Kentish Football 
DOVER CALL THE SHOTS: I would love to face Arsenal in Third Round, says two-goal hero Adam Birchall
Saturday 27th November 2010
STAR striker Adam Birchall has officially gone down in LEGENDARY status for sending Dover Athletic through to the Third Round of The FA Cup for the very first time in their history, writes Stephen McCartney.
Aldershot Town may have been 41 places higher than the Whites in the football pyramid, but they just couldn’t live with the highly-talented 25-year-old.
Birchall will forever be loved for THAT strike during their satisfying 2-0 away win over Andy Hessenthaler’s Gillingham in the First Round - but the former Arsenal and Barnet striker showed his talents again as he sent another League Two side crashing out.
Three-thousand Dover Athletic fans in a crowd of 4,123 crammed into an expectant Crabble and Birchall did not disappoint as another 25-yard screamer gave the Blue Square Bet South part-timers a 54th minute lead, before he slotted home a late penalty to send the Kent giants into dreamland.
The scenes at the final whistle, when fans streamed onto the pitch, with Birchall being the centre of attention, is just what the FA Cup is all about - a semi-professional side dumping their professional counterparts out of the FA Cup - in front of passionate fans who are proud to support their home town club.
Birchall, who had all off his kit in tact as he was interviewed afterwards, told www.kentishfootball.co.uk that he loves being a cult-hero at Crabble.
He said: “It’s one of those surreal moments, you always see everyone celebrating with their fans running on and getting lifted up and that type of thing, you never quite picture it happening to you.
“It just shows you what an amazing day it was and how great these fans are.
“It’s all about having someone that believes in you as a player and since I came here the chairman gets really stuck into the team. He makes you feel welcome and free to play the football you want.
“We changed managers this season and Martin Hayes plays wingers and I think that’s definitely helped my game out.
“I think now I’m starting to understand how I play best. I’m starting to come to feet a bit more - that’s my strength.
“When I was playing in the League it was more channel running and things like that and that’s not really my game.
“I think it’s just finding out who you are and that’s why I’ve come down to Dover to try and find what type of player I am and I’m enjoying every minute of it!”
Birchall played for Arsenal’s reserves during 2003-2005 and he says he is loving life at Dover Athletic.
“It’s a bit hard to put in context right now, I’m really hyper about it,” said Birchall.
“But it’s amazing to fall in love with a lower club. Since leaving Arsenal I haven’t loved a club the way I’m loving Dover and for everything that’s happened and to feel we’re beating the bigger clubs that used to be my level, League Two, and to beat them it still feels amazing to me given I used to play them every week, that sort of teams, I just love it!”
Birchall was delighted with his brace, admitting his goal from the spot dispersed the ghosts from recent weeks.
He said: “In my professional career I’ve been labelled as an in-the-box goalscorer. It’s something that I’ve added to my game this year, shooting on sight, really.
“To be honest I knocked it out of my feet and I struck it and the rest is a bit of a blur.
“It’s absolutely the biggest celebration I’ve ever done, sliding on my knees. I’m not sure it looked any good or not but it felt right so I did it!”
And on his clinical spot-kick, he added: “I missed a penalty (against Dartford) and I went the opposite side, which is not normally the side I go.
“It’s been haunting me a bit, been playing on my mind and I just wanted another penalty. Today was the day that it came and I was determined to put it right.
“Luckily I composed myself and looked where the keeper was going and just slotted it. It was very important to stay calm.”
Birchall explained why he was extremely grateful to chairman Jim Parmenter.
He said: “Mum and Dad couldn’t get a ticket because it sold out. I thought I’m going to struggle for tickets here because they couldn’t make last week so I’ve been on at the chairman all week to try and get tickets.
“I said they’re my lucky charms - but they were here - the chairman made sure they got two tickets as I’ve been nagging him and he finally gave in.”
The Third Round draw will be made live on ITV1 at 6pm on Sunday evening - and with such an association with London giants Arsenal - Birchall and manager Martin Hayes want to face Arsene Wenger’s side in January.
“For me it’s Arsenal. It’s got to be! I’ve got quite a few friends there who I played with at reserve level - Cesc Fabregas and Nicklas Bendtner and people like that will be amazing if we get them.”
Visit Dover Athletic’s website: www.doverathletic.com
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd