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Aveley 2-1 Dover Athletic

A goal at the death denies Dover a point.

Wet and windy conditions at Parkside provided a classic game of two halves with Dover dominating the first and Aveley making the better of the second.

There were late changes to the Dover line up as captain James Dunne pulled up in the warm up and was replaced by Henry Young, with Johnny Oyenuga taking the armband.

Dover created chances in the early stages with a flurry of corners, the first saw Bailey Akehurst’s inswinging corner hit the inside of the far post and one in which defender Jacob Mensah found himself with a ripped shirt inside the penalty area, no foul given.

The next corner was cleared but quickly came back with Zidan Sutherland knocking a through ball on to Nick Dembele who calmly slotted past the keeper and against his former club.

Moments later a great ball by George Nikaj finds Sutherland but his shot is well saved by Jonathan North for a corner.

It was a strong first half from Dover and we deserved the lead and probably should have scored more during our dominant spell. The players had worked hard and had won nearly every battle.

Two minutes into the second half Odelusi was caught in the box by George Nikaj following a corner and soon fired low past David Aziaya from the spot.

It was one way traffic for the rest of the second half as Dover struggled to get out of their own half and soaked up the Aveley onslaught, defending well at times.

The referee signalled for 5 additional minutes at the end of the 90 and after 7 minutes of play Iffy Allen gave a foul away on the right hand side of the pitch. Aveley got their rewards when Ogunrinde finished with a strong header.

A bitter pill to swallow for the Whites who lost a vital point right at the end. We welcome Truro City to Crabble in our next league fixture on Saturday 6 January.

Aveley: North, Ring, Vaz, Odelusi, Jones, Gibbs, Kyei (Ogurinde 86mins), Kelly, Hughes, Krasniqi, Pegrum (Hernandez 68mins). Subs not used: Cochrane, Eze, Brown.

Dover: Aziaya, Oyenuga, Akehurst, Mensah, Holding, Naylor, Young, Wilkinson (Charles-Cook 65mins), Nikaj, Sutherland (Allen 76mins), Dembele (Baptiste 82mins). Subs not used: Hatcher, Powell.

Referee: Adrian George.

Attendance: 568.

We’re Hiring

We’re hiring a Full Time Administration and Finance Controller.

The Role:
Based at The Megger Community Stadium in Dover.

Working as part of a small but dedicated team, you will be responsible for managing the day-to-day finance and administration functions of the Football Club, Including Payroll, basic accounts, VAT returns, using Sage and Bank reconciliations.

You will be the day-to-day interface with the public and the communication hub for other areas of the Club.

The role is interesting and varied which will include some typing and form preparation.
You will be responsible for managing matchday receipts and cash floats with the relevant reconciliations.

Match day working including approximately five Tuesday evenings per Season and home Saturday Afternoon fixtures plus some Bank holidays will be required when applicable.

The Person:
Dedicated and highly organised you will need to demonstrate your ability to work to tight
deadlines, organise a busy office and accurately produce basic accounts using Sage.

Experience with payroll is a distinct advantage.
You will be a person of the highest integrity and will need to demonstrate previous cash handling experience with references.

You will be computer literate and experienced with the Sage systems as well as online banking.

A good communicator you will need to be the Clubs day-to-day interface with the public as well as Matchday Volunteers and colleagues.
A willingness to learn new skills will be essential.

Experience of a football environment could be an advantage but is not essential.

For a full job description or to apply please email your full CV to:
[email protected]

NO AGENCIES

STRIKER – DID YOU HIT THE NET?

Latest Striker Results for Wednesday 27th December.

Congratulations to all the winners.

More information about our new 200 Club draw will be available soon.

Contact [email protected] to register your interest and good luck

Dover Athletic 2-1 Aveley

Match report by Fred Deveson.

The Christmas spirit was most definitely present at Crabble, as a large crowd watched Dover secure their first win at home in the league this season against a strong Aveley.

The away team started the game on top, having lots of the ball and pressing Dover hard early on in proceedings. The visitors were helped by their incredible away support, who were loud right from the start. They dominated possession, but the hosts were working equally as hard and kept the team from Lakeside at bay with relative ease.

