Whites fall to defeat at Huish Park.

It was a tough ask for Mitch Brundle and his boys as the Whites travelled to high flying Yeovil Town in a bid to get some much needed points on the board, but what they found in front of them was arguably the champions elect.

Dover made a cracking start to the match and were probing the hosts, first with a fine driving run from Anifowose, who was unable to find the killer pass. Then there was a half chance for Zidan, who cut inside his man on the edge of the penalty area and when it looked like he was going to pull the trigger, took an extra touch and the moment had passed.

Billy Terrell was called into action in the early stages but looked to keep Yeovil at bay. In the 21st minute, a freak accident left Peter Ojemen flat on the turf as he spun and fell to the floor, hitting his head and knocking himself unconscious. Peter was taken away in an ambulance and we can say he is fine now. Get well soon, Peter. The 11 minute stoppage seemed to knock the wind out of Dover’s sails as after the restart it was just wave after wave of home attack but the visitors managed to hold out at the interval.

Manager Brundle was pleased with the efforts of his charges but urged them to do more when in possession, which wasn’t very often by the way. Yeovil Town kept the ball beautifully as they bopped it around the park. The Whites chased and harried but eventually, despite Terrell making a number of crucial (and at times breath-taking) saves, the Glovers finally found the net in the 58th minute through Cox after a scramble in the six yard box.

It had been coming for the home side but Dover battled on again, looking to spring a counter attack to get back in the match. This left gaps in our armoury which Yeovil exploited again in the 77th minute through that man Cox again, his second of the day. Paris Lock had looked the most likely to make anything happen for the Whites who ultimately came up against one of if not THE best team in the division. The win gave the Glovers their 13th straight win, a new club record, so getting a result was always going to be tough.

We need to make sure we are at the races against Maidstone, and that we are better than we were today.- Mitch Brundle

The referee signalled an end to a tough match which didn’t go without its problems for Dover. Ojemen will now begin a period on the side lines and James Dunne was booked meaning an upcoming suspension. The defeat at Huish Park will not define our season, in fact the rear guard gave a fantastic account of themselves. What is to come over the next four weeks however, will.

Dover Athletic: Terrell, Oyenuga, Ojemen, Christie, Mensah, Lock, Zidan, Dunne, Young, Anifowose, Dembele

Subs: Baptiste, Powell, Stewart, Naylor, Hatcher

Yeovil Town: Day, Williams, Whittle, Wannell, Worthington, Hyde, Lo-Everton, Cox, Young, Dawes, Smith

Subs: Maguire-Drew, Nouble, Murphy, Bell, Owers

Attendance: 3162

The Whites head to cider country for our next Vanarama National League South clash.

Mitch Brundle takes his side back to where it all began on Saturday when the Whites make the long trip west to table toppers Yeovil Town. A last minute equaliser in our last outing had the lads buzzing so hopefully we can use that energy as we face the high flying Glovers.

We need to start winning games, regardless of who we play against, we need to go there and try and win the game. – Mitch Brundle

Yeovil have been imperious since their drop into the National League South, winning their last 12 matches in all competitions, last tasting defeat on August 28, losing to Havant & Waterlooville, who coincidentally sit bottom of the table with their only win so far this season coming in this game.

Are they beatable?

Well current form would suggest a home win but in this league we have a punchers chance with the Gaffer going down to Huish Park looking to get a result. Speaking to the DAFC media team post Welling United match he said ‘No pressures off, we need to start winning games, regardless of who we play against, we need to go there and try and win the game. There is no pressure off in any game, my job is to go there and try to get a result. I started my youth career there so it’s going to be strange stood in the dugout. I want go there and win. I want my team to perform and be proud when I walk away.’

The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory – Floyd Mayweather Jr

Form Guide:

Pictures courtesy of Flashscore.com

Head to Head:

Ticket Information:

Whites leave it late to snatch a point. – Report written by Fred Deveson

A crowd of 542 experienced a rollercoaster of emotions under the lights last night, from going 0-2 down early on to a last gasp equaliser from Charlie Naylor to grab a vital point in the hunt for survival.

Both sides made a feisty start to the game, with Welling’s game plan being similar to Hampton and Richmond’s, with the in behind threat being ever-present throughout due to Dover’s high line. Billy Terrell was forced into an early one-on-one save, causing a hefty collision just outside the box and forcing the visitors into an early change.

It only took 16 minutes for Dover’s relegation rivals to open the scoring, however, and it was a scrappy goal after some confusion in the penalty area left a Welling player free for a tap-in. The same trend of balls played in over the top continued to prove successful for the away side, with their main creative outlets being Odusanya and Kain Adom, with the latter delivering a fantastic cross for TJ Bramble to haunt The Whites again by making it 0-2 not long after departing the club.

