*IS**BS*THE EMIRATES FA CUP
DATE:*BF* Saturday 7th November 2015
*BS*KICK-OFF:*BF* 3.00pm
*BS*VENUE:*BF* Crabble*IF*

*BS*The glitz and glamour of the Emirates FA Cup returns to Crabble on Saturday, with Evo-Stik Northern Premier Division side Stourbridge making the trip to Kent. Both sides will be fighting for a place in the Second Round, leaving them just one victory away from a potentially lucrative tie against a Premier League club.*BF*

Whites’ superb run of form continued last weekend, when a solitary goal from Ricky Miller sealed a win against Tranmere Rovers, who – just two seasons ago – were plying their trade in League One. The long trip to Birkenhead, and the occasion of playing in a stadium three times the capacity of Crabble, didn’t overawe Chris Kinnear’s men at all and the deserved victory meant it is now eight wins from the first team’s last nine competitive fixtures.

This weekend offers Whites a temporary break from their league campaign, however on offer is the chance to continue attempting to emulate the club’s achievements in last season’s FA Cup. After historically struggling to progress to the First Round Proper, it is now a stage that Dover have reached for the last three seasons, a club record.

Coming to Crabble are Stourbridge, who are 7th in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier Division, just one point away from the playoff places. There is prize money of £18,000 on offer to the winner of this tie.

Whilst Whites have only had to win one match to get this far in the competition – a 2-1 win away at Vanarama National League South side Eastbourne Borough a fortnight ago – The Glassboys have had to navigate their way through four ties to be at this stage.

In the First Qualifying Round, they travelled to Black County rivals Tividale and won 1-0, before a 3-1 home victory over Dunkirk in the following round. The Third Qualifying Round saw them claim a 1-0 win against Rushall Olympic to make it through to the final round of qualifying, where they would be drawn to face Vanarama National League outfit Kidderminster Harriers.

Despite having home advantage, and facing a side struggling in the top flight of non-league football, Harriers started the tie as slight favourites but came completely undone – in front of a crowd of over 2,000, Stourbridge won the tie 3-0 and piled on the misery for Kidderminster.

That victory shows that, undoubtedly, the two-division gap between Saturday’s opponents could well count for very little on the day. They are indeed a side with real Cup pedigree in recent seasons, having reached the First Round Proper four times in seven seasons. They have reached the Second Round on two occasions – most recently in 2013/14 when they bowed out 4-0 to Stevenage, and in 2011/12 when they lost – again to Stevenage – 3-0, having beaten Plymouth Argyle 2-0 in a replay in the round previous.

Whites will be keen to get the FA Cup campaign well on track and, with a real taste for the competition after last season’s home match against Premier League side Crystal Palace, will start as favourites.

Fans are heralding this Whites side as one of the best in the club’s history, with a number of players leading the way in the records for the division. Stefan Payne has recorded the most shots in target in the Vanarama National League, and has scored ten goals in all competitions so far – and midfielder Nicky Deverdics is top of the assists chart, with 8. In goal, stalwart Mitch Walker has made the most saves in the division.

Stourbridge’s top scorer is the much-travelled striker Karl Hawley, who has 12 for the season.

With many Vanarama National League sides out of the competition already – including Gateshead, Wrexham, Tranmere Rovers and Bromley – progression for both sides will be top priority come 3pm on Saturday. There are only four other ties in this round in which both sides are non-league, increasing the victor’s chances of a trip to a big League One side in the next round – or for televised coverage.

Whites have a real sense of momentum currently, and the opportunity to kick start the ‘proper’ rounds of the FA Cup is something assistant manager Jake Leberl is happy with. Speaking earlier in the weekend to the Dover Athletic media team, he said: “I really believe last year’s run [in the FA Cup] helped us after our poor start to the season. Crabble is now a really good place to be. The FA Cup is a nice distraction [from the league] and seems to galvanise the fans.”

Despite their comfortable home win in the last round, it’s actually on their travels that Stourbridge have had most success in the league thus far. They have won five of their eight away matches, drawing the other three, as opposed to their home record of won three, drawn three, lost two. Their 25 goals conceded in 17 games is the third highest tally in the top nine, with their 30 goals standing as the fifth highest in that same bracket of sides.

There are no fresh injury concerns ahead of the trip, with an unchanged line-up expected to take to the field. Midfielder Liam Bellamy is now the only long-term injury doubt, as he battles to recover from a knee ligament injury.

