*BS*Whites FA Cup adventure may have come to an end on Saturday at MK Dons but the team and its 1068 supporters did the club and town proud at Stadium MK.*BF*

Match reporter Camilla Harvey sums up the performance: “It wasn’t to be but Whites produced a magnificent effort against a team 70 places above them in the pyramid and fans should be proud of their team’s determined and gutsy performance.”

*Link1*

*Link2*

*BS*Dover Athletic return to league action on Tuesday night, facing league leaders Bromley at Crabble. Whites will be keen to follow up on their fantastic performance in the FA Cup with all three points in this big Kent derby.*BF*

Saturday was a memorable day for all involved with the club, but one that left players and fans with a feeling of ‘what might have been’.

Creating a number of chances throughout the match, a draw would probably have been a fair result against League One side MK Dons but a solitary strike from Ben Reeves early in the second half sent Whites out of the FA Cup at the second round stage.

A trip to holders Wigan Athletic in the third round would have been the reward for progression on Saturday, which would have offered another fantastic away day for the passionate and vociferous fans that made the trip to Milton Keynes.

Over 1,000 travelled to Stadium MK on Saturday – the biggest away following of any club competing in the FA Cup at the weekend – and this fantastic support spurred the side onto arguably their best performance of the season.

Many positives can be taken from Saturday’s showing, and it is now important that this is translated into performances in the remaining competitions that Whites are involved in.

With an FA Trophy second round match at home to Leamington taking place on Saturday – as well as a quarter final tie in the Kent Senior Cup away at Dartford still to be rescheduled – there remains an overriding feeling within the Dover Athletic squad that this season can be a successful one.

The bread and butter of Skrill South action returns to Crabble on Saturday, with this being Whites’ first home match in the league for nearly two months – ten matches ago, the side drew 0-0 at home to Havant & Waterlooville. Six of the following nine matches were in cup competitions, leaving Whites with three games in hand over the majority of the side above them.

Wins for Havant and Staines at the weekend saw Dover slip to 14th place in the Skrill South, but a congested top-half sees the play-off places only five points away. A busy December period sees five league matches due to be played, three of which come against the current top three in the division – Eastleigh, Ebbsfleet and Tuesday’s match against Bromley.

Mark Goldberg’s side have got off to their usual good start to the season, but even by their standards this has been a great opening four months – four points clear at the top of the table, Bromley are top scorers in the division and have won 12 of their opening 16 matches.

At home, they are yet to drop a point – nine wins from nine games have yielded 31 goals – but away from home, they have at times struggled. Defeats on the road have been suffered against Bishop’s Stortford, Eastleigh and Sutton United, with just eight goals being scored in their seven away matches thus far. Three of these came against newly-promoted Concord Rangers back in September, highlighting a difference in their results at their Hayes Lane ground and away from it.

Goldberg’s side have won their last four matches in the league, conceding only one goal in the process. Dover have won 11 of their last 15 in all competitions, whilst in the Skrill South Chris Kinnear’s side have won four of their last six.

Whites hold the best defensive record in the league this season, conceding just nine goals in their 14 matches. Tuesday’s match will be a tough test for the side, and the defensive frugality shown thus far will need to be continued. Goalkeeper Mitch Walker earned a place in the FA Cup team of the day for his excellent performance on Saturday, and becomes the second player to receive such an accolade in the competition after Chris Kinnear Jr’s place against Corby in the first round.

The side’s last league outing was a comprehensive 4-0 win away at then-managerless Chelmsford City, but Tuesday night’s game is sure to provide one of the toughest tests the side have had to face so far this season.

Confidence should be taken from Dover’s head-to-head record against Bromley in recent times. In the last four seasons, since the side’s return to this level, Whites have won six times and drawn twice. Last season’s league meetings between the two saw two victories for Kinnear’s side – 1-0 at Crabble, courtesy of a wonder-goal from Lloyd Harrington, and 4-1 at Hayes Lane in the final game of the regular season. On that day, goals from Harry Ottaway, Moses Ademola, Daryl McMahon and Billy Bricknell swept Bromley aside.

