The Whites will look to pick themselves up and dust themselves off after derby day defeat as we travel to Essex to take on promotion hopefuls Billericay Town.
Dover Athletic
On Tuesday, Dover lost 2-3 to Folkestone Invicta in a tense derby. Starting nervously, Dover conceded early and fell behind 0-2 despite growing into the game. Nikaj scored to make it 1-2 before halftime. A red card for Pont left Dover with ten men, and Folkestone added a third. Dover fought back with a late goal from Drakes-Thomas but couldn’t find an equalizer. Despite the defeat, the young Whites team showed resilience and determination, pushing hard even when down a man.
Henry Young (knee) and Kieron Agbebi remain unavailable with injury. We anticipate that Alfie Matthews international clearance will have come back ready for Saturday.
From the Manager
“I couldn’t be prouder of the boys on Tuesday night and we move on to another really tough tie at Billericay on Saturday. Despite the loss, I won’t need to pick them up. I won’t need to pick them up for any game. They’re bang up for it. As you can see, the last couple of games, they’ll be really determined to put in another strong performance, which I’m sure they will.”
Kit
Dover Athletic will line up in our yellow and green away kit, with Mitch Walker in the pink keepers strip. Billericay play in all blue with a green strip for their goalkeeper.
The Opposition
On Tuesday, Billericay Town drew 1-1 with Chatham Town, with Billericay taking the lead through Ibrahim Jalloh before halftime. The Blues displayed solid defense and effective counter-attacks but struggled to maintain control in the second half. Despite their efforts, including crucial saves by goalkeeper Sam Donkin, Billericay conceded an equaliser in stoppage time, resulting in a shared point. The team remained unbeaten in their first two games of the season.
Manager Gary McCann has with over 17 years of managerial experience, previously leadibg Hampton & Richmond Borough and Hendon. At Hampton & Richmond, he nearly secured a National League South play-off spot in 2019/20 and guided the team to several FA Cup first-round ties. Known for his long tenure at Hendon, he was a mainstay in North London, remaining at Avenue Park Stadium for 13 years.
The Venue
The Blues play their football at New Lodge.
New Lodge, Blunts Wall Rd, Billericay CM12 9SA
Directions
By Car: Leave the M25 to Junction 28 and take the A12(E) towards Chelmsford. Leave the A12 at Junction 12 and head for a short distance towards Mountnessing (B1002). At the next roundabout take the second exit onto Widvale Road (signposted Billericay). Continue along Wivdale Road as it bears right and then becomes Wash Road. At the next mini roundabout take the first exit onto Rayleigh Road. This is the A129 Billericay Road. On reaching a Ford Garage on the left hand side of a crossroads turn right onto Tye Common Road and then take the second next right onto Blunts Wall Road for the ground. There is no parking available for supporters at the ground so it is a case of finding some street parking.
By Train: Billericay Railway Station is located one mile away from the ground or around a 20 minute walk. It is served by trains from London Liverpool Street and the journey time is around 30 minutes. As you exit the station entrance, proceed straight up the station approach road in front of you. At the top of the station approach road, turn right onto Radford Way. At the bottom of Radford Way turn right at the mini roundabout onto Stock Road. Proceed across the bridge above the railway. After passing the Railway Pub on the right, take the next right hand turn into Western Way. Continue straight along Western Road for around three-quarters of a mile, until you will reach Blunts Wall Road, where you turn right for the ground entrance.
Admission
Adult £13.00
Concession £8.00
Young Adult (12-17) £5.00
11 or Under £1.00
Tickets can be pre-purchased here: https://billericaytownfc.ktckts.com/event/bil2425h02/billericay-town-v-dover-athletic
Supporters Coach
This coach is definitely running! The Supporters Club have had to book a bigger coach because of the demand, so more seats are now available. The deadline for booking is now 10am on Saturday 17th August.