Stourbridge’s possible line-up for Saturday, and player details, is as follows:

*BS*1. Lewis Solly*BF* – Experienced goalkeeper who returned between the sticks in March 2015 after a back injury disrupted his playing career. Initially saw service with Wolves.
*BS*2. Kristian Green*BF* – An energetic right-sided defender or wing-back who joined from Halesowen Town in the summer of 2015.
*BS*3. Daniel Scarr*BF* – A promising young central defender who joined in June 2015 from Redditch United where he impressed last season.
*BS*4. Tom Tonks*BF* – Joined from Halesowen Town in June 2015. A versatile and hard-working central midfield player who also has a tremendous long throw in his armory.
*BS*5. Brian Smikle*BF* – A pacey attacking midfielder or frontrunner snapped up by in March 2014 after leaving Stafford Rangers. The Tipton -born player originally progressed through West Bromwich Albion’s youth set-up, signing a professional contract in the summer of 2005.
*BS*6. Stuart Pierpoint*BF* – A Halesowen-based central defender recruited from Brackley Town in June 2015. He is an experienced and commanding player, and the club’s captain, who is a good organiser at the back, is strong in the air and reads the game well.
*BS*7. Matt Dodd*BF* – Joined from Leamington in March 2015. A pacey Wolverhampton born wide midfielder who came through the youth ranks at Sutton Coldfield Town.
*BS*8. Leon Broadhurst*BF* – A highly regarded and versatile player who re-joined for a third spell in October 2009 after a brief stint with Leamington and he reached 550 appearances for the club in February 2015. He has also notched over 100 goals for the Glassboys.
*BS*9. Karl Hawley*BF* – A vastly experienced and much travelled Walsall born striker who joined in August 2015. He started his career with his home-town club.
*BS*10. Justin Richards*BF* – A powerful and much experienced veteran striker signed from Sutton Coldfield Town in September 2015. His 29 goals in all competitions helped the Royals to win promotion via the Evo-Stik League Division One South play-offs last May.
*BS*11. Chris Lait*BF* – A quick and skilful wide midfield player, capable of getting amongst the goals, who arrived from Rushall Olympic in March 2015.

Saturday’s fixture will not be segregated, and standard admission prices apply – £15 for adults, £12 for over 60s, £6 for under 18s and under 11s entering free when accompanied by an adult. As this is a Cup competition, season tickets are not valid – all must pay.

If the match ends in a draw, the replay will be held at Stourbridge’s home ground Amblecote, on Monday November 16th.

Supporters unable to make it to Crabble on Saturday are able to follow the action via our Live Text service on Twitter – all you need to do is follow @DAFCLiveText.

*BS*OTHER EMIRATES FA CUP FIXTURES*BF*
*IS*Friday 6th November, 7.55pm*IF*
Salford City vs Notts County

*IS*Saturday 7th November, 3.00pm*IF*
Accrington v York
AFC Wimbledon v Forest Green
Altrincham v Barnsley
Barnet v Blackpool
Barwell v Welling
Burton v Peterborough
Bury v Wigan
Cambridge v Basingstoke Town
Coventry v Northampton
Crawley v Luton
Crewe v Eastleigh
Dag & Red v Morecambe
Doncaster v Stalybridge Celtic
Grimsby v St Albans City
Hartlepool v Cheltenham
Leyton Orient v Staines Town
Mansfield v Oldham
Millwall v AFC Fylde
Northwich Victoria v Boreham Wood
Plymouth v Carlisle
Portsmouth v Macclesfield
Rochdale v Swindon
Scunthorpe v Southend
Sheff Utd v Worcester City
Stevenage v Gillingham
Walsall v Fleetwood
Wealdstone v Colchester

*IS*Sunday 8th November*IF*
Didcot Town v Exeter, 12.00pm
Aldershot v Bradford, 2.00pm
Brackley Town v Newport, 2.00pm
Braintree v Oxford Utd, 2.00pm
Bristol Rovers v Chesham United, 2.00pm
Gainsborough Trinity v Shrewsbury, 2.00pm
Halifax Town v Wycombe, 2.00pm
Maidstone United v Yeovil, 2.00pm
Whitehawk v Lincoln City, 2.00pm
Port Vale v Maidenhead United, 3.00pm

*IS**BS*THE EMIRATES FA CUP
DATE:*BF* Saturday 7th November 2015
*BS*KICK-OFF:*BF* 3.00pm
*BS*VENUE:*BF* Crabble*IF*

*BS*The glitz and glamour of the Emirates FA Cup returns to Crabble on Saturday, with Evo-Stik Northern Premier Division side Stourbridge making the trip to Kent. Both sides will be fighting for a place in the Second Round, leaving them just one victory away from a potentially lucrative tie against a Premier League club.*BF*

Whites’ superb run of form continued last weekend, when a solitary goal from Ricky Miller sealed a win against Tranmere Rovers, who – just two seasons ago – were plying their trade in League One. The long trip to Birkenhead, and the occasion of playing in a stadium three times the capacity of Crabble, didn’t overawe Chris Kinnear’s men at all and the deserved victory meant it is now eight wins from the first team’s last nine competitive fixtures.

