Dover Athletic return to the road on Saturday as they make the trip to Somerset to face Weston-super-Mare in National League South. The Whites head west looking to respond after Tuesday night’s narrow 1-0 defeat to Tonbridge Angels, a game in which Dover played the entire second half with ten men but still produced a spirited performance and pushed strongly for an equaliser. Weston have made a strong start to the campaign and currently sit second in the table with seven points from their opening three matches, having recorded two wins and a draw. The Seagulls come into the fixture following a goalless draw away at Torquay United in midweek. With Weston unbeaten so far and the Whites looking to bounce back from their midweek defeat, another competitive encounter is expected at the Optima Stadium.

Dover Athletic

Dover Athletic suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Tonbridge Angels at the Megger Stadium after playing the entire second half with ten men. The visitors enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, although Dover grew into the contest and went close on the half-hour when Bates crossed for Sheriff, whose header beat Harness but struck Baptiste on its way through. Fish was forced off shortly before the interval, with Onu replacing him, before the game’s major turning point arrived in stoppage time. Bakrin was shown a second yellow card following a tussle in the box, leaving Dover a man down. Tonbridge took advantage seven minutes after the restart when Tanga capitalised on a mistake and fired into the corner. Despite the setback, Dover responded strongly and enjoyed their best spell of the game. Bates caused problems from set pieces, while Oyenuga drove into the area and forced Harness into a save at his near post as the Whites applied sustained pressure. Tonbridge threatened only sporadically thereafter, with Walker denying Gardner from distance, but Dover were unable to find an equaliser. A spirited second-half display ultimately went unrewarded as Tonbridge held on for all three points.

From the Management

“Games come thick and fast, and obviously we’ve got a difficult one down at Weston next. After the performance there last season, we’ll go there with some confidence. We’ll travel down on the Friday. The chairman has put on a hotel, so we’ll do things properly. We’ll have a little recovery session on the Thursday and we’ve got to stick together, pick ourselves up and have a right go.”

Weston-super-Mare

Weston-super-Mare earned a hard-fought point at Plainmoor on Tuesday night, holding Torquay United to a goalless draw despite spending long periods under pressure. The hosts started strongly and forced Max Harris into an early save, with the Weston goalkeeper producing a fine parry to deny Deon Moore from the edge of the box. Harris was called upon again midway through the first half when Isaac Westendorf worked his way into the area and got a shot away, but Weston survived and reached the interval level. Torquay continued to dominate possession and territory after the break, although Weston’s defence stood firm and repeatedly blocked efforts before they could trouble Harris. The visitors offered little going forward for much of the contest, but remained organised and resilient as United pushed for a winner. Torquay came closest in stoppage time when a late effort was cleared off the line, before Weston nearly snatched all three points at the other end. Louis Britton fired a low drive from the edge of the area, forcing Toby Savin into a smart late save. Weston ultimately left Devon with a valuable point following a determined defensive display.

Weston-super-Mare enjoyed a landmark 2025/26 campaign, finishing sixth in National League South to secure the club’s highest-ever league position and a first play-off appearance at this level. Their run eventually ended in the semi-finals against eventual winners Hornchurch. Scott Rogers remains in charge after stepping up from his assistant manager role during last season, with the Seagulls retaining much of the experienced core that helped deliver their play-off finish. Louis Britton, who scored 19 league goals last term, continues to provide the main attacking threat, while Luke Coulson and Will Dawes offer further experience in the final third. There have also been several notable additions over the summer, including experienced midfielder Liam Sercombe from Forest Green Rovers, Brad Ash from Bath City and Ollie Hulbert from Barry Town. Will Jenkins-Davies has also arrived from Bath, while defender Archie Taylor has joined from Bristol City. Weston have, however, suffered an early blow with centre-back Emlyn Lewis sustaining a serious knee injury during pre-season. Captain Sam Avery remains an important figure at the back, with Max Harris continuing in goal after playing every league minute last season.

Last Time

Last time Dover Athletic faced Weston-super-Mare at Crabble, the two sides shared the points in a 1-1 draw in National League South. Weston started brightly, with Dawes and Dewsbury both threatening during the opening exchanges, but it was Dover who struck first after 16 minutes. A long throw from Beadle caused problems inside the Weston area and Mensah reacted quickest to guide the loose ball beyond Harris. The lead lasted only four minutes. Weston were awarded a penalty after Dawes went down under a challenge from Gurung, allowing Coulson to send Walker the wrong way and restore parity. Dover grew into the contest and remained dangerous on the counter, while Walker was required to deal with several Weston efforts before the break. The Whites started the second half positively and Sheriff struck the post after being picked out by Nikaj, although the offside flag had already been raised. Weston applied increasing pressure as the game progressed, but Dover defended resolutely. Walker produced an excellent late save before the visitors had a stoppage-time effort ruled out for a foul on the goalkeeper. Dover survived the late pressure to secure a hard-earned point.

The Venue

The Optima Stadium Winterstoke Road Weston-super-Mare Somerset BS24 9AA 

Admission  

Adult – £16.00
Concession – £12.00 (Senior 60+, Student ID, Armed Forces ID, NHS ID)
14–17 Year Olds – £6.50
8–13 Year Olds – £4.50 (Must be accompanied by an adult)
Under 8s – Free (Must be accompanied by an adult)

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