Hessenthaler reveales trialists' identities

DOVER ATHLETIC player-boss Andy Hessenthaler has named two of the trialists that will play against Kent League side Faversham Town on Saturday, writes Stephen McCartney.

Hessenthaler, who guided the club to the Ryman League Division One South title in his first season in charge, said that two squads will be playing for 45 minutes apiece during the Salters Lane warm-up.

And Hessenthaler, who is preparing the club for Ryman Premier League football, has revealed the two new faces that will feature.

Jerahl Hughes, 19, made two substitute appearances for Yeovil Town last season, having signed in July 2007, following his release from Crystal Palace that summer, and after a successful trial at Huish Park at the end of the 2006-07 season.

The pacey winger, who can play on either flank, possesses bags of natural talent and has excellent ball control, can cross the ball and has a good eye for goal.

Hughes joined Crystal Palace straight from school and came through their youth academy, showing good promise.

However, he didn’t actually make the first team at Selhurst Park.

And striker Nathan Bailey, 22, was released by Welsh club Llanelli AFC on 13^th May 2008 after just three substitute appearances.

A former Reading apprentice, he joined Llanelli in January 2008 after a successful trial. He played for Newport County in the 2005-06 season, after he was with his home-town club Reading from schoolboy level to a professional contract, but he was released after Steve Coppell replaced Alan Pardew as manager.

He then had brief spells at Colchester United, Darlington and Forest Green Rovers before joining Newport County in March 2006.

But at the end of the year he played in the Caribbean along with a stunt at York City before dropping down to the Ryman League Division One South with Walton & Hersham.




ON TRIAL: Jerahl Hughes (top) and Nathan Bailey (bottom) will feature during Dover Athletic’s opening pre-season friendly at Faversham Town on Saturday.
Photographs courtesy of www.ytfc.co.uk & www.welshpremier.com 



“We’ve got a number of trialists,” Hessenthaler told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.  “We’ve got a lad (Hughes) who played at Worthing last year and was at Palace at some stage and was at Yeovil before he went to Worthing, a right winger.

“We’ve got a centre forward, Nathan Bailey, who has come down from playing in Wales last year. He’s been brought up from the Reading academy system, with plenty of pace and strength and he looks quite promising in training but we want to see these boys in games.

“You have to give these lads a chance. They’re coming down and they’re working quite hard and me and Darren (Hare) will look at them in a real competitive game.”

The Dover squad will have had five training sessions prior to their first outing of the new season.

“I think the games are coming quite quick really,” said the Whites player-manager.

“That’s what the players want to do, they want to play games.

“I mean the difference between where I’ve been (in the professional game), obviously being full-time, where I’ve been full-time, we’ve been training every day but part-time (at Dover Athletic), you’ve only got them for the two nights a week so their not getting that much training before they actually start games.

“But to be fair that’s where they’re getting their fitness, playing games.

“We’ve had four sessions, we’ll have five by the time we play Faversham on Saturday. The boys are looking ok, looking forward to the weekend’s game and it will give us some sort of insight in our first practice game on certain trailists who we’ve got and assess the players’ fitness gradually.”

The game will give the club’s summer signings to impress the travelling army of fans.

Defender Olly Schulz, full-back Dean Hill and wide-midfielder Sam Jones have all arrived from their Ryman Premier League rivals Ramsgate, whilst Sammy Moore arrives from Stevenage Borough, having played for both Ipswich Town and Brentford (loan) last season.
 
“You know about the new signings we’ve got and it will be good to see them,” said Hessenthaler.

“They’ll get used to the way we want to play and get used to the existing players from last year.”

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

Visit Faversham Town's website:  www.favershamtownfc.co.uk

Faversham Town v Dover Athletic
Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday 12^th July 2008
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Salters Lane, Faversham