This weekend offers Whites a temporary break from their league campaign, however on offer is the chance to continue attempting to emulate the club’s achievements in last season’s FA Cup. After historically struggling to progress to the First Round Proper, it is now a stage that Dover have reached for the last three seasons, a club record.

Coming to Crabble are Stourbridge, who are 7th in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier Division, just one point away from the playoff places. There is prize money of £18,000 on offer to the winner of this tie.

Whilst Whites have only had to win one match to get this far in the competition – a 2-1 win away at Vanarama National League South side Eastbourne Borough a fortnight ago – The Glassboys have had to navigate their way through four ties to be at this stage.

In the First Qualifying Round, they travelled to Black County rivals Tividale and won 1-0, before a 3-1 home victory over Dunkirk in the following round. The Third Qualifying Round saw them claim a 1-0 win against Rushall Olympic to make it through to the final round of qualifying, where they would be drawn to face Vanarama National League outfit Kidderminster Harriers.

Despite having home advantage, and facing a side struggling in the top flight of non-league football, Harriers started the tie as slight favourites but came completely undone – in front of a crowd of over 2,000, Stourbridge won the tie 3-0 and piled on the misery for Kidderminster.

That victory shows that, undoubtedly, the two-division gap between Saturday’s opponents could well count for very little on the day. They are indeed a side with real Cup pedigree in recent seasons, having reached the First Round Proper four times in seven seasons. They have reached the Second Round on two occasions – most recently in 2013/14 when they bowed out 4-0 to Stevenage, and in 2011/12 when they lost – again to Stevenage – 3-0, having beaten Plymouth Argyle 2-0 in a replay in the round previous.

Whites will be keen to get the FA Cup campaign well on track and, with a real taste for the competition after last season’s home match against Premier League side Crystal Palace, will start as favourites.

Fans are heralding this Whites side as one of the best in the club’s history, with a number of players leading the way in the records for the division. Stefan Payne has recorded the most shots in target in the Vanarama National League, and has scored ten goals in all competitions so far – and midfielder Nicky Deverdics is top of the assists chart, with 8. In goal, stalwart Mitch Walker has made the most saves in the division.

Stourbridge’s top scorer is the much-travelled striker Karl Hawley, who has 12 for the season.

With many Vanarama National League sides out of the competition already – including Gateshead, Wrexham, Tranmere Rovers and Bromley – progression for both sides will be top priority come 3pm on Saturday. There are only four other ties in this round in which both sides are non-league, increasing the victor’s chances of a trip to a big League One side in the next round – or for televised coverage.

Whites have a real sense of momentum currently, and the opportunity to kick start the ‘proper’ rounds of the FA Cup is something assistant manager Jake Leberl is happy with. Speaking earlier in the weekend to the Dover Athletic media team, he said: “I really believe last year’s run [in the FA Cup] helped us after our poor start to the season. Crabble is now a really good place to be. The FA Cup is a nice distraction [from the league] and seems to galvanise the fans.”

Despite their comfortable home win in the last round, it’s actually on their travels that Stourbridge have had most success in the league thus far. They have won five of their eight away matches, drawing the other three, as opposed to their home record of won three, drawn three, lost two. Their 25 goals conceded in 17 games is the third highest tally in the top nine, with their 30 goals standing as the fifth highest in that same bracket of sides.

There are no fresh injury concerns ahead of the trip, with an unchanged line-up expected to take to the field. Midfielder Liam Bellamy is now the only long-term injury doubt, as he battles to recover from a knee ligament injury.

Stourbridge’s possible line-up for Saturday, and player details, is as follows:

*BS*1. Lewis Solly*BF* – Experienced goalkeeper who returned between the sticks in March 2015 after a back injury disrupted his playing career. Initially saw service with Wolves.
*BS*2. Kristian Green*BF* – An energetic right-sided defender or wing-back who joined from Halesowen Town in the summer of 2015.
*BS*3. Daniel Scarr*BF* – A promising young central defender who joined in June 2015 from Redditch United where he impressed last season.
*BS*4. Tom Tonks*BF* – Joined from Halesowen Town in June 2015. A versatile and hard-working central midfield player who also has a tremendous long throw in his armory.
*BS*5. Brian Smikle*BF* – A pacey attacking midfielder or frontrunner snapped up by in March 2014 after leaving Stafford Rangers. The Tipton -born player originally progressed through West Bromwich Albion’s youth set-up, signing a professional contract in the summer of 2005.
*BS*6. Stuart Pierpoint*BF* – A Halesowen-based central defender recruited from Brackley Town in June 2015. He is an experienced and commanding player, and the club’s captain, who is a good organiser at the back, is strong in the air and reads the game well.
*BS*7. Matt Dodd*BF* – Joined from Leamington in March 2015. A pacey Wolverhampton born wide midfielder who came through the youth ranks at Sutton Coldfield Town.
*BS*8. Leon Broadhurst*BF* – A highly regarded and versatile player who re-joined for a third spell in October 2009 after a brief stint with Leamington and he reached 550 appearances for the club in February 2015. He has also notched over 100 goals for the Glassboys.
*BS*9. Karl Hawley*BF* – A vastly experienced and much travelled Walsall born striker who joined in August 2015. He started his career with his home-town club.
*BS*10. Justin Richards*BF* – A powerful and much experienced veteran striker signed from Sutton Coldfield Town in September 2015. His 29 goals in all competitions helped the Royals to win promotion via the Evo-Stik League Division One South play-offs last May.
*BS*11. Chris Lait*BF* – A quick and skilful wide midfield player, capable of getting amongst the goals, who arrived from Rushall Olympic in March 2015.

Saturday’s fixture will not be segregated, and standard admission prices apply – £15 for adults, £12 for over 60s, £6 for under 18s and under 11s entering free when accompanied by an adult. As this is a Cup competition, season tickets are not valid – all must pay.

If the match ends in a draw, the replay will be held at Stourbridge’s home ground Amblecote, on Monday November 16th.

Supporters unable to make it to Crabble on Saturday are able to follow the action via our Live Text service on Twitter – all you need to do is follow @DAFCLiveText.

*BS*OTHER EMIRATES FA CUP FIXTURES*BF*
*IS*Friday 6th November, 7.55pm*IF*
Salford City vs Notts County

*IS*Saturday 7th November, 3.00pm*IF*
Accrington v York
AFC Wimbledon v Forest Green
Altrincham v Barnsley
Barnet v Blackpool
Barwell v Welling
Burton v Peterborough
Bury v Wigan
Cambridge v Basingstoke Town
Coventry v Northampton
Crawley v Luton
Crewe v Eastleigh
Dag & Red v Morecambe
Doncaster v Stalybridge Celtic
Grimsby v St Albans City
Hartlepool v Cheltenham
Leyton Orient v Staines Town
Mansfield v Oldham
Millwall v AFC Fylde
Northwich Victoria v Boreham Wood
Plymouth v Carlisle
Portsmouth v Macclesfield
Rochdale v Swindon
Scunthorpe v Southend
Sheff Utd v Worcester City
Stevenage v Gillingham
Walsall v Fleetwood
Wealdstone v Colchester

*IS*Sunday 8th November*IF*
Didcot Town v Exeter, 12.00pm
Aldershot v Bradford, 2.00pm
Brackley Town v Newport, 2.00pm
Braintree v Oxford Utd, 2.00pm
Bristol Rovers v Chesham United, 2.00pm
Gainsborough Trinity v Shrewsbury, 2.00pm
Halifax Town v Wycombe, 2.00pm
Maidstone United v Yeovil, 2.00pm
Whitehawk v Lincoln City, 2.00pm
Port Vale v Maidenhead United, 3.00pm

*BS*The Dover Athletic Academy side were knocked out of the FA Youth Cup on Tuesday night by Millwall, in a tie played at The New Den. Academy manager Mike Sandmann offers his report and views below.*BF*

*IS*Our Dover Athletic Academy side competed extremely well throughout the game creating many chances but the professional League One team progressed into the Second Round of the FA Youth Cup.

The first half was an extremely even affair with Dover creating the best chance of the game, with Brandon De Grout going through one-on-one with the goalkeeper, narrowly missing the target. Dover created another half chance with some good play for Connor Wilkins to strike missing the target. Dover continued to press high up the pitch forcing mistakes from the Millwall defenders.The rest of the half saw both teams cancel each other out with some good defending.

The second half Millwall stepped up showing their pace and power which you would expect from a professional club creating chances but Dover GK Tom Roberts cancelling them out. Millwall had a good 20 minute spell in which Dover found it difficult to get out and create anything from themselves. The two Millwall full backs playing extremely high making the Dover wide players constantly defend.

Millwall finally took the lead from a corner which the Academy will be disappointed with after a free header made it 1-0. With 10 minutes to go they made it 2-0 with some good play down the left hand side.

The Academy continued to try and get themselves back in the game with some good play. Tom Carlton going through to be denied by the England u17 Gk for Millwall. They continued to work hard and made a very difficult evening for Millwall at the Den.

Despite the result the Academy will be extremely proud of themselves and their performance and didn’t look outclassed by Millwall.

Academy Manager Mike Sandmann said: “The players should be proud of their performance tonight we created a good chance early on and who knows what could have happened if we took advantage of that. It’s great exposure for the players to play in front of a good crowd at the den and attracting other professional clubs to come and watch them.

“We asked them to compete and play with confidence and freedom and I think we did that tonight especially In the first half. The second half I thought Millwall showed their superior pace and power and their sharpness caused us a lot of problems. It’s disappointing to concede from a set piece but that’s how it goes. After the disappointment of the result I think we will reflect on a great achievement to reach the first round. It shows how far we have come as a group and i really think we gave Millwall a tough night at times making them work for their win.

The players now know the standard and will take a lot away from the game in terms of their development. The whole FA Cup experience has been great for the lads and have been given the exposure they deserve. We have a great set of lads that are desperate to improve and develop in their footballing journeys.

I would like to thank Millwall for their hospitality and wish them all the best for their future matches in this competition.*IF*

NULL

*BS*The Dover Athletic Academy side were knocked out of the FA Youth Cup on Tuesday night by Millwall, in a tie played at The New Den. Academy manager Mike Sandmann offers his report and views below.*BF*

*IS*Our Dover Athletic Academy side competed extremely well throughout the game creating many chances but the professional League One team progressed into the Second Round of the FA Youth Cup.

The first half was an extremely even affair with Dover creating the best chance of the game, with Brandon De Grout going through one-on-one with the goalkeeper, narrowly missing the target. Dover created another half chance with some good play for Connor Wilkins to strike missing the target. Dover continued to press high up the pitch forcing mistakes from the Millwall defenders.The rest of the half saw both teams cancel each other out with some good defending.

The second half Millwall stepped up showing their pace and power which you would expect from a professional club creating chances but Dover GK Tom Roberts cancelling them out. Millwall had a good 20 minute spell in which Dover found it difficult to get out and create anything from themselves. The two Millwall full backs playing extremely high making the Dover wide players constantly defend.

Millwall finally took the lead from a corner which the Academy will be disappointed with after a free header made it 1-0. With 10 minutes to go they made it 2-0 with some good play down the left hand side.

The Academy continued to try and get themselves back in the game with some good play. Tom Carlton going through to be denied by the England u17 Gk for Millwall. They continued to work hard and made a very difficult evening for Millwall at the Den.

Despite the result the Academy will be extremely proud of themselves and their performance and didn’t look outclassed by Millwall.

Academy Manager Mike Sandmann said: “The players should be proud of their performance tonight we created a good chance early on and who knows what could have happened if we took advantage of that. It’s great exposure for the players to play in front of a good crowd at the den and attracting other professional clubs to come and watch them.

“We asked them to compete and play with confidence and freedom and I think we did that tonight especially In the first half. The second half I thought Millwall showed their superior pace and power and their sharpness caused us a lot of problems. It’s disappointing to concede from a set piece but that’s how it goes. After the disappointment of the result I think we will reflect on a great achievement to reach the first round. It shows how far we have come as a group and i really think we gave Millwall a tough night at times making them work for their win.

The players now know the standard and will take a lot away from the game in terms of their development. The whole FA Cup experience has been great for the lads and have been given the exposure they deserve. We have a great set of lads that are desperate to improve and develop in their footballing journeys.

I would like to thank Millwall for their hospitality and wish them all the best for their future matches in this competition.*IF*

NULL

*BS* Book your seat on the Supporters Club coach to Chester on Tuesday 24th November

Adults Members £35
Adult Non Members £40

Accompanied Child (under 16) £15

DASC Lotto Winner Tony Fuller

Departs Crabble @ 12:30pm

All coaches are covered by insurance, if the game gets called off you get a refund.
(Supporters Club Members only)

*BS*Please call or text Andy on 07934300335*BF*

*BS*Andy will be in the Centre Spot before & after every home game*BF*

*BS*Please book early so we know what size of coach to book as the larger one if needed may not be available later in the week*BF*

*BS*RULES FOR THE COACH TRAVEL*BF*

*IS*All vehicles are NON SMOKING
No alcohol will be permitted on our vehicles at any time (which means not just drinking alcohol but also taking it on the coach).
Any damage caused will be charged to the Supporters Club.
Any abnormal or excessive cleaning will result in a £50 fine payable by the Supporters Club.
No excessively rowdy behavior will be tolerated.

The Coach company runs a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY if any of the above restrictions are breached and any individual found to be flaunting the rules, they will be removed from the coach immediately, irrespective of the location of the vehicle.

It is obviously in everyone’s interest and to encourage people who are understandably wary about using the coach, that behavior is kept within the bounds of common sense.

Supporters Coaches are operated by the Dover Athletic Supporters’ Club and are in no way organised by or the responsibility of Dover Athletic F.C.*IF

*BS* Book your seat on the Supporters Club coach to Forest Green on Saturday 14th November

Adults Members £23
Adult Non Members £27

Accompanied Child (under 16) £10

DASC Lotto Winner Clive Mcnicholas

Departs Crabble @ 9:30am

All coaches are covered by insurance, if the game gets called off you get a refund.
(Supporters Club Members only)

*BS*Please call or text Andy on 07934300335*BF*

*BS*Andy will be in the Centre Spot before & after every home game*BF*

*BS*Please book early so we know what size of coach to book as the larger one if needed may not be available later in the week*BF*

*BS*RULES FOR THE COACH TRAVEL*BF*

*IS*All vehicles are NON SMOKING
No alcohol will be permitted on our vehicles at any time (which means not just drinking alcohol but also taking it on the coach).
Any damage caused will be charged to the Supporters Club.
Any abnormal or excessive cleaning will result in a £50 fine payable by the Supporters Club.
No excessively rowdy behavior will be tolerated.

