Cold snap forces Dover Athletic to rethink travel plans to Fleetwood

Friday 08th January 2010

DOVER ATHLETIC face a logistical nightmare to play their FA Carlsberg Trophy second round tie at Blue Square North Fleetwood Town tomorrow, writes Stephen McCartney.

UPDATE: 11:20 - This match has been postponed.
This article was published before the decision to postpone the match was made. We will leave the article on the website for Andy Hessenthaler's views on the match and travel arrangements.

The Lancashire club are pulling out all the stops to ensure that the game at their impressive Highbury home does go ahead, and both clubs have funded pitch covers.

A Glasgow based company has covered the Highbury playing surface with a protective dome filled with warm air and the highflying Blue Square North club trained on their pitch last night, according to Dover boss Andy Hessenthaler, who told www.kentishfootball.co.uk this morning that he is surprised that the game has beaten the big freeze.

Players and club officials will be leaving at lunchtime today and will be staying at a hotel overnight in nearby Preston, whilst brave supporters will be departing Crabble at 5 o’clock on Saturday morning (the departure time has been brought forward an hour) to make the 660 mile round trip.

Hessenthaler, speaking from his home at snowbound Sittingbourne said, “I must admit I’m very surprised, all the game’s have been called off.

“We’re actually travelling up at lunchtime today. We’re staying in Preston and Preston’s (Championship game at home to Doncaster Rovers) has been called off.

“To be fair to them they’re pulling all the stops out to get the game on. It’s not going to be a pretty journey for us today.”

Hessenthaler’s plans for the game have been jeopardised and he admits that his injury-hit squad will go into the game rusty.

“We haven’t prepared right for the game, I must admit because we haven’t been able to train,” he said.

“ We done a little bit of training on Tuesday night inside but last night we couldn’t train at all so we’ve had no real preparation for the game training wise.

“They’ve trained on their pitch last night so they’ve been able to prepare right. We can’t do too much about it. We’ve got to go up there and be focused, we’ll prepare the best way we can. We’ll attack the game the best way we can and see what happens.”

True professional Hessenthaler admits his side are the underdogs, against a side that are second in Blue Square North table.

“I want the game to go ahead now,” said the 44-year-old. “Let’s get the game on. We’ll have to travel up on a Tuesday night if the game was called off and that makes it very difficult in respect of players getting time off work, probably asking for two days off work.

“That’s not going to be easy so if the game does go ahead tomorrow we’ll get the game up and running, finish it and hopefully we’ll go up there and if we don’t win the game, let’s bring them back to the Crabble because that will be a difficult one for them.

“We’ll go up there, we’ll be positive. Let’s hope we can get a result against a very good side.

“One thing we are, I’d say we’re the underdogs tomorrow. That makes it slightly different than normal because normally we’re the favourites. We’re the underdogs, that’s how I see it anyway because they’re on their own patch and going well at the moment.”

Hessenthaler paid tribute to the loyal band of supporters, who are taking advantage of free coach travel to make the journey north.

“Listen, it’s going to be a horrendous trip for them, the day of the game,” he said.

“It’s not going to be a nice journey for them, but let’s hope they have a save journey up there and we can have a real big go and a big effort for them and get a result.

“I live in Sittingbourne and I’m sitting here now and we’ve got heavy snow. I haven’t been able to get out yesterday, so I need to get out today to meet the coach so we’ve all got our problems.”

Hessenthaler is down to the bare bones for tomorrow’s game as injuries and suspensions to influential players bite.

Jon Wallis (calf) and Danny Walder (hamstring) will travel, but the pair will have fitness tests prior to the game.

Jake Leberl (hamstring), Sam Moore (suspended), Sam Gore (groin) have been ruled out, whilst Dean Grant cannot play as he is cup-tied, having played for Folkestone Invicta in the earlier rounds.

Tom Davis, who is on loan at Croydon Athletic, cannot be brought back within the first 28 days of his loan spell with the Ryman League Division One South big-spenders.

Hessenthaler added: “We are missing players. Hopefully Wallis and Walder come through fitness tests. If those two actually pull out we are down to fifteen players, sixteen with myself. We are pushing it but we’ve got to get on with it.”

Visit Fleetwood Town’s website: www.fleetwoodtownfc.com

Visit Dover Athletic’s website: www.doverathletic.com

Fleetwood Town v Dover Athletic - MATCH POSTPONED
FA Carlsberg Trophy Second Round
Saturday 9th January 2010
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood, Lancashire FY7 6TX