Ademola excepted, the remaining goalscorers from that match have all now left the club. In addition, despite only seven full months passing, seven further players from the matchday squad have moved on as a summer of many new faces arriving at Crabble was soon to begin.

Bromley boast the division’s top scorer in their ranks. Bradley Goldberg, son of boss Mark, is on-loan from League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge and has found the net ten times in the current campaign. Strike partner Pierre Joseph-Dubois, voted the club’s Player of the Year last season, has seven goals to his name.

Also dangerous for Bromley is Ryan Hall. The midfielder re-joined the club last Friday having previously spent two years at Hayes Lane between 2008 and 2010. Hall made 84 appearances for Southend United, scoring 19 goals, before moving to Leeds United and subsequently being loaned out to Sheffield United.

On his return to his parent club, Leeds United announced that Hall had been suspended pending an investigation into a breach of discipline. Hall was subsequently released from his contract last month, and offered to play for free for Bromley as a way of thanks to Mark Goldberg for previously getting him back into the Football League. Hall’s second debut for the club came in last Saturday’s 3-0 home win against Farnborough.

Dover should have Liam Bellamy available for selection after illness ruled him out of Saturday’s match against MK Dons, and the midfielder will be hoping to win back the starting position he had been impressing in.

A straight choice between Bellamy and Ricky Modeste is likely to be Chris Kinnear’s most pressing selection decision. Modeste, who only started Saturday’s game because of Bellamy’s unavailability, managed an hour against MK Dons but is still not fully fit after his recent injury. If both Modeste and Bellamy are unavailable, either Michael Bakare or on-loan Brian Woodall are likely to get a chance to impress.

*BS*Whites FA Cup adventure may have come to an end on Saturday at MK Dons but the team and its 1068 supporters did the club and town proud at Stadium MK.*BF*

Match reporter Camilla Harvey sums up the performance: “It wasn’t to be but Whites produced a magnificent effort against a team 70 places above them in the pyramid and fans should be proud of their team’s determined and gutsy performance.”

*Link1*

*Link2*

*BS*Dover Athletic return to league action on Tuesday night, facing league leaders Bromley at Crabble. Whites will be keen to follow up on their fantastic performance in the FA Cup with all three points in this big Kent derby.*BF*

Saturday was a memorable day for all involved with the club, but one that left players and fans with a feeling of ‘what might have been’.

Creating a number of chances throughout the match, a draw would probably have been a fair result against League One side MK Dons but a solitary strike from Ben Reeves early in the second half sent Whites out of the FA Cup at the second round stage.

A trip to holders Wigan Athletic in the third round would have been the reward for progression on Saturday, which would have offered another fantastic away day for the passionate and vociferous fans that made the trip to Milton Keynes.

Over 1,000 travelled to Stadium MK on Saturday – the biggest away following of any club competing in the FA Cup at the weekend – and this fantastic support spurred the side onto arguably their best performance of the season.

Many positives can be taken from Saturday’s showing, and it is now important that this is translated into performances in the remaining competitions that Whites are involved in.

With an FA Trophy second round match at home to Leamington taking place on Saturday – as well as a quarter final tie in the Kent Senior Cup away at Dartford still to be rescheduled – there remains an overriding feeling within the Dover Athletic squad that this season can be a successful one.

The bread and butter of Skrill South action returns to Crabble on Saturday, with this being Whites’ first home match in the league for nearly two months – ten matches ago, the side drew 0-0 at home to Havant & Waterlooville. Six of the following nine matches were in cup competitions, leaving Whites with three games in hand over the majority of the side above them.

Wins for Havant and Staines at the weekend saw Dover slip to 14th place in the Skrill South, but a congested top-half sees the play-off places only five points away. A busy December period sees five league matches due to be played, three of which come against the current top three in the division – Eastleigh, Ebbsfleet and Tuesday’s match against Bromley.

Mark Goldberg’s side have got off to their usual good start to the season, but even by their standards this has been a great opening four months – four points clear at the top of the table, Bromley are top scorers in the division and have won 12 of their opening 16 matches.