The Coach company runs a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY if any of the above restrictions are breached and any individual found to be flaunting the rules, they will be removed from the coach immediately, irrespective of the location of the vehicle.

It is obviously in everyone’s interest and to encourage people who are understandably wary about using the coach, that behavior is kept within the bounds of common sense.

Supporters Coaches are operated by the Dover Athletic Supporters’ Club and are in no way organised by or the responsibility of Dover Athletic F.C.*IF

*BS*The third month of the 2015/16 season was a very successful month for the Whites. A potentially tough run of fixtures included Wrexham, Macclesfield, two long away trips to Torquay and Gateshead, along with a 4th Qualifying Round FA Cup tie with Eastbourne and an away fixture at ex-League Two side, Tranmere Rovers. The Whites ended October having won 6 out of 7 of these fixtures, scoring 13 goals and moving up to third place in the League table, 2 points off the top spot.*BF*

*BS**IS*Gateshead 2-3 Dover Athletic*IF**BF* – Vanarama National League
The Whites kicked off October with a rollercoaster ride away to Gateshead. Jack Parkinson came back into the side, following an injury to Liam Bellamy. Despite the team’s flight being delayed at both airports and the time to prepare and warm-up reduced, the Whites came flying out of the traps and were ahead early on, thanks to top scorer Stefan Payne curling a free-kick around the wall and into the top corner. This was Payne’s third goal in two games, having scored a brace against Woking in September’s final league fixture.

However, the hosts were themselves doing well in the table and with ten minutes of the first half left, Dover found themselves 2-1 down, following some lengthy periods of pressure from the Tynesiders.

It was time for the Whites to show why they have only been defeated twice so far this season, and Chris Kinnear’s half-time team talk needed to galvanise the Whites. Dover came out a seemingly different side; with midfielder Nicky Deverdics’ teasing cross eluding the entire Gateshead defence and Dover forwards. In the 62nd minute, Aswad Thomas took advantage of a loose ball in the box following a Deverdics free kick to prod home his first goal for the club.

While many sides might have settled for a 2-2 draw away to Gateshead, Kinnear’s men would go on to score another to complete the comeback. Unmarked in the penalty area, Parkinson rose to meet another Deverdics ball in to make the score 3-2. The travelling away fans were in jubilation when referee Simon Bennett sounded the full-time whistle, as this result meant Dover were now placed in 5th, following three straight league victories.

*BS**IS*Torquay United 2-3 Dover Athletic*IF**BF* – Vanarama National League
Following the previous Saturday’s fantastic win on Tyneside, three days later The Boys in White were on the move again, this time visiting Torquay United. The rain had come down in Torquay for almost 24 consecutive hours before the match, setting up a fast-paced Tuesday night fixture. Dover went ahead following yet another Payne goal, after converting a brilliant cross from full-back Aswad Thomas. Despite a good performance from the Whites, the Gulls managed to peg Dover back, five minutes before the break.

The first big chance of the 2nd half fell to Torquay, with a goalmouth scramble being cleared to safety, following a brilliant fingertip save from Mitch Walker. However, Dover went ahead for the second time in the game, as Parkinson headed home his second goal in two matches from a corner kick.

It looked as if the match was destined to be a draw, as Torquay had capitalised on some late pressure to equalise, much to the joy of the home supporters. Following three of the four allotted additional minutes, Dover had one last chance to grab a winner when the ball was collected by Stefan Payne on the right side of the Torquay box. Payne made a driving run to the edge of the area and fired home an almost unstoppable shot, which the Torquay goalkeeper was unable to palm away, to send Dover fans into delirium. There was hardly enough time left to kick off before the final whistle, and the win for Dover moved the Whites up a place into 4th. The Whites have climbed 10 places, following four consecutive victories, reaching their highest position in the football pyramid for 15 years.

*IS*DAFC News*IF*: Dover’s fullback Sam Magri played international football for Malta on Friday 9th October 2015. Magri completed the full 90 minutes in his debut for Malta’s Under 21 side, playing against a Belgium side in a UEFA U-21 Championship qualifier.

*BS**IS*Dover Athletic 2-1 Wrexham*IF**BF* – Vanarama National League
Dover Athletic recorded their fifth win in five games with a 2-1 victory over Welsh side Wrexham. This was the Whites’ first home game at Crabble following two long away trips and Miller almost opened the scoring, forcing Belford to be on his guard to keep the skilled striker out. On the 20 minute mark, Jack Parkinson rose highest from a corner to header the ball towards goal, however the effort smashed against the Wrexham cross bar. Parkinson was involved near the goal mouth, but down the other end of the pitch, successfully clearing a Wrexham shot off the goal line.
The Whites took a deserved lead in the 31st minute through talisman Ricky Miller, who got the last touch off of a Nicky Deverdics free kick, to hit home for his fifth goal in this season’s campaign.