George Nikaj started another game for Dover and made it clear to the crowd why he should be in the starting eleven. He was positive from the start, providing a great outlet for a counter-attack. He had all the flicks and tricks to beat his fullback on numerous occasions, creating chances for himself and teammates.

From minute one, the Dovorian defence was rock solid, and this came from the goalkeeper Aziaya. He was solid in the first half, making a couple of good saves and punching clear from a corner. This was all he really had to do due to the solid back five he had in front of him, who were giving Aveley no space to create anything.

This was until the visitors utilised a lofted ball into the box, which caused chaos amongst the home side’s defence. Aziaya came and failed to claim the ball, and this left Aveley with a seemingly open goal after the ball broke for them around the penalty spot. It would have been 0-1 had it not been for some goal line heroics.

The second half began much like the first, but this time the hosts were on top. Nikaj was involved once again, and he created an opening for himself with some more skills, but it came to nothing. Another chance came for Dover shortly after, which was saved by the Aveley goalkeeper, but there were plenty of signs that The Whites could take all three points.

However, it was the visitors that took the lead. A good sequence of passes opened up the Dover defence and a low cross was converted by Garrett Kelly. The visitors were in front and it was arguably against the run of play.

The hosts made a couple of key substitutions, and it did not take Dover long to reply. A free-kick was won on the left-hand side just outside the box, which George Wilkinson took. It was a low ball right across the face of goal, which was put away by Zidan Sutherland. 1-1, game on.

From then, there only looked to be one winner. The hosts piled on the pressure after the equaliser and Aveley began to look nervous at the back. Dover were putting together some good passes and creating good spaces. Their pressure paid off in the 80th minute, as the ball came to substitute Iffy Allen on the left. He worked himself time and space just outside the box on the left and he bent in a beautiful curling effort which floated past the visiting goalkeeper, who could only watch as the ball sank into the right corner of his goal.

This sent the home fans into delirium. All Dover had to do now was hold on to this crucial lead for another 15 minutes, and the points were theirs. Groans echoed around Crabble at the sight of 5 added minutes, and the players felt the nerves too. Aziayacame out to claim a corner but missed, leaving an open goal, but the away side didn’t convert.

Another corner came in, and the tall number 5 of Aveley headed the ball off the crossbar, and Dover cleared. The referee blew the full-time whistle and the whole ground could breathe once again. Dover had done it. They had beaten play-off chasing Aveley and secured 3 vital points at the bottom, making it 3 unbeaten now for The Whites as they chase survival.

Aveley are Dover’s hosts on Saturday, can they do the double?

Attendance: 726

Dover Athletic: AZIAYA, OYENUGA, AKEHURST, MENSAH, HOLDING, NAYLOR, DUNNE (C), WILKINSON, NIKAJ, SUTHERLAND, DEMBELE

SUBS – YOUNG, CHARLES-COOK, BAPTISTE, HATCHER, ALLEN

Aveley: NORTH, RING, VAZ, ODELUSI, JONES, GIBBS, KYEI, KELLY, HUGHES, KRASNIQI, PEGRUM

SUBS – OGUNRINDE, HERNANDEZ, DAVIS, EZE, BROWN

Merry Christmas from DAFC

Dover Athletic Football Club Chairman Jim Parmenter, the Directors, management, players, and staff would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Most importantly, we thank you, our fans, for your continued support – it is very much appreciated by us all.

We must also say a special thank you to our volunteers, who give their time so willingly, and our sponsors and commercial partners for their ongoing support.

So please enjoy a fantastic Christmas and cherish the time spent with family and friends.

Weymouth 0-0 Dover Athletic

It finished 1-1 at the Bob Lucas Stadium for our 11th draw of the season.

It was a windy afternoon in Weymouth for Jake Leberl’s second game in charge. The conditions provided a scrappy start to proceedings with few chances for either side.

The first came for The Whites as George Nikaj got a good ball across the face of goal. A flurry of free kicks for Weymouth followed around the edge of the box, with David Aziaya making light work of each attempt.

In the 32nd minute Oyenuga had a strong cross-cum-shot tipped over by the Weymouth keeper. The Terras quickly followed this up with a looping cross to score the first goal at the other end. A fine volley from Goodship. The halftime whistle sounded 10 minutes later.

The start of the second half saw Dover pile on the pressure with Nikaj snatching one off a Weymouth defender and shooting inches wide. A few moments later Wilkinson’s shot went out for a corner.

The 59th minute corner, well delivered by Akehurst, resulted in a classic goal mouth scramble with loanee Scott Holding poking it home before the Weymouth defence could clear.

The remaining thirty minutes saw end to end action with chances for both sides and good saves from David Aziaya. The points were shared but it was another resolute performance from Dover.

We’re at home again on Boxing Day as we welcome Aveley to Crabble.

Attendance: 1,001

Weymouth: BENFIELD, HOWE, HAMBLIN, COOK, THOMPSON, BEARWISH (C), GOODSHIP, ROLLINSON, PARSONS, RUTHERFORD, ROWAN

SUBS – CLARKE, O’CONNELL, ROBERTS, TOURAY, BOLTON

Dover Athletic: AZIAYA, OYENUGA, AKEHURST, MENSAH, HOLDING, NAYLOR, DUNNE (C), WILKINSON, NIKAJ, SUTHERLAND, DEMBELE

SUBS – YOUNG, CHARLES-COOK, BAPTISTE, HATCHER, ALLEN

FESTIVE TRIPLE HEADER PREVIEW

It’s a busy Christmas for The Whites as coming up Dover face Weymouth away from home, and then games against Aveley home and away follow in quick succession.

Weymouth, Dover’s hosts for this Saturday, sit just above the relegation zone in 20th spot, having failed to win in their last 3 games. The two sides faced off in the FA trophy earlier in the season in an absolute cracker, with the game ending 4-4 and Weymouth taking the victory via a penalty shootout.

Weymouth then lost in their third round fixture away to Hendon. Their last league victory came against Truro City on the 21st November, which means this game is here for the taking.

Dover are, however, 11 points behind their next opponents and need this win in order to kick start their survival chances once again. Jake Leberl’s side put out an impressive display in their last match at Crabble, getting a respectable draw against a good Bath side, so hopes are high.

Aveley will prove to be a much tougher fixture for Dover, as they sit in a playoff place in their first season in the National League South. The Whites will have to be on top of their game if they’re to get all 3 points in a tough fixture.

Aveley will be visiting Dover first, and the hosts will be encouraged by the poor away form of the Boxing Day visitors, as the away side for that fixture have won just once in their last 5 away games.

Aveley have seen slightly more success at home, but are currently winless in 3 at their home ground, and have failed to take all 3 points in their last 5 league games.

Match preview by Fred Deveson

Weymouth vs Dover Athletic – Saturday 23 December

Adult £16
Concession
(Over 65, Armed Forces, Dorset Carers Card, Students – in full time education PROOF required) £12
Youth ( 13 – 17 ) £6
Junior ( 7 – 12 ) £4
Under 7* 0
Tickets can be pre purchased online here – https://sales.weymouthfootballclub.co.uk/index.php

Dover Athletic vs Aveley – Tuesday 26 December

Ticket Information:

Admission for this match is by turnstile only. We accept both card and cash on the gate.

Adults – £17

Over 60 – £15

Under 18 – £9

Under 11s continue to be free with paying adult

We are also offering a five game ticket. These can only be used by one individual per match and not in groups.

Adult – £75 (£10 saving)
Concession – £65 (£10 saving)

Aveley vs Dover Athletic – Saturday 30 December

Adults – £15
Concessions – £10
11 to 16- £5
U8 – Free

STRIKER – DID YOU HIT THE NET?

Latest Striker Results for Wednesday 20th December.

Congratulations to all the winners and better luck next time if your name wasn’t drawn out. It could well be your time next week.

For anyone who doesn’t know how the Striker Lottery works well let me explain if for you. Each week, so long as you have paid your £1 weekly subscription, your number will be entered into a draw. If your number is drawn, congratulations – you’re a winner! It’s as simple as that. The draw is held every Wednesday. Keep an eye on the website and social media pages for full details. Who knows, your number could scoop the £1,000 top prize.

Please note that only paid-for tickets are entered in the draw. For your convenience, your membership fee can be collected from you, or you can pay at the Club Office or, to save time, you can pay monthly or quarterly by standing order.

