired Cambridge into the 2nd Round.
It was heartbreak for Dover and their fans, having only been behind a total of 2 minutes out of the 120 played.
Whites can find solace in the fact that they took League Two Cambridge all the way and gave all they had in an exciting game that was broadcasted worldwide.
Highlights:
Dover Athletic 2-0 Guiseley
Dover’s attention turned to the visit of Guiseley in the National League just over 40 hours later.
This game was a special occasion for the Club, fans and local community as it was the official opening of the brand new £1.3 million Family Stand, something that showed the club’s ambitions for the future.
Just over 3000 people came to see the inauguration of the new stand and watch a Dover side try and keep up the pace with the play off pack.
The rain poured down as Dover named five changes from the FA Cup tie and although the first half didn’t prove fruitful Dover’s dominance was there to be seen.
Whites got that crucial goal to lift the spirits of the players and crowd in worsening conditions when a 46th minute Miller run resulted in a shot and confusion as to who got the final touch on the ball’s way in; both Miller and Emmanuel claimed it.
Emmanuel more or less put the game to bed three minutes later when Stevenson saw his shot blocked and Moses was there to slot the ball home.
Dover could have scored more and put in a promising performance in front of a large crowd at Crabble in very wet conditions as the game ended 2-0 to the Whites. Dover remained in 6th, just a point behind Barrow in 5th.
Highlights:
Dover Athletic 3-1 Woking
The following Tuesday saw Woking come to Crabble, off the back of a solid 3-0 victory away to Dover’s local rivals Maidstone United.
With Miller suspended after picking up a fifth yellow card of the season against Guiseley, Lafayette came in to lead the attack.
The team from Surrey crossed ball after ball into the Whites’ area but the Dover defence kept the Cardinals out.
Emmanuel had a chance to score following Lafayette’s free-kick but fired over from 10 yards out.
Lafayette then made it 1-0 in the 20th minute when he headed in following a deep cross from Pinnock from the left touchline.
Arnold saved well from Woking striker Ugwu after he was accidentally played in by a weak backpass from Grimes and the Dover shot-stopper was called into action to palm away a Saravai volley.
It was Dover who would score the next goal, with Emmanuel scoring just a minute into the 2nd half. Sammy Moore had a shot which Lafayette wasn’t able to control and Moses was in the right place at the right time to prod home to make it 2-0 to Dover.
Dover soon found themselves three goals up after Grimes looped in a long ball from a set piece, which Lafayette was able to control and slot in for his second goal on his birthday.
Although Woking then got a goal back 14 minutes after, Dover looked in control for most period of the game and recorded a third straight win in the league. Dover remained in 6th but still within touching distance of the play offs.
Highlights:
Macclesfield A-A Dover Athletic
Fog caused the game to called off in the second half with Dover 1-0 down.
Highlights:
Sutton Utd 0-6 Dover Athletic
Dover travelled to Sutton United in November’s final fixture, hoping to make it four out of four wins in the League this month.
Dover made the perfect start in the seventh minute through Miller, who scored his 20th in the League with a powerful header from a Magri cross.
Sutton then had a man sent off for a deliberate elbow in the 23rd minute which meant the home side faced an uphill battle in the remainder of the game.
Emmanuel put the Whites into a two goal lead after 32 minutes after collecting Lafayette’s flick-on to race clear and finish expertly.
Dover were in rampant mood and Lafayette made it 3-0 just four minutes later after placing his shot through the legs of the Sutton goalkeeper.
Whites would go into half time with an almost unassailable 4-0 lead, with Emmanuel getting his second after he beat the offside trap and Worner in the Sutton goal.
Following the restart, it didn’t take long before Emmanuel had his hat-trick and the skill to beat both defender and goalkeeper before deftly finishing was deserving of a third goal.
With 73 minutes on the clock, Miller completed the rout when he beat the full-back and smashing his shot into the far corner of the goal to grab his second and 21st League goal.
Dover’s 6-0 thrashing of Sutton meant that the Whites overtook Dagenham and claimed 5th place.
Highlights:
December fixtures:
Saturday 3rd December – Dagenham & Redbridge (h)
Saturday 10th December – Dartford (FAT) (a)
Tuesday 13th November – Herne Bay (KSC) (a)
Saturday 17th December – Forest Green Rovers (a)
Monday 26th December – Maidstone (h)
SUTTON UNITED V WHITES
DOVER Athletic will be aiming to secure their first National League double of the season when they head to Sutton United on Tuesday.
Whites won the first encounter this season against the Surrey side 3-1 at Crabble in early October.
A Ricky Miller double and one from Jim Stevenson secured the three points for boss Chris Kinnear??s side that night.
Sutton??s consolation goal came from Kevin Amankwaah.
*BS*SUTTON??S RECENT FORM*BF*
The U??s beat 10-man Aldershot Town 2-0 at Gander Green Lane on Saturday after Jamie Collins?? double.
Those three points will see them start Tuesday??s clash 13th on the National League ladder, seven places and 11 points behind Whites.
In their previous two league games, Sutton suffered defeats on the road at Boreham Wood (1-0) and at North Ferriby United (2-1).
*BS*RECENT MEETINGS*BF*
17/09/13: Sutton United 1-0 Dover Athletic
18/02/14: Dover Athletic 0-1 Sutton United
30/04/14: Dover Athletic 1-1 Sutton United
03/05/14: Sutton United 0-3 Dover Athletic
04/10/16: Dover Athletic 3-1 Sutton United
*BS*HITMEN*BF*
Whites’ top scorer in the league this season is Miller with 19, the best return in the competition.
Miller’s strike partner Ross Lafayette has bagged eight goals.
Jamie Collins is Sutton??s top marksman in with six goals.
*BS*TEAM NEWS*BF*
Assistant boss Jake Leberl says there are no fresh injury concerns following the trip to Macclesfield on Saturday.
Ricky Modeste, who has missed the past three games with a sore hamstring, is to have a fitness test.
New signing Joe Healy is also back in the fold after being unavailable for the trip to Cheshire on Saturday.
Sutton United added to their squad on Monday after signing Brentford striker Herson Alves on a youth loan deal until December 22.
The 19-year-old has scored seven goals in 15 appearances for the Championship club??s B team this season.
Alves has previously spent time in the youth set-up of Portuguese Primeira Liga side Benfica.
*BS*DOVER COLOURS*BF*
For Dover fans wanting to show their colours at Macclesfield by wearing the matching shirts as the players, captain Jamie Grimes and his team-mates will be wearing their blue shirts.
*BS*COVERAGE*BF*
The game starts at 7.45pm but if you are unable to make the trip to Surrey, we will have live updates on Twitter – @DAFCLiveText ?? follow us and get all the news as it happens!
*BS*TUESDAY??S OTHER NATIONAL LEAGUE FIXTURES*BF*
Boreham Wood vs Braintree Town
Chester FC vs North Ferriby United
Dagenham & Redbridge vs Torquay United
Gateshead vs Tranmere Rovers
Lincoln City vs Wrexham
Macclesfield Town vs Barrow
Maidstone United vs Eastleigh
Southport vs Solihull Moors
Woking vs Bromley
York City vs Guiseley AFC
*BS*LOOKING AHEAD*BF*
The Supporters Club is running a coach to Dartford for the FA Trophy clash on December 10.
It leaves Crabble at 12.15pm and the cost is as follows:
Adults Members ¶10, Adult Non Members ¶15 and accompanied child (under 16) ¶5.
Please call or text Andy on 0793 4300335 to book your seat.
FA TROPHY DRAW
THE road to Wembley starts with a trip to National League South side Dartford in the first round on Saturday, December 10.
Kick-off at Princes Park will be 3pm.
Winning clubs will receive 5000 from The FA’s prize fund.
The draw in full:
1 Gateshead v King??s Lynn Town
2 Farsley Celtic or Tamworth v Southport
3 Solihull Moors v Matlock Town or FC Halifax Town
4 Shaw Lane Association v Lincoln City
5 Gainsborough Trinity or Alfreton Town v North Ferriby United
6 Kidderminster Harriers v AFC Telford United
7 FC United Of Manchester or Nuneaton Town v Stocksbridge Park Steels or Stalybridge Celtic
8 Harrogate Town or Salford City v Barrow
9 AFC Fylde v Mickleover Sports or Brackley Town
10 York City v Curzon Ashton or Worcester City
11 Chorley or Stafford Rangers v Guiseley
12 Witton Albion or Boston United v Chester
13 Wrexham v Tranmere Rovers
14 Altrincham or Blyth Spartans v Macclesfield Town
15 Stockport County v Darlington 1883 or Marine
16 Ebbsfleet United v Woking
17 Chelmsford City v Hitchin Town
18 Dagenham & Redbridge v Worthing or Hemel Hempstead Town
19 Harlow Town v Eastleigh
20 Whitehawk or St Albans City v Poole Town or Weymouth
21 Braintree Town v Torquay United
22 Margate or East Thurrock United v Aldershot Town
23 Dulwich Hamlet v Hampton & Richmond Borough or Royston Town
24 Welling United v Hythe Town
25 Maidenhead United or Wealdstone v Wingate & Finchley
26 Dartford v Dover Athletic
27 South Park v North Leigh
28 AFC Sudbury v Gosport Borough
29 Sutton United v Bath City
30 Forest Green Rovers v Truro City
31 Boreham Wood v Maidstone United
32 Bromley v Leiston or Eastbourne Borough
WHITES REACH EUROPE
TWO helium balloons, released amongst hundreds of others on the club’s Family and Diversity Day last Saturday, have been found in Germany.
One was discovered by master painter Udo HÇÏdrich in Bollberg, some 910 km away from Crabble, on Sunday.
Udo sent us a photograph of his ‘find’ as you will see above.
Another balloon was found in Kathrinhagen, 645 km away, from Dover.
The balloons had Dover Athletic Football Club on them, the club badge and web address so we are delighted to see how far they travelled.
If any others have been located, please let us know and you might have found a lucky one.
Among the balloons released there were 10 with vouchers attached.
The balloons will be black with white print, blue with white print and yellow with black print.
If found, those vouchers can be exchanged for a VIP experience, two Premier Club tickets for one person and a guest , to sample the high life at one of Whites home league games this season.
One VIP prize has already been claimed by a local child and his mum, so that leaves nine more out there – keep your eyes peeled!!
If you’re lucky enough to find one with a voucher, just follow the instructions to claim your prize.
The Premier Club day pass normally costs £70.00 plus VAT per person and gets you:
- Premier allocated parking
- Entry
- Premier lounge access
- Food & Drink in the premier lounge
- Matchday Magazine & Team sheet
- Premier viewing position with padded seat for comfort
The balloons were released as part of the celebrations for the official opening of the new £1.3million Family Stand ahead of the National League clash with Guiseley.
Whites won 2-0 to cap off a memorable day for the majority of the 3,018 crowd ?? the travelling Guiseley contingent might not agree.
Dover Athletic chairman Jim Parmenter was thrilled with the result and how the day went.
He said “It was an absolutely fantastic day. We had something for everyone who came along to enjoy the experience.”
”It was a great day all round and hopefully those new supporters who came along will come back and support us again.”
As for his new stand, the chairman added “It’s a terrific testament to the hard work of all the people that were involved in seeing it come from being on a blueprint to what you see today.”
The modern design of the new stand includes 500 seats and will provide the club with Football League standard dressing rooms, referee’s changing rooms and medical room.
It also houses the new location for the control room where our matchday safety operations will be run out of.
There are also be extra toilet facilities and dedicated viewing areas for disabled supporters.
The day also represented the launch of our ONE TOWN, ONE TEAM, ONE DOVER campaign.
PREVIEW:MACCLESFIELD TOWN V WHITES
DOVER will be aiming to secure a third consecutive win on the road in the National League when we head to Cheshire on Saturday to tackle Macclesfield Town at the Moss Rose.