At home, they are yet to drop a point – nine wins from nine games have yielded 31 goals – but away from home, they have at times struggled. Defeats on the road have been suffered against Bishop’s Stortford, Eastleigh and Sutton United, with just eight goals being scored in their seven away matches thus far. Three of these came against newly-promoted Concord Rangers back in September, highlighting a difference in their results at their Hayes Lane ground and away from it.

Goldberg’s side have won their last four matches in the league, conceding only one goal in the process. Dover have won 11 of their last 15 in all competitions, whilst in the Skrill South Chris Kinnear’s side have won four of their last six.

Whites hold the best defensive record in the league this season, conceding just nine goals in their 14 matches. Tuesday’s match will be a tough test for the side, and the defensive frugality shown thus far will need to be continued. Goalkeeper Mitch Walker earned a place in the FA Cup team of the day for his excellent performance on Saturday, and becomes the second player to receive such an accolade in the competition after Chris Kinnear Jr’s place against Corby in the first round.

The side’s last league outing was a comprehensive 4-0 win away at then-managerless Chelmsford City, but Tuesday night’s game is sure to provide one of the toughest tests the side have had to face so far this season.

Confidence should be taken from Dover’s head-to-head record against Bromley in recent times. In the last four seasons, since the side’s return to this level, Whites have won six times and drawn twice. Last season’s league meetings between the two saw two victories for Kinnear’s side – 1-0 at Crabble, courtesy of a wonder-goal from Lloyd Harrington, and 4-1 at Hayes Lane in the final game of the regular season. On that day, goals from Harry Ottaway, Moses Ademola, Daryl McMahon and Billy Bricknell swept Bromley aside.

Ademola excepted, the remaining goalscorers from that match have all now left the club. In addition, despite only seven full months passing, seven further players from the matchday squad have moved on as a summer of many new faces arriving at Crabble was soon to begin.

Bromley boast the division’s top scorer in their ranks. Bradley Goldberg, son of boss Mark, is on-loan from League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge and has found the net ten times in the current campaign. Strike partner Pierre Joseph-Dubois, voted the club’s Player of the Year last season, has seven goals to his name.

Also dangerous for Bromley is Ryan Hall. The midfielder re-joined the club last Friday having previously spent two years at Hayes Lane between 2008 and 2010. Hall made 84 appearances for Southend United, scoring 19 goals, before moving to Leeds United and subsequently being loaned out to Sheffield United.

On his return to his parent club, Leeds United announced that Hall had been suspended pending an investigation into a breach of discipline. Hall was subsequently released from his contract last month, and offered to play for free for Bromley as a way of thanks to Mark Goldberg for previously getting him back into the Football League. Hall’s second debut for the club came in last Saturday’s 3-0 home win against Farnborough.

Dover should have Liam Bellamy available for selection after illness ruled him out of Saturday’s match against MK Dons, and the midfielder will be hoping to win back the starting position he had been impressing in.

A straight choice between Bellamy and Ricky Modeste is likely to be Chris Kinnear’s most pressing selection decision. Modeste, who only started Saturday’s game because of Bellamy’s unavailability, managed an hour against MK Dons but is still not fully fit after his recent injury. If both Modeste and Bellamy are unavailable, either Michael Bakare or on-loan Brian Woodall are likely to get a chance to impress.

*BS*Whites will take around 1000 supporters to MK Dons on Saturday to cheer on the team in our big FA Cup second round tie. Here is our fans guide for the game:*BF*

Chris Kinnear’s team are preparing for only the second FA Cup 2nd round tie in the club’s history and will need your support away to a club three divisions above them.

Check out our *Link1* which has travel information, parking details and more. Please also read the following information about Stadium MK and what to expect at the game tomorrow:

Stadium MK has a capacity of 32,000. Dover supporters will be located in the North Stand, which is accessible via Gate 3. The turnstiles open at 1.30pm and have an electronic system to scan the barcode on your ticket to gain entry.

If you are buying a ticket at the stadium, away supporters are advised that tickets must be purchased at the dedicated away ticket booth adjacent to the away turnstile (Gate 3) for cash sales only. You cannot pay at the turnstile.