Contact [email protected] to register your interest and good luck

Dover Athletic 0-0 Bath City

Match report by Fred Deveson

A wintery Crabble saw Dover and Bath share the points in a goalless affair which could have been won by either side had they been more clinical.

The starting lineup was somewhat different for the hosts, as new signings Holding and Aziaya made their first starts for the club as The Whites shifted to a back five. George Nikaj also earnt himself a start, whilst Iffy Allen and Dontai Stewart missed out.

The visitors started the game on top, having a good share of the ball and having a shot narrowly miss the target. The back 5 of Dover were solid, and they contained the away side well, limiting them to meaningless possession. Scott Holding, the man on loan from Watford, had a great start to the game. He was incredibly composed and made some good tackles to keep The Romans at bay. His distribution from the back also contributed to his good start, as he made some good accurate long balls. Oyenuga also impressed, winning his duels and fighting hard for his team.

There was a newfound energy about the team and this was evident throughout the match. Each player worked hard for each other and never gave up any fight. Their bravery and team spirit did not go unrewarded, as there were plenty of chances for the hosts to get their noses in front. Zidan Sutherland had a good chance in-on goal but his lob attempt was saved.

Another chance came from a corner shortly after, where Naylor crashed his header against the bar. While heading for goal, Naylor clashed heads with a Bath player and there was a stoppage in play so both could receive treatment. The Dover man returned to the pitch and impressively saw out the rest of the match.

Bath did fight back, however, and they almost opened the scoring mid-way through the first half, if not for Jacob Mensah clearing off the line, after the debutant goalkeeper Aziaya was beaten.

It wasn’t long before Dover were on the attack again though. Wilkinson worked a beautiful pass in behind The Romans’ defence and Zidan Sutherland netted a beautiful finish into the top right corner, only to see it ruled out for offside. Close. The promising signs were there.

There were other chances to counterattack during this spell. George Nikaj had a couple of chances to pick the right ball but on both occasions, he couldn’t quite get it to his man. Zidan had a similar opportunity, but the ball sent Nikaj too wide, and the attack fizzled out. The game was there for the taking, if Dover could be clinical enough to take one of these chances.

The away side weren’t without their opportunities too. A free-kick just outside the box whistled beyond the goal and Dover survived. Later on, they also had a chance around the edge of the box, which just went over the bar.

Luke Baptiste came on and replaced Nikaj on the wing and looked promising. He offered more pace and unpredictability in the wide areas and causes problems. The problems for the visitors continued as Dembele chased a long ball behind the defence and looked certain to get there. He was arguably pulleddown to the ground inside the area, but the hosts’ protests were waved away by the referee.

From then on, the game looked increasingly likely to end goalless, and that is exactly how it finished. Dover had chances to take all 3 points, but a clean sheet at home saw them take just one, in a game where a lot of positives can be taken for Mike Sandmann and Jake Leberl.

Weymouth are Dover’s hosts next time out in the National League South.

Dover Athletic: Aziaya, Oyenuga, Akehurst, Mensah, Holding, Naylor, Dunne, Wilkinson (Young 93mins), Nikaj (Baptiste 61mins), Sutherland, Dembele. Subs not used: Powell, Hatcher, Sesay.

Bath City: Buse, Raynes, Greenslade, Dyer, Parselle, Clark (Thorn 79mins), Hayfield, Cooke, Thomas (Smith 65mins), Wilson, Russe. Subs not used: Batten, Frear, Lines.

Referee: Ayrton Hussey.

Attendance: 506.

UP NEXT – BATH CITY

Romans return to Dover for our next home league fixture.

Bath City make their longest National League South journey of the season this Saturday as they make the 400-mile round trip to Crabble in what will be Jake Leberl and Mike Sandmann’s first game together in the dugout.

Bath beat National League outfit Boreham Wood in the third round of the FA Trophy last Saturday with a late goal from Dan Hayfield and sit 7th in the NLS table. The reverse fixture between Bath and Dover back in September finished 2-2 as The Whites drew after being 2-0 up, the goals came from Archie Hatcher and Iffy Allen.

With our game against Truro last Saturday being postponed, Jake and the team have had plenty of time to work on the training ground as we look to turn our season around. New loan keeper David Aziaya is set to make his debut between the sticks with new defender Scott Holding arriving for the month from Watford.

COYW!

Bath City Form Guide: