After last week’s 3-3 draw at home to Chorley, Aldershot Town travel to Kent to take on Dover Athletic at the Crabble Stadium on Saturday.
Rob Worrall previews the game:
Shots Squad:
Danny Searle should have the vast majority of his playing squad to pick from for the trip to Kent. Alex Finney made a successful return from injury last weekend and George Fowler is close to a return. Shamir Mullings (Dulwich Hamlet) and Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong (Dartford FC) continue their loan spells away from the EBB.
Opposition:
Name: Dover Athletic
Founded: 1983 (Following dissolution of Dover F.C)
Nickname: The Whites
Manager: Andy Hessenthaler
Stadium: Crabble Stadium
2018/19 National League position: 14th
Brief History:
Dover Athletic were established in 1983 shortly after the fall of Dover F.C. The new club took the old club’s place in the Southern League. Their nickname is “The Whites” simply named after the colour of their kit. The club worked their way up to the Conference during the 90s before dropping back down a couple of levels after the turn of the century. They returned to the Conference Premier in 2014 and they’ve been in the 5th tier of English football ever since.
The Gaffer:
Andy Hessenthaler is currently in his second stint managing Dover Athletic. In his first period of time at the club between 2007 and 2010 he led the club to back-to-back promotions from the Isthmian League Division One South and then the Isthmian League Premier Division. He used to play non-league himself and also became a professional when he joined Watford at the age of 26. The 54-year-old moved into management swiftly after his playing career, taking up a player-manager role while at Gillingham. He had spells at Barnet, Leyton Orient and Eastleigh before returning to Dover in 2018.
Playing Squad:
Ex-Woking striker Inih Effiong is the danger man upfront for Dover, having notched 9 goals so far, matching his overall total of last season. Second top scorer Ricky Modeste (5 goals to date) will miss Saturday’s game due to concussion protocol, following a head injury last Saturday. Ex-Chelsea and Leeds midfielder Michael Woods is one of the Whites new additions this season. Winger Nassim N’Ghoul has also caught the eye in recent weeks.
Referee:
The man in the middle for this game will be Samuel Barrott, who has taken charge of 11 National League games so far this season, showing 27 yellow cards and 1 red card.
Commentary:
BBC Surrey Sports Rob Worrall and Aldershot Town supporter Andy Oliver will be covering the game live on Saturday afternoon. Tune in to the BBC Sport website (or the BBC Sport App) from 2:50pm for full match commentary. To interact with them, tweet @RobShot66.