*Lpic1*Stadium MK offers an in-house catering service, with concessions serving hot and cold food and drinks located at several points around the stadium’s open concourse. Hot food purchased outside the stadium will not be admissible.

*BS*Please note:*BF* Flags are not allowed unless you can provide a fire certificate on entry. Flares are strictly prohibited. More information: www.mkdons.com/club/visit-us

*BS*TEAM COLOURS*BF*

Dover Athletic kitman Robin Hastie informed fans last week that the team will be wearing our yellow and green third kit on Saturday. MK Dons play in all white.

*BS*SOCIAL MEDIA & MATCH COVERAGE*BF*

We welcome you to send in your photos on Twitter of your matchday experience on the way to Milton Keynes and at Stadium MK. We will share a selection to give a fans eye view of Saturday’s big game.

Follow live updates throughout the day on Twitter via *Link2* and *Link3*, which will have the usual team news and regular match updates.

See you at Stadium MK for Whites’ FA Cup 2nd round tie!

*BS*Whites will take around 1000 supporters to MK Dons on Saturday to cheer on the team in our big FA Cup second round tie. Here is our fans guide for the game:*BF*

Chris Kinnear’s team are preparing for only the second FA Cup 2nd round tie in the club’s history and will need your support away to a club three divisions above them.

Check out our *Link1* which has travel information, parking details and more. Please also read the following information about Stadium MK and what to expect at the game tomorrow:

Stadium MK has a capacity of 32,000. Dover supporters will be located in the North Stand, which is accessible via Gate 3. The turnstiles open at 1.30pm and have an electronic system to scan the barcode on your ticket to gain entry.

If you are buying a ticket at the stadium, away supporters are advised that tickets must be purchased at the dedicated away ticket booth adjacent to the away turnstile (Gate 3) for cash sales only. You cannot pay at the turnstile.

*Lpic1*Stadium MK offers an in-house catering service, with concessions serving hot and cold food and drinks located at several points around the stadium’s open concourse. Hot food purchased outside the stadium will not be admissible.

*BS*Please note:*BF* Flags are not allowed unless you can provide a fire certificate on entry. Flares are strictly prohibited. More information: www.mkdons.com/club/visit-us

*BS*TEAM COLOURS*BF*

Dover Athletic kitman Robin Hastie informed fans last week that the team will be wearing our yellow and green third kit on Saturday. MK Dons play in all white.

*BS*SOCIAL MEDIA & MATCH COVERAGE*BF*

We welcome you to send in your photos on Twitter of your matchday experience on the way to Milton Keynes and at Stadium MK. We will share a selection to give a fans eye view of Saturday’s big game.

Follow live updates throughout the day on Twitter via *Link2* and *Link3*, which will have the usual team news and regular match updates.

See you at Stadium MK for Whites’ FA Cup 2nd round tie!

*BS*With just one day to go until Dover Athletic’s FA Cup second round match at MK Dons, defender Sean Raggett speaks to Jack O’Sullivan about the clash and the role supporters have to play on Saturday.*BF*

A product of Whites’ Academy, Raggett is one of only a handful of players in the side who experienced the club’s record-breaking FA Cup run in the 2010/11 season. Raggett, then with minimal first-team football experience at any level, did not make any appearances in the competition during that run but has been a key figure in this season’s campaign.

With two goals in the competition so far – the opening goal in the 3-1 victory over AFC Rushden & Diamonds, and the final goal in the 3-0 win over Oxford City – the tall defender has set his sights of emulating the club’s achievements from three seasons ago: “The Cup run means a great deal to me because to be involved, but not play in, the great run to the third round a few years ago makes me even more determined to do well and repeat, or even better, that success now that I am in the team.”

On Tuesday night, Whites defeated East Thurrock 3-1 in the FA Trophy replay and Raggett was full of praise for the opposition: “I think the East Thurrock games were two very tough matches, as we expected them to be. They are a physical side that were always going to make it difficult for us – and that’s exactly what they did.

