The Blues mini-resurgence took a slight hit on Saturday, as we lost out to Chichester City 2-1. The hosts on Saturday were, however, in a patch of excellent form, and that victory took them to seven in a row. This weekend we are back in N12for our one and only home match in February and we welcome a Dover side who are a bit out of sorts in the form guide; having lost five of their last ten league matches which has seen them drop off the top of the table.
Our Opponents
Dover Athletic were relegated from the National League South last season, after a disappointing season which saw The Whites finish bottom of the table with just 27 points, only managing to secure four victories in their 46 games. This relegation closely followed the relegation from the National League which happened in 2021-22, with Athletic only securing one point that season, partly due to a points deduction.
Prior to this, the Kent side were in the National League for eight seasons, from 2014-15 through to 2021-22, and were not far away from reaching the EFL, having secured a playoff spot in 2015-16, before losing 2-1 over two legs to Forest Green Rovers in the playoff semi-finals. The following season, the Whites narrowly missed out on a playoff spot by three points. Since then, league performances have declined, seeing Dover relegated twice in three seasons to return to the Isthmian Premier League this year for the first time since 2008-09, when they were promoted as champions to secure back-to-back promotions, having also been crowned champions of the Isthmian South in 2007-08.
So far this season, Dover are sat in third place with 56 points from 29 games (W17 D5 L7). Dover had a mixed start, drifting around the top 10 places in the opening couple of months; an opening day 8-0 win marking their return to this level but followed up by a 3-2 defeat at home against Folkestone Invicta in a fiery Kent coast derby in front of nearly 2,500 fans at the Crabble Athletic Ground. There were other convincing wins early on including 5-2 against Chichester, and beating Dartford 5-1 at the start of September. After the Blues defeated the Whites in September, Dover went on a 6-game winning run which saw them hit the summit of the table, and looked to be running away with it. Since the start of December, however, it has been a real mixed bag with five wins, one draw and five defeats. It is this form that has meant that the chasing pack have caught up, and now leave the top five teams separated by just one point.
Head to Head
Earlier in the season, we inflicted Dover's second defeat of the season at that stage; running out 2-1 winners thanks to goals from Ayo Tanimowo and Ogo Obi. That clash looked to have been our first ever league encounter with Dover Athletic since our formation, with Dover's previous season at this level in 2008-09 occurring before the Blues were promoted to this division, and historically the Whites have been at a higher level of the non-league pyramid.
Last Time Out
Both sides come into Saturday's game on the back of a defeat. Dover lost 3-1 to Carshalton on Saturday; Carshalton scoring three goals in 30 minutes either side of the interval, before Luke Baptiste scored a late consolation for Dover for his 15th goal of the season. The Blues lost 2-1 at Chichester, a close encounter but Ogo Obi's 20th league goal of the season wasn't quite enough to secure any points in West Sussex.
Players To Watch
After having been aware of the threat posed by one golden boot candidate last weekend, in Jimmy Wild, this weekend the Blues have another to look out for on Saturday. George Nikaj has 21 goals in all competitions including 19 in the league which puts him in 3rd place in the scoring charts this season, including one against the Blues in September. 21-year old Nikaj progressed through Dover's academy and appeared for the Whites in the National League and National League South despite his tender age. As well as Nikaj and the aforementioned Luke Baptiste, Ruben Soares-Junior has netted 17 league goals himself, completing a potent attacking trio.
It will be a different man between the sticks for Dover on Saturday; usual goalkeeper Mitch Walker is injured and so the Whites have moved to sign Jordan Gillmore. The 22-year-old keeper started as a youngster with Chelsea before joining Millwall's academy. Local football fans may recognise the name as he joined Barnet in the summer of 2023, spending much of that season as back. After spending the start of this season with Welling, he joined Dover in December.
For the Blues, one man that has played more minutes than anyone else since joining in the Summer is Toby Byron. The left-sided defender has been impressive and reliable in equal measures this season alongside his fellow central defenders in Ben Frempah and Billy Cracknell. The latter missed Saturday's match with an injury picked up against Cray Wanderers, and Ahmet Rifat will be hoping the skipper is back available soon.
Tickets can be purchase in advance here and fans are reminded that all pints are reduced to £4.50 before 2.15pm so get in early to take advantage of our early bird offer! Cash and card is accepted throughout the stadium, and we look forward to welcoming you to the Maurice Rebak Stadium for Saturday's game. Come on you Blues!
Photos courtesy of Martin Addison.
Comments