Whites won 3-2 at Solihull Moors on their last away day and 2-0 at Bromley the trip before that.
But the Moss Rose has not been the best of hunting grounds for boss Chris Kinnear and his sides of late.
Whites have not scored in their past two games at the venue and have headed home with just a single point out of a possible six.
Macclesfield were relegated from the fourth tier in 2012 and have not finished higher than sixth as they bid to return to League Two.
Their manager, John Askey, highlighted the importance of home form as his side look to build on a good week on the road.
The Silkmen collected four points from a possible six in their last two games and speaking to mtfc.co.uk, Askey said: ??This is a really important time for us. We??ve got to start making the Moss Rose the place where people don??t want to come.
??If we can get our home form right, then we??re going to be there or there abouts.?
On the return to the Moss, Askey added: ??On the road, we??ve been strong. Our away form is as good as anyone. Of course it will be nice to play at home again, but only if we can get a win.?
*BS*MACCLESFIELD??S RECENT FORM*BF*
The Silkmen drew 1-1 at Gateshead on Tuesday after Danny Rowe??s equaliser cancelled out Danny Johnson??s opener for the Tynesiders.
That point sees them 10th on the National League ladder, four places and six points behind Whites.
In their previous two league games, Macclesfield won 2-1 at Aldershot Town after suffering a 1-0 defeat at home against league leaders Forest Green Rovers.
Before that, they dumped Walsall out of the Emirates FA Cup after a 1-0 win at the League One side.
*BS*RECENT MEETINGS*BF*
13/09/14: Dover Athletic 0-1 Macclesfield Town
18/10/14: Macclesfield Town 1-0 Dover Athletic
17/10/15: Dover Athletic 2-1 Macclesfield Town
12/04/16: Macclesfield Town 0-0 Dover Athletic
*BS*HITMEN*BF*
Whites’ top scorer in the league this season is Miller with 19, the best return in the competition.
Chris Holroyd is Macclesfield??s top marksman in the league with eight goals.
*BS*TEAM NEWS*BF*
Assistant boss Jake Leberl says the only player under an injury cloud continues to be Ricky Modeste.
He has missed the wins over Guiseley and Woking with a sore hamstring.
Leading scorer Miller is available after serving his one-game suspension against Woking.
Meanwhile, Macclesfield have signed York City striker Richard Brodie on loan until January 1.
He has already played against Whites this season when Miller scored the only goal of the game as Dover won 1-0 at York on September 17.
Brodie, who has scored five league goals for York this season, made his Macclesfield debut as a second half sub in the win at Aldershot last Saturday.
*BS*DOVER COLOURS*BF*
For Dover fans wanting to show their colours at Macclesfield by wearing the matching shirts as the players, captain Jamie Grimes and his team-mates will be wearing their yellow shirts.
*BS*COVERAGE*BF*
The game starts at 3pm but if you are unable to make the 528-mile round trip to the Moss Rose, we will have live updates on Twitter – @DAFCLiveText ?? follow us and get all the news as it happens!
Coverage starts from 2.15pm.
*BS* MATCH INFO FOR DOVER FANS*BF*
The Moss Lane Stand visitors section is a seated area (capacity 400).
The John Askey Terrace – uncovered (capacity 1500).
Prices for the 2015/16 season are as follows:
Seating Terrace
Adults ¶19 ¶15
Concessions, Seniors (65+) ¶15 ¶10
Juniors Under 18 / Students ¶5 ¶5
Juniors Under 12 ¶3 ¶3
Keiths Bar is open to home and away supporters at the discretion of the club to enjoy refreshments and pub grub before and after the game.
Doors open at 12.30pm on a Saturday, providing plenty of time to relax in a welcoming atmosphere and catch the early match live on Sky Sports.
Match day programme is ¶3 for 48 pages and is available from a number of locations outside the ground.
*BS*SATURDAY??S OTHER NATIONAL LEAGUE FIXTURES*BF*
Bromley vs York City
Dagenham & Redbridge vs Barrow
Eastleigh vs Chester FC
Guiseley AFC vs Boreham wood
Lincoln City vs Maidstone United
Solihull Moors vs North Ferriby United
Southport vs Braintree Town
Sutton United vs Aldershot Town
Tranmere Rovers vs Torquay United
Woking vs Gateshead
*BS*LOOKING AHEAD*BF*
The Supporters Club is running a coach to Macclesfield Town and it is not too late to get on it.
It leaves Crabble at 7.45am and the cost is as follows:
Adults Members ¶30, Adult Non Members ¶35 and accompanied child (under 16) ¶5.
There is also a coach going to Tuesday??s game at Sutton United, leaving Crabble at 4.30pm and the cost is as follows:
Adults Members ¶15, Adult Non Members ¶20 and accompanied child (under 16) ¶5.
Please call or text Andy on 0793 4300335 to book your seats.
WHITES BEAT WOKING: REACTION
Jake Leberl talks to DAFCtv about Dover’s 3-1 win over Woking at Crabble.
PREVIEW: WHITES VS WOKING
DOVER’S exhausting schedule continues on Tuesday with a third game in six days when Woking coming calling at Crabble (7.45pm).
Whites won both games against the Cards last season, but will start their bid to repeat that without striker Ricky Miller.
Miller will serve a one-match suspension following his fifth yellow card of the season during the 2-0 win against Guiseley at tonight’s venue.
His place is expected to be taken by one-time Woking loanee, Ross Lafayette.
Lafayette was rested for Saturday’s game and was an unused substitute.
WOKING’S RECENT FORM
The Cards won 3-0 at Maidstone on Saturday, their first away win of the season in the league which saw them rise out of the relegation zone.
Fabio Saraiva’s sixth goal of the season gave boss Garry Hill’s side the lead on the half-hour mark before Gozie Ugwu’s double either side of half-time secured the three points.
Their previous two league games saw a 1-1 draw at home against North Ferriby United and 2-1 defeat at Boreham Wood.
In between those games, Woking advanced to the second round of the Emirates FA Cup after a 4-2 win away at Stockport County.
RECENT MEETINGS
25/8/14: Woking 6-1 Dover Athletic
6/4/15: Dover Athletic 2-1 Woking
25/9/15: Dover Athletic 2-0 Woking
5/3/16: Woking 0-1 Dover Athletic
HITMEN
Whites’ top scorer this season is Miller with 21 in all competitions but he will be missing, so Lafayette with six, is Whites leading man in his absence.
Fabio Saraiva is Woking’s top marksman with 10 goals in league and cup games.
*BS*TEAM NEWS*BF*
Assistant boss Jake Leberl says there are no injury concerns with all players fit and available for selection.
*BS*COVERAGE*BF*
The game starts at 7.45pm but if you are unable to make the trip to Crabble, we will have live updates on Twitter – @DAFCLiveText follow us and get all the news as it happens!
Coverage starts from 7pm.
TUESDAY’S OTHER NATIONAL LEAGUE FIXTURES
ALDERSHOT TOWN Vs EASTLEIGH
BARROW Vs GUISELEY AFC
BOREHAM WOOD Vs SUTTON UNITED
BRAINTREE TOWN Vs BROMLEY
CHESTER FC Vs SOUTHPORT
FOREST GREEN ROVERS Vs TRANMERE ROVERS
GATESHEAD Vs MACCLESFIELD TOWN
MAIDSTONE UNITED Vs DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE
TORQUAY UNITED Vs SOLIHULL MOORS
YORK CITY Vs LINCOLN CITY
LOOKING AHEAD
The Supporters Club are running a coach for the league games at Macclesfield Town and Sutton United and details are as follows:
MACCLESFIELD (Saturday, November 26)
Coach leaves Crabble at 7.45am and the cost is as follows:
Adults Members ¶30, Adult Non Members ¶35 and accompanied child (under 16) ¶5.
SUTTON UNITED (Tuesday, November 29)
Coach leaves Crabble at 4.30pm and the cost is as follows:
Adults Members ¶15, Adult Non Members ¶20 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 Tuesday.