Playing at home on a bigger and better pitch saw our quality come through, and we got the win we deserved in both games.”

Going into December still competing in the Skrill South, the FA Cup, FA Trophy and Kent Senior Cup is an achievement Raggett feels deserves praise, and the high number of games this brings is something he is not concerned about: “Still being in four competitions shows the strength both mentally and physically of the whole squad.

You can tell the boys go home from training and do their own bits during the week to keep fit, and this is going to help us through this busy month. I believe we are one of the fittest teams in the league. At the end of the day, players prefer playing games to training so having a game every three or four days is great as long as we prepare and recover right.

The gaffer is always drilling this into us, so I don’t think it is a problem.”

Raggett describes Saturday’s match as “the biggest of my career so far”, and is looking forward to testing himself against the quality of opposition he is due to face. MK Dons striker Patrick Bamford, who is the side’s top scorer with thirteen goals, is sure to provide stiff opposition but Raggett is confident of shutting him out: “Personally, I’m going there to keep a clean sheet.

We’ve been very successful in doing that this season. If we can keep a clean sheet then I’m sure we can win the game because our forwards and midfield will have a real go at them and I’m sure we could nick a goal or two. I may even pop up from a corner and put one in, who knows! But certainly my objective for the game – like any other game in any other competition – is to win!

The chance to play big professional teams is a dream for me, because that’s where you want to be as a youngster. I’m looking forward to seeing how I cope with top professionals because that’s the sort of standard I want to at least be playing at in the future.”

Raggett is part of a Dover defence who have the best defensive record in the Skrill South, having conceded just nine goals in 14 games. Away from home in the league, five matches out of eight have been won – conceding just four times in total. The superior record away from home is something that Raggett feels travelling fans have had a big hand in: “A lot of the time, our away form seems to be better than our home form.

I believe the fans play a great part in that – they have been brilliant ever since I joined the club. When we are warming up, all I can usually hear is our fans singing louder and over any home fans at most grounds we go to.

If they show that kind of support at MK Dons, which I know they will, it will give the players a real boost and that can drive us on to get a result.”

*BS*With just one day to go until Dover Athletic’s FA Cup second round match at MK Dons, defender Sean Raggett speaks to Jack O’Sullivan about the clash and the role supporters have to play on Saturday.*BF*

A product of Whites’ Academy, Raggett is one of only a handful of players in the side who experienced the club’s record-breaking FA Cup run in the 2010/11 season. Raggett, then with minimal first-team football experience at any level, did not make any appearances in the competition during that run but has been a key figure in this season’s campaign.

With two goals in the competition so far – the opening goal in the 3-1 victory over AFC Rushden & Diamonds, and the final goal in the 3-0 win over Oxford City – the tall defender has set his sights of emulating the club’s achievements from three seasons ago: “The Cup run means a great deal to me because to be involved, but not play in, the great run to the third round a few years ago makes me even more determined to do well and repeat, or even better, that success now that I am in the team.”

On Tuesday night, Whites defeated East Thurrock 3-1 in the FA Trophy replay and Raggett was full of praise for the opposition: “I think the East Thurrock games were two very tough matches, as we expected them to be. They are a physical side that were always going to make it difficult for us – and that’s exactly what they did.

Playing at home on a bigger and better pitch saw our quality come through, and we got the win we deserved in both games.”

Going into December still competing in the Skrill South, the FA Cup, FA Trophy and Kent Senior Cup is an achievement Raggett feels deserves praise, and the high number of games this brings is something he is not concerned about: “Still being in four competitions shows the strength both mentally and physically of the whole squad.

You can tell the boys go home from training and do their own bits during the week to keep fit, and this is going to help us through this busy month. I believe we are one of the fittest teams in the league. At the end of the day, players prefer playing games to training so having a game every three or four days is great as long as we prepare and recover right.

The gaffer is always drilling this into us, so I don’t think it is a problem.”

Raggett describes Saturday’s match as “the biggest of my career so far”, and is looking forward to testing himself against the quality of opposition he is due to face. MK Dons striker Patrick Bamford, who is the side’s top scorer with thirteen goals, is sure to provide stiff opposition but Raggett is confident of shutting him out: “Personally, I’m going there to keep a clean sheet.

We’ve been very successful in doing that this season. If we can keep a clean sheet then I’m sure we can win the game because our forwards and midfield will have a real go at them and I’m sure we could nick a goal or two. I may even pop up from a corner and put one in, who knows! But certainly my objective for the game – like any other game in any other competition – is to win!

The chance to play big professional teams is a dream for me, because that’s where you want to be as a youngster. I’m looking forward to seeing how I cope with top professionals because that’s the sort of standard I want to at least be playing at in the future.”

Raggett is part of a Dover defence who have the best defensive record in the Skrill South, having conceded just nine goals in 14 games. Away from home in the league, five matches out of eight have been won – conceding just four times in total. The superior record away from home is something that Raggett feels travelling fans have had a big hand in: “A lot of the time, our away form seems to be better than our home form.

I believe the fans play a great part in that – they have been brilliant ever since I joined the club. When we are warming up, all I can usually hear is our fans singing louder and over any home fans at most grounds we go to.

If they show that kind of support at MK Dons, which I know they will, it will give the players a real boost and that can drive us on to get a result.”

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*BS*Dover Athletic striker Nathan Elder speaks to Jack O’Sullivan ahead of the weekend’s FA Cup tie with MK Dons, assuring fans that he believes the side can cause an upset.*BF*

Elder has been instrumental in Whites’ season thus far, not least for his goalscoring record in Cup competitions – in nine knockout matches, the striker has scored seven goals – including three in four FA Cup matches.

Therefore, it’s of no real surprise that the ex-Brentford hitman is likely to be a key part of Whites’ attempts to cause an FA Cup shock at Milton Keynes on Saturday. In addition to his ability to find the net, Elder’s strong physique means he is the ideal target man and some of his hold-up play has been astounding.

Last Saturday’s draw in the FA Trophy away at East Thurrock set up a midweek replay, but Elder feels this has not hindered their planning for the Cup: “Our preparation has been going great. Everything’s coming together really well, and playing on Tuesday night did help.

The manner in which we won, and the confidence going through to the next round gave us, means that we enter the MK Dons match fully ready.”

Elder opened the scoring against the Essex side in the week, continuing his fine run of form in Cup competitions since his arrival from Skrill South rivals Ebbsfleet United six months ago. Despite only having one league goal to his name, Elder’s seven in the FA Cup, FA Trophy and Kent Senior Cup signify his importance to the side in big games – but isn’t an anomaly he can explain: “I’m not sure why I’ve got so many more goals in the Cups than in the league, but hopefully that can continue on Saturday!”

Whites fans will be hoping Elder can indeed continue this streak at Milton Keynes – after all, Whites have won every game in which the striker has scored, and he approaches Saturday full of hope: “This is a big, big game both for the club and for me personally. I really think we can go there and get a result – if we play to our best, we have a chance. There’s no reason we can’t get a draw at least and bring them back to our place. We have nothing to fear.

There have been bigger upsets in the history of the competition, so we may be big underdogs but we’ll give it our best shot. There’s a great mixture of youth and experience in the side, and I’d much rather be in our position going into the match than MK Dons’ – they’re expected to win.”

Elder is realistic in his acceptance that, whilst Whites do have a fighting chance in this round, their FA Cup run is not likely to extend far into January – but holds high hopes for a successful league campaign: “It’s my aim to bring the number of goals I’ve scored in the Cup competitions into our league matches. I’ve been in good form recently and am looking to go out there in every game and keep performing.”

Whilst most non-league players would dream of a trip to Old Trafford or The Emirates in round three, Elder has his sights set lower: “If we were to get through, I’d love to play Brentford, my old side.”

The 28-year-old made 44 appearances for the West London side during an 18 month spell in 2008 and 2009, scoring 10 goals in the process and was part of the Griffin Park squad in their League Two winning season.

Elder has experience of playing professional football against the standard of players he will face again on Saturday, and is relishing the opportunity to prove he still has what it takes.