Dover travel to Surrey on Saturday knowing only a win will do in front of the BT Sport TV cameras if they are to finish the campaign in the National League play-offs.
Athletic currently sit ninth in the standings and it’s not just victory at The Kingfield Stadium Chris Kinnear’s men need in order to end the season in the top seven – Whites also need two of the following:
A Wrexham victory over Fylde, a Torquay win against Ebbsfleet, dropped points for Bromley at Maidenhead or a Boreham Wood failure to beat Guiseley.
And Dover’s hosts need maximum points for different reasons.
The Cards occupy the final relegation berth going into the match and though they are one point behind 20th placed Barrow, Woking’s inferior goal difference means a win is their only realistic chance of survival.
WOKING’S RECENT FORM
21/04/18: GUISELEY 1-2 WOKING
Substitute Richard Orlu scored with his first touch to hand the visiting Cards a lifeline in their battle to avoid the drop.
The defender, thrown on as an emergency striker just moments earlier, headed home just five minutes from time.
Away side Woking had taken a first half lead through Charlie Carter clever finish, only for Guiseley’s Dayle Southwell to drill in after the break for the hosts.
Carter’s later effort was narrowly off target, but Orlu struck late on to set up a tense final day finale.
PREVIOUS MEETING
24/10/17: DOVER 3-1 WOKING
Dover moved back into top spot after beating promotion rivals Woking in an entertaining match at Crabble.
Ryan Bird’s brace and a Manny Parry header two minutes after Joe Ward had reduced the deficit saw Chris Kinnear’s side move into first place on goal difference.
Nathan Baxter was forced to tip over Mitch Brundle’s early dipping volley, but there was nothing the visiting keeper could do about Bird’s fifth minute opener.
The striker pounced at the back post to slot in his eighth of the season after Mitch Pinnock’s corner eluded all the yellow shirts in the box.
After tackling Nathan Ralph, Josh Passley surged into the penalty area and passed to Bird, but the goalscorer miskicked when well-placed.
But the forward made no mistake with his next chance on 21 minutes.
Pinnock’s long throw was inadvertently flicked on by Joey Jones into the path of Bird, who fired in his ninth of the campaign to move joint top of the National league scoring chart.
Woking went close before the break, but Jamie Philpott headed Ralph’s cross wide and then fired at Walker with a low drive.
Dover’s stopper also held onto Regan Charles-Cook’s curling shot, but his best efforts were not enough to prevent the away team from pulling a goal back on 52 minutes.
The keeper superbly denied Joe Ward following a clever pass from Effiong, but the ball ricocheted off Femi Ilesanmi and back into the striker’s path to reduce the arrears.
Pinnock unleashed a 30-yard sizzler that flew past the upright and Jordan Wynter was relieved to see his interception bounce over the bar following a dangerous run and cross by Alabi.
But Whites restored their two-goal cushion on 54 minutes as Parry rose highest at the far post to head in Pinnock’s deep corner..
OTHER MEETINGS
28/02/17: Woking 1-0 Dover
22/11/16: Dover 3-1 Woking
05/03/16: Woking 0-1 Dover
TEAM COLOURS
For those travelling fans wanting to show the same colour shirt as the players, captain Mitch Brundle and his teammates will be wearing their blue ones.
TICKET NEWS
Prices are as follows:
Adults: £18
Seniors (Over 65’s): £13
Under 16’s / Students: £5
COVERAGE
The game starts at 12:30pm but if you are unable to make the trip, we will have live updates on Twitter – @DAFCLiveText – follow us and get all the news as it happens!
Coverage starts from 11:30am.
SATURDAY’S OTHER NATIONAL LEAGUE FIXTURES
BARROW V CHESTER
BOREHAM WOOD V GUISELEY
GATESHEAD V LEYTON ORIENT
MACCLESFIELD TOWN V DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE
MAIDENHEAD UNITED V BROMLEY
MAIDSTONE UNITED V FC HALIFAX TOWN
SOLIHULL MOORS V EASTLEIGH
SUTTON UNITED V ALDERSHOT TOWN
TORQUAY UNITED V EBBSFLEET UNITED
TRANMERE ROVERS V HARTLEPOOL UNITED
WREXHAM V AFC FYLDE
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