However, the sides were to go into the half time break level, following an unfortunate trip by Whites’ captain Grimes on Wrexham’s Jennings, who stepped up to slot the ball into the left hand corner of the goal.

Dover came close to re-taking the lead, with both Payne and Miller seeing promising chances go amiss before the break. Chris Kinnear’s men came out of the tunnel in rampant mood, with Aswad Thomas testing the Wrexham ‘keeper at the near post, following a header. Six minutes into the second half, the Whites found themselves back in front, following intense pressure put on the Wrexham defence. Richard Orlu laid in a perfect cross ball for winger Ajala to steer his shot into the top corner.

Minutes later, Dover goalkeeper Walker made a fantastic save to keep the Whites ahead; somehow keeping Quigley’s shot out. A hallmark of Chris Kinnear sides is the ability of the defence to hold firm under pressure and this was proved to be the case, as the game ended 2-1 to Dover. The team remain unbeaten at home in the League this season and move up to 3rd position, 5 points off leaders Forest Green Rovers.

*IS*DAFC News*IF*: Dover Athletic are drawn away to Eastbourne Borough FC for the 2nd year in a row for the 4th Qualifying Round for the 2015/16 Emirates FA Cup.

*BS**IS*Braintree Town 1-0 Dover Athletic*IF**BF* – Vanarama National League
Dover remain third in the Vanarama National League, despite succumbing to their first loss in seven games, ending their five game winning streak.

A rare defensive error on the stroke of half time saw the hosts take the lead, after Parkinson crashed a header onto the Braintree cross bar and the Whites had a seemingly strong penalty shout waved away. It was a frustrating night for the league’s in-form side, and the match ended 1-0 to Braintree after Dover failed to score for the first time in six matches.

*BS**IS*Dover Athletic 2-1 Macclesfield Town*IF**BF* – Vanarama National League
The Whites bounced back to winning ways, following a hard-fought victory over another ex-Football League side, Macclesfield Town. The away side came into the game at Crabble unbeaten in five, which included four wins.

The opening minutes were action packed, seeing two goals in the space of two minutes, shared equally between the sides. Macclesfield took the lead in the 4th minute, following Macclesfield’s Whitehead tapping home a rebound from short distance. The away side’s celebrations were short lived, as club top-scorer Stefan Payne slotted his shot through the legs of the opposition goalkeeper, following a pin point pass from Ricky Miller. Dover were on the up and forced the Macclesfield goalkeeper into a string of good saves, courtesy of Thomas and Payne.

A quick counter-attack in the second half almost unlocked the Dover defence for the second time in the match, but Mitch Walker was there to make yet another stunning save to keep the Whites in the game. It would take a Deverdics penalty in the 56th minute to break the deadlock, following a fantastic turn of pace from Ricky Miller, who was subsequently fouled in the penalty area.

Mitch Walker was again at the Whites’ rescue as he performed three heroic saves to keep the Silkmen at bay. The Whites held on and remained in third place ahead of the FA Cup weekend, now only two points off top spot, following a Forest Green Rovers loss to Tranmere Rovers.

*BS**IS*Eastbourne Borough 1-2 Dover Athletic*IF**BF* – Emirates FA Cup
It was a return to FA Cup action for the Whites, following last season’s cup run to the Third Round Proper, which saw the Whites test themselves against Premier League opposition in the form of Crystal Palace. It was a repeat fixture of last year’s Fourth Qualifying Round fixture, with an away trip to Eastbourne Borough FC. The Whites had run away 5-0 winners over Eastbourne in pre-season but this affair was to be entirely different, with both sides wanting to bag the £12,500 prize money and a chance to be in the draw for the First Round Proper.

It was the perfect start for Dover, taking a third minute lead through Stefan Payne. Parkinson deflected a cross from the right hand side, forcing the Eastbourne goalkeeper into a save. Payne intelligently followed up the rebound with a smart back heel into the net. The Whites played well in the first half, keeping Eastbourne at bay despite attacking intent from the home side. The Whites went into half time with a deserved lead.

The second half showed a resilient home side and they were rewarded a goal in the 77th minute, following a dangerous attack. There was nothing Mitch Walker could do to keep out the curling shot, which looked to have taken a deflection off a Dover player, not that the Eastbourne substitute McCallum would have minded.

It looked like things would end up all square, similar to last season’s encounter, however Sean Raggett clearly had other intentions. Raggett met an in-swinging corner to cruelly deny Eastbourne a replay at Crabble. The Whites players and fans alike were in jubilation, having secured Dover’s passage into the First Round for three consecutive seasons, something Whites fans had not seen before in the Club’s history.