Sinn’Kaye Christie made his Whites debut at the back alongside the eventual hero Charlie Naylor. He had a nervy start to the game but gradually grew into the match as it progressed, using his physical presence to his advantage and keeping Welling at bay for the second half. The pacey threat of the opposition wingers proved to be a real danger for the home side all night and the away team got in behind numerous times during the course of the game.

Mitch Brundle felt that there needed to be a change after going 2 down, and, despite it being the first half, he brought off the youngster Archie Hatcher and replaced him with Zidan Sutherland who was lively and injected some energy and pace into the game. He went on to be a key player in the rest of the game, hitting the bar with a looped effort early in the second half, setting the tone for the rest of the evening.

Whatever the manager said at half time paid off for The Whites, who hit back at Welling early in the second half after a brilliant ball from Anifowose set Paris Lock free, who cooly slotted it past Winterbottom in the Welling net. More substitutions were made by Brundle as Dover sought to control the pace of the game. Johl Powell came on in a bid to add more creativity to the side, and Dontai Stewart replaced Nick Dembele up front to add some fresh legs to exploit a tired Welling.

With the help of the The White Army in the stands, the pressure persisted. Corners came swinging in and shots persisted from all angles, but to no avail. The game looked to be petering out until Sutherland hit the bar from very close in and the home faithful could not bare to look. From then, the visitors looked set to take all 3 points until Dover earned a late corner, and after some confusion it came out to Charlie Naylor, who put all his heart into firing it past the cluster of defenders on the line to send the Dover fans into delirium.

The game was brought to a close by the referee very shortly after and Dover took draw number 8 of the season in their bid to stay in the Vanarama National League South, with a difficult trip to Yeovil Town up next.

Dover Athletic: Terrell, Oyenuga, Christie, Naylor, Sesay, Dunne, Young, Anifowose, Lock, Dembele, Hatcher

Subs: Ojemen, Baptiste, Sutherland, Stewart, Powell

Welling United: Winterbottom, Lema, Green, Curran, Abrahams, Odusanya, Adom, Bramble, Kassarate, Tanga, Byrd

Subs: Sekaja, White, Burchell, Muwonge, Papadopoulos

Latest Striker results for Wednesday 8th November

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 harry.reid@doverathletic.com to register your interest and good luck

We open our brand new sensory room.

Over the last couple of months, I have been working alongside Patrick Verrill, to create a matchday sensory room/quiet space at Crabble. Having a son with autism and also being the Chairman of the Dover, Deal and Shepway National Autistic Society, Patrick was very keen to see if there was something that could be achieved at the club. I myself, have come into the Community Engagement & Inclusion role, with over 10 years experience working in a primary school with a special educational needs provision, so was hugely aware of how this project could benefit so many people, not just children.

We chose Saturday 4th November to be the official opening, with 50 guests, children with autism and their families, being invited to the match against Hampton & Richmond Borough.

It would seem, that whenever I plan to have any type of community event at Crabble, it comes with torrential rain… However, the dreadful weather was not going to stop us from going ahead with our launch and neither did it put off our guests. They had exclusive use of the Hospitality Suite for the day, as well as being able to visit the sensory room prior to the official opening. Whilst in the Hospitality Suite, our guests were visited by the Dover Athletic players, who took the time to come and meet the children and talk to them. I’d like to say a huge thank you to them for adding something extra to the day.

Just after 2pm, saw the official opening of the sensory room. I would like to thank Cllr Kevin Mills for coming to cut the ribbon and open the room. Thanks also needs to go to Kelvin Newell, Kent FA, and to Faye Hackwell, BBC Radio Kent, for travelling down to be part of the day.

With the match given the go ahead, the last thing to do was for the mascot of the group Charlie, to go out with the teams onto the pitch. Having had earlier conversations with both team captains and the officials, they were aware that Charlie would be wearing ear defenders and kindly agreed to also wear them for a photo with the mascot. A massive thank you for supporting both Charlie and our day.

Weather and the result on the pitch aside, Saturday was a huge success, that could only be made possible by the army of people in the background, helping with the smallest of jobs, so thank you to you all. I am pleased to say that the room was used numerous times throughout the match, which goes to show that this is definitely needed.

With the room now official open, this project will continue to grow and evolve, as it will need to be continually adapted to cater for the needs of those using it, which as with everything, comes with a cost. The events that the Community Trust will be running over the next few months will help raise funds for this, however, should anyone or any local businesses wish to donate anything for use in the room, then please do get in contact via email vikki.pawley@doverathletic.com

For anyone wishing to use the room on a matchday, please drop me an email. This also goes for away fans travelling to our ground, you will also be welcome to use our facility.

