*BS*Defender Michael Kamara talks about the side’s start to the season, picking himself up from the play-off final against Salisbury and the togetherness in Whites’ squad.*BF*

The 24-year-old has been ever-present in the side ever since his move from Carshalton Athletic in March of this year, and is pleased with how this season has started: “Overall, we’re pleased – the win against Ebbsfleet was fantastic and it was good to pick up a hard-fought win at Whitehawk.

“Of course, we’re disappointed at losing to Concord – but I think that was just a bad day at the office. We’re not going to win every game, but it’s about how we react to the defeats and manage to win the following game – which we did on Bank Holiday Monday.”

Kamara was full of praise for goalkeeper Mitch Walker’s performance against the newly-promoted Sussex side: “Mitch was incredible, I told him after the game that he effectively won it for us. I’ve played with a lot of good ‘keepers in my career so far, but Mitch is definitely up there with the best and he’s just going to improve even further.”

The Greek-born defender was on the losing side in last season’s play-off final defeat at Salisbury, and admits it was difficult to pick himself up from this: “At the time, it was tough – we’d got so far, and battled hard against Eastleigh in the semi-final, and to lose in the play-off in the way we did was difficult. Chris and Jake were fantastic, though – they told us not to dwell on the loss and to make sure we came back even stronger next season. There’s a real sense of unfinished business within the squad.”

Six of the players who started against Salisbury have now left the club, but Kamara feels the club have done well to strengthen over the summer: “We’re much more of a team this season. It’s been a good start to the season but it’s still early days – after 10 games or so, we’ll be much more aware of each other’s ability and style of play and that’s when we should be strong. The performance against Ebbsfleet showed that we can perform in the big games.”

*Q1*Unity is clearly prevalent in this year’s squad, which Kamara is quick to attribute to the management: “There’s a great togetherness about us, which has been encouraged by Chris and Jake. Every single one of us is determined to achieve a lot at the club. It’s not just off the pitch, we’re told to take the team spirit we have and show it on the pitch too.

“Personally speaking, I think Welling (last season’s champions) had excellent team spirit – I don’t think they were the best footballing team in the league, but their unity probably won it for them.”

Kamara is grateful to his old employers and the part they had to play in his move to Crabble: “I was under contract at Carshalton at the time. I heard Chris was interested in me but wasn’t sure anything would come of it due to my contract situation. However, I spoke to my chairman at Carshalton and explained the opportunity being offered to me, and he agreed to release me from my contract, which I’m grateful for – and I’ve got no regrets.

“I’ve played at this level before, for Staines, Boreham Wood and Woking, but Dover is the best non-league club I’ve been at. Everyone – from the chairman to the manager, and my team-mates – is so professional and the set-up is great. I’m always so excited to train and play.”

Speaking about the club’s supporters, Kamara feels like they will play a huge part in any success this season: “The atmosphere at Salisbury was great, but bettered against Ebbsfleet – wow, what a game to play in. They never stopped making noise throughout the game and I could hear them so clearly on the pitch – they’re our twelfth man and the support, both home and away, is incredible.”

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*BS*Chris Kinnear gives his verdict on Whites first defeat of the season, beaten 1-0 by Concord Rangers at Crabble on Saturday:*BF*

“Concord are a side that are very dogged and play for free kicks and corners. They make it very difficult and slow the game down. They only had one shot and scored whilst we spent most of the 2nd half in their half and put about 15 balls in the box from free kicks and corners, but we could not get on the end of them and there was not enough quality to get in there.”

*BS*What Whites’ performance was lacking…*BF*

“We didn’t look lively and were lacklustre. I’m disappointed, the players are disappointed and the supporters are all disappointed. But you could see they were trying, but they were running around without direction and it’s down to Jake and I to sort that out and give them direction. As long as we can teach them the right things they will do OK.

“This is a new team and we are learning about them all the time. At the moment we don’t know how each player will react after situations like this. All the players have come from different clubs and they will learn that teams will come here and frustrate us and that is what happened today. If they were a side that were settled for a year they would know that already.”

*BS*On bouncing back from defeat…*BF*

“The lads are down, but I am not going to knock them. They need to be ready for Monday. We need to learn from this and make sure it does not happen again as we need to be winning games like this.

“I am disappointed for the supporters as we started the season with two wins but hopefully we can go again from here.”

*BS*Chris Kinnear gives his verdict on Whites first defeat of the season, beaten 1-0 by Concord Rangers at Crabble on Saturday:*BF*

“Concord are a side that are very dogged and play for free kicks and corners. They make it very difficult and slow the game down. They only had one shot and scored whilst we spent most of the 2nd half in their half and put about 15 balls in the box from free kicks and corners, but we could not get on the end of them and there was not enough quality to get in there.”

*BS*What Whites’ performance was lacking…*BF*

“We didn’t look lively and were lacklustre. I’m disappointed, the players are disappointed and the supporters are all disappointed. But you could see they were trying, but they were running around without direction and it’s down to Jake and I to sort that out and give them direction. As long as we can teach them the right things they will do OK.

“This is a new team and we are learning about them all the time. At the moment we don’t know how each player will react after situations like this. All the players have come from different clubs and they will learn that teams will come here and frustrate us and that is what happened today. If they were a side that were settled for a year they would know that already.”

*BS*On bouncing back from defeat…*BF*

“The lads are down, but I am not going to knock them. They need to be ready for Monday. We need to learn from this and make sure it does not happen again as we need to be winning games like this.

“I am disappointed for the supporters as we started the season with two wins but hopefully we can go again from here.”

*BS*Concord Rangers inflicted Dover’s first defeat of the season on Saturday, Whites unable to break down the Skrill South newcomers.*BF*

Tom Murphy went closest for Whites on several occasions but was denied by good goalkeeping. The visitors scored the only goal of the game, a solo effort by substitute Danny Spendlove in the 2nd half.

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*BS*Concord Rangers inflicted Dover’s first defeat of the season on Saturday, Whites unable to break down the Skrill South newcomers.*BF*

Tom Murphy went closest for Whites on several occasions but was denied by good goalkeeping. The visitors scored the only goal of the game, a solo effort by substitute Danny Spendlove in the 2nd half.

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*BS*Jack O’Sullivan looks ahead to the visit of Skrill South newcomers Concord Rangers at Crabble. The Canvey Island club have goals in them and a history of overcoming the odds.*BF*

Conference football has returned to the town of Canvey Island for the first time since the 2006/07 season, but not for the eponymous Gulls – instead, Concord Rangers – based just three miles down the road – are looking to continue their climb up the pyramid.

It would be too easy to label Rangers as a side who will struggle this season. Indeed, they are priced up as one of the favourites to be relegated this season, although this is generally the case with newly-promoted sides.

During pre-season, I had the opportunity to speak to Alan Jessup-Peacock, chairman of the Concord Supporters Association. He feels his side are being underestimated, and have a chance to prove people wrong this season – as they have done repeatedly in the past: “Over the years I’ve followed this team, they have consistently been marked as the underdogs, labelled as a small pub team from Canvey Island that nobody has heard of.

“Although it may sound like a cliché, that simply spurs these guys on to upset the odds. Just look at the derbies against Canvey Island – five wins from six by the ‘smaller’ club, and nobody dared have the club down for promotion last season. Overcoming the odds is what these guys do.”

Their promotion to the Conference South came via the playoffs, where they defeated a much-fancied Lowestoft side who had scored over a dozen goals in the previous three meetings between the two.

Moving into their Thames Road ground in 1985, the side muddled their way around in the Essex Senior League for a number of years before finally clinching promotion to the Ryman Division One North in the 2007/08 season. They adapted well, finishing fifth in their first season – and gaining promotion to the Ryman Premier Division just a year later.

With 8th and 14th place finishes in their first two seasons, manager Danny Cowley strengthened his side in the summer of 2012 and set his side a target of a play-off place for the coming season. They managed this, and the aforementioned victory over Lowestoft ensured their place in the Skrill South for this season.

Rangers definitely have goals in their side, finding the net 495 times in their last six seasons – just over two goals per game. Jessup-Peacock believes his side can continue this attacking style of play, stating “our strikeforce is strong, and we have a group of midfielders that will flourish at this level.”

One key player that will miss the first couple of months of the season is their captain, midfielder Tony Stokes. Having risen through the youth academy at West Ham, Stokes has pedigree at a higher level and after his release from The Hammers, the 26-year-old played for Rushden & Diamonds, Brighton, and Stevenage, and also had a spell in Hungary with Újpest FC.

*Q1*With 78 goals in 124 games from centre midfield, Stokes has been influential in Concord’s rise up the pyramid and his return from an injury sustained in pre-season can’t come soon enough for the Essex side.

Midfielder Sam Collins has returned to Thames Road after a successful spell at East Thurrock United, where he picked up four end of season awards for the Ryman Premier side.

Also joining from East Thurrock is striker Sam Higgins, who could fill the goalscoring void left by Stokes. Regarded as one of the most potent forwards outside of the Conference Premier, Higgins scored over 100 league goals for East Thurrock in four seasons and spent time at Chelmsford City and Dartford before agreeing terms with Concord.

Rangers averaged just 193 fans at home last season – a figure which was improved upon in their inaugural Skrill South match against Basingstoke Town, where 306 were in attendance to watch The Beachboys suffer a 2-1 defeat. Despite this loss, Concord would have been pleased with their performance, more than matching their opponents for large periods of the game.

They also performed admirably on Tuesday night at Chelmsford, with goals from John Easterford and Jason Hallett earning Rangers their first point of the season in a 2-2 draw – but on the balance of play, they arguably deserved all three.

Saturday’s match will be one that Chris Kinnear will want to maintain Whites’ good record against newly-promoted sides. Last season, Dover won all four games against sides promoted from the Ryman Premier – Billericay Town and AFC Hornchurch – and they will be looking to do the same if Whites are going to push for a play-off place again this season.

It would be dangerous to underestimate Concord and Whites will need to remain respectful towards a side with a lot to prove this season.

*BS*Jack O’Sullivan looks ahead to the visit of Skrill South newcomers Concord Rangers at Crabble. The Canvey Island club have goals in them and a history of overcoming the odds.*BF*

Conference football has returned to the town of Canvey Island for the first time since the 2006/07 season, but not for the eponymous Gulls – instead, Concord Rangers – based just three miles down the road – are looking to continue their climb up the pyramid.

It would be too easy to label Rangers as a side who will struggle this season. Indeed, they are priced up as one of the favourites to be relegated this season, although this is generally the case with newly-promoted sides.

During pre-season, I had the opportunity to speak to Alan Jessup-Peacock, chairman of the Concord Supporters Association. He feels his side are being underestimated, and have a chance to prove people wrong this season – as they have done repeatedly in the past: “Over the years I’ve followed this team, they have consistently been marked as the underdogs, labelled as a small pub team from Canvey Island that nobody has heard of.

“Although it may sound like a cliché, that simply spurs these guys on to upset the odds. Just look at the derbies against Canvey Island – five wins from six by the ‘smaller’ club, and nobody dared have the club down for promotion last season. Overcoming the odds is what these guys do.”

Their promotion to the Conference South came via the playoffs, where they defeated a much-fancied Lowestoft side who had scored over a dozen goals in the previous three meetings between the two.

Moving into their Thames Road ground in 1985, the side muddled their way around in the Essex Senior League for a number of years before finally clinching promotion to the Ryman Division One North in the 2007/08 season. They adapted well, finishing fifth in their first season – and gaining promotion to the Ryman Premier Division just a year later.

With 8th and 14th place finishes in their first two seasons, manager Danny Cowley strengthened his side in the summer of 2012 and set his side a target of a play-off place for the coming season. They managed this, and the aforementioned victory over Lowestoft ensured their place in the Skrill South for this season.

Rangers definitely have goals in their side, finding the net 495 times in their last six seasons – just over two goals per game. Jessup-Peacock believes his side can continue this attacking style of play, stating “our strikeforce is strong, and we have a group of midfielders that will flourish at this level.”

One key player that will miss the first couple of months of the season is their captain, midfielder Tony Stokes. Having risen through the youth academy at West Ham, Stokes has pedigree at a higher level and after his release from The Hammers, the 26-year-old played for Rushden & Diamonds, Brighton, and Stevenage, and also had a spell in Hungary with Újpest FC.

*Q1*With 78 goals in 124 games from centre midfield, Stokes has been influential in Concord’s rise up the pyramid and his return from an injury sustained in pre-season can’t come soon enough for the Essex side.

Midfielder Sam Collins has returned to Thames Road after a successful spell at East Thurrock United, where he picked up four end of season awards for the Ryman Premier side.

Also joining from East Thurrock is striker Sam Higgins, who could fill the goalscoring void left by Stokes. Regarded as one of the most potent forwards outside of the Conference Premier, Higgins scored over 100 league goals for East Thurrock in four seasons and spent time at Chelmsford City and Dartford before agreeing terms with Concord.

Rangers averaged just 193 fans at home last season – a figure which was improved upon in their inaugural Skrill South match against Basingstoke Town, where 306 were in attendance to watch The Beachboys suffer a 2-1 defeat. Despite this loss, Concord would have been pleased with their performance, more than matching their opponents for large periods of the game.

They also performed admirably on Tuesday night at Chelmsford, with goals from John Easterford and Jason Hallett earning Rangers their first point of the season in a 2-2 draw – but on the balance of play, they arguably deserved all three.

Saturday’s match will be one that Chris Kinnear will want to maintain Whites’ good record against newly-promoted sides. Last season, Dover won all four games against sides promoted from the Ryman Premier – Billericay Town and AFC Hornchurch – and they will be looking to do the same if Whites are going to push for a play-off place again this season.

It would be dangerous to underestimate Concord and Whites will need to remain respectful towards a side with a lot to prove this season.

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*BS*Watch Tom Murphy’s spectacular winner against Ebbsfleet on DAFCtv. His goal claimed three points for Dover on Tuesday night in front of 1562 fans at Crabble.*BF*
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