*IS*DAFC News*IF*: Following the Whites’ victory over Eastbourne Borough in this year’s Emirates FA Cup, Dover were drawn against Evo-Stik Northern Premier side Stourbridge in the First Round Proper. The home fixture is due to be played on Saturday 7th November (Kick-off 15:00 pm).

*BS**IS*Tranmere Rovers 0-1 Dover Athletic*IF**BF* – Vanarama National League
Dover Athletic went into the game at Prenton Park full of confidence, looking to secure third place with a win over Tranmere. A large following of DAFC fans came to see their cub compete against a team that before this season had been a professional League club for 94 years. The large 16,500 seater stadium didn’t play on the minds of the Dover players, who looked more than comfortable in their surroundings for the entire match.

Dover were the team who threatened first; Stefan Payne hitting his effort wide of the goal, following a pass from Ricky Miller in the eighth minute of the game. The pair have been linking up well in recent weeks and a Payne’s pass to Miller saw Dover have a strong penalty shout turned down, the latter having seemingly being hauled down by a Tranmere defender.

Mitch Walker’s goal was only really threatened once in the first half, however Sean Raggett saw that the Tranmere effort was cleared off the line and into safety.
Dover’s hard work and determination paid off close to the half-time break, when Ricky Miller picked the ball up from the right hand side of the penalty box and fired a curling effort into the top corner of the goal to send the management, players and fans alike into jubilation.

A Tranmere side boasting Premier League and Football League experienced players came out in the second half looking to silence the away fans, who had not stopped singing all game. The home side did come close a few times, however the score line remained at 1-0. Dover had plenty of chances themselves to seal the three points. Ricky Miller was through on goal, only to be hauled down by Tranmere’s McNulty, resulting in a yellow card for the defender. Tranmere’s best effort in the second half was a shot fired just out of reach of diving Dover goalkeeper Mitch Walker, but the ball cannoned off the post and out of play. Ricky Modeste and Ricky Miller looked to take advantage of a goalkeeping error and the Tranmere goalkeeper Turner was lucky not to be tackled eight yards from his goal line.

Then some very neat interplay between Deverdics, Ajala and Parkinson on the edge of the Tranmere area saw the Whites almost score a second, but a good save from Turner denied Deverdics.

The final whistle sounded to the delight of the team and fans, having secured a deserved and historic win. The month of October was possibly one of the best months for the Club in recent years, in terms of results and teams played. Having tallied 15 points from a possible 18 and setting up a 1st Round FA Cup fixture versus Stourbridge FC with a win over Eastbourne Borough FC, the Whites go into November full of confidence and excitement of what can be achieved.

*BS**IS*November 2015 Fixtures*IF**BF*:
Stourbridge FC (H) – FA Cup 1st Round Proper- Saturday 7th November 2015 (15:00 pm Kick-off)
Eastleigh FC (H) – Tuesday 10th November 2015 (19:45 pm Kick-off)
Forest Green Rovers (A) – Saturday 14th November 2015 (15:00 pm Kick-off)
Barrow AFC (H) – Saturday 21st November 2015 (15:00 pm Kick-off)
Chester FC (A) – Tuesday 24th November 2015 (19:45 pm Kick-off)
FC Halifax Town (A) – Saturday 28th November 2015 (15:00 pm Kick-off)

*BS* Book your seat on the Supporters Club coach to Chester on Tuesday 24th November

Adults Members £35
Adult Non Members £40

Accompanied Child (under 16) £15

DASC Lotto Winner Tony Fuller

Departs Crabble @ 12:30pm

All coaches are covered by insurance, if the game gets called off you get a refund.
(Supporters Club Members only)

*BS*Please call or text Andy on 07934300335*BF*

*BS*Andy will be in the Centre Spot before & after every home game*BF*

*BS*Please book early so we know what size of coach to book as the larger one if needed may not be available later in the week*BF*

*BS*RULES FOR THE COACH TRAVEL*BF*

*IS*All vehicles are NON SMOKING
No alcohol will be permitted on our vehicles at any time (which means not just drinking alcohol but also taking it on the coach).
Any damage caused will be charged to the Supporters Club.
Any abnormal or excessive cleaning will result in a £50 fine payable by the Supporters Club.
No excessively rowdy behavior will be tolerated.

The Coach company runs a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY if any of the above restrictions are breached and any individual found to be flaunting the rules, they will be removed from the coach immediately, irrespective of the location of the vehicle.

It is obviously in everyone’s interest and to encourage people who are understandably wary about using the coach, that behavior is kept within the bounds of common sense.

Supporters Coaches are operated by the Dover Athletic Supporters’ Club and are in no way organised by or the responsibility of Dover Athletic F.C.*IF