Vikki – Community Engagement & Inclusion Officer

The Whites fall to a sucker punch from the visitors. – This weeks match report was written by Fred Deveson.

Dover might have lost but even before the game had started, it was all hanging in the balance. Heavy rain poured over Dover, and it was a late call as to whether the game would go ahead or not, but despite the torrential rain, the referee decided that conditions were good enough and play started.

Dover started the game well, securing possession and pinning Hampton and Richmond back in their own half for the first few minutes of the game. Paris Lock started on the right and looked lively, with his blistering pace proving difficult to contain for the away side, who sat in a playoff spot coming into the game. The visitors always had a threat in behind and this did cause Dover some wobbles early on, but Naylor and Ojemen made a solid start to the game in defence and cleaned up nicely, despite the tricky conditions.

As the first half wore on, the game got scrappier, but Dover were still largely on top, rattling the bar mid-way through the first half. Hatcher and Sutherland had a couple of shots saved and blocked by the resolute defence of Hampton and Richmond but that was largely the peak of the action for the first half. A couple of rough challenges flew in and as the away side were coming back into the game more, the Dover defence began to look slightly more nervous with Ojemen picking up a yellow card which meant he had to be much more cautious in the second half. An early substitution for the promotion chasing Londoners brought a new look to their attack and the substitute Donaldson was lively, but nothing more.

The second half kicked off and conditions did not improve. The rain hammered down and the ball was skidding off the surface which made the in-behind threat of Hampton even greater. Dover, like the first half, were solid and were lively. The crowd were seeing encouraging signs and it seemed that soon, Dover may convert one of their chances. Corners flew in and out and Zidan Sutherland looked lively playing off the left and combining with Sesay, but each attack was met by a low and compact block which proved impossible to break down come the final whistle.

Around the hour mark, Mitch Brundle made a change which saw Baptiste come on in a bid to add some more creativity in the hopes of finding a breakthrough, but it was the visitors who drew first blood. A scrappy piece of play in the penalty area ended with a finish off the bar from Jake Gray and The Whites were in all sorts of trouble. The game remained largely lifeless from then on, with substitutes Nikaj and Dembele desperate to make an impact.

It wasn’t until the final minutes of the game that Dover piled on the pressure and sought a breakthrough which on the basis of the rest of the match, they deserved. A simple ball over the top which Dembele chased, led to the Hampton and Richmond goalkeeper missing his clearance completely. The Dover man was pulled back and the defender saw red; a late lifeline for Dover, however the free kick was tame and rolled into the gloves of the grateful Desbois. That was not all, as another ball from the back had Zidan Sutherland in on the left. A slip from a Hampton and Richmond player was controversially given as a free kick as Zidan was alleged to have fouled his man, much to the anger of the home faithful, and the game was brought to a close shortly after by the referee.

Despite the loss and controversial decisions going against The Whites, it was a promising afternoon for Dover who threatened well, but just lacked the cutting edge as the visitors took all three points and move up to third in the league, while Dover sit in the drop zone, with relegation rivals Welling up next.

Dover Athletic: Terrell, Oyenuga, Naylor, Ojemen, Sesay, Dunne, Young, Anifowose, Hatcher, Zidan, Lock

Subs: Baptiste, Nikaj, Dembele, Holness, Powell

Hampton & Richmond Borough: Desbois, Thomas, Inman, Fernandes, Seymour, Gray, Wishart, Deadfield, Hunt, Pitblado, Bloomfield

Subs: Donaldson, Whittingham, Cheadle, Solomon, Kurran-Browne

Attendance: 482

Hampton & Richmond head to town

The Whites look to get back on track when Hampton & Richmond Borough head to the Megger Community Stadium in what looks to be another fascinating clash in the Vanarama National League South.

Borough have been on a scintillating run of form of late, winning five of their last five league matches, including a terrific 4-1 victory over play-off favourites Worthing and a 3-1 victory over Torquay United last time out. Dover will be looking to get back on an even keel following last weeks defeat away to Farnborough Town, and will be looking for that long awaited home win in the league.

The games start to come thick and fast this month so strap yourselves in as we aim to pick up vital points that will help us start climbing the league. Henry Young is back from his suspension but Iffy Allen will begin his, following his dismissal last time out.

Form Guide:

Head to Head: 

We still have players available to sponsor, an updated list will be in Saturdays match day programme. If you are interested click HERE

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)

Latest Striker results for Wednesday 1st November

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 harry.reid@doverathletic.com to register your interest and good luck