Dover Athletic return to National League South action on Saturday with a trip to Chippenham Town. After Tuesday night’s dramatic Kent Senior Cup exit on penalties to Bromley, Jake Leberl’s side will be eager to bounce back and look to build on their draw against Horsham.
Dover Athletic
Dover Athletic were knocked out of the Kent Senior Cup after a dramatic 3-3 draw with Bromley’s B team ended in a 4-2 penalty defeat. Jemiah Umolu’s early strike put Bromley ahead before Francis Mampolo equalised and Kenny Coker’s quickfire double gave Dover a 3-1 half-time lead. Umolu pulled one back after the break and Nathan Patten’s header levelled the tie. Dover pressed late on but couldn’t find a winner, with Mampolo and Coker both going close. In the shootout, Sheriff scored but Beadle and Baptiste missed as Bromley converted all four penalties to advance to the third round.
From the Management
“There were some positives last night — it was good for a lot of the boys to get 90 minutes under their belts and now we move on to Chippenham away on Saturday. It’s a long journey, but we’re looking forward to it. We’ve started relatively well — four wins, four draws, four losses — and I feel we’re only going to get stronger. We’re missing a few through injury at the moment, but hopefully we’ll have them back in the next couple of weeks. We’ll probably look to strengthen too; the chairman’s given us the green light to bring one or two in.”
Chippenham Town
Chelmsford edged out Chippenham 4-3 in a breathless cup encounter full of drama from start to finish. The Bluebirds took the lead through Dan Ellison’s header before Taylor Clark, Lyle Taylor and Jack Barham turned the game on its head before half-time. Chelmsford’s Sam Folarin was sent off early in the second half, sparking a Chippenham fightback as Olaf Koszela and Tom Owen-Evans struck to make it 3-3. However, despite late pressure from the visitors, Louie Kudiabor’s stoppage-time volley settled the contest after a frantic goalmouth scramble, sending the Clarets through in a match that swung one way then the other.
Chippenham Town head into the weekend sitting 23rd in the National League South table with just five points from ten games (W1 D2 L7). It’s been a difficult start for Gary Horgan’s Bluebirds, who finished 14th last season but have struggled to replicate that form. Last season’s top scorer Harry Parsons remains key, while summer arrivals Ezio Touray and Olaf Koszela add firepower up front. Experienced midfielder Reece Fleet and defender Canice Carroll bring stability to a youthful side led by captain Luke Haines.
Last Five
Gloucester City 1–2 Chippenham Town – FA Cup Second Qualifying Round – 13 Sept
Enfield 1–0 Chippenham Town – National League South – 20 Sept
Walton & Hersham 0–2 Chippenham Town – FA Cup Third Qualifying Round – 27 Sept
Chippenham Town 0–1 Hemel Hempstead – National League South – 4 Oct
Chelmsford City 4–3 Chippenham Town – FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round – 11 Oct
The Venue
The Thornbury Surfacing Stadium, Bristol Road, Chippenham SN14 6LR
https://chippenhamtown.com/stadium/how-to-find-us/
Admission
Adults: £17
Senior Citizens*: £13
Junior (16-17): £6
Child (5-15): £4
*Also, Students with a student card and serving Armed Forces personnel with an ID card.