Hopefully we can go all away and get promotion in front of our own fans, says Hessenthaler

Friday 09th April 2010

DOVER ATHLETIC go into tomorrow’s Blue Square South game with already relegated troubled Weymouth, with Andy Hessenthaler’s side knowing that they are just three points from securing post season football at Crabble, writes Mike Green.

Speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk this week, the Dover boss admitted that, “It would be nice to finish second and get home advantage in the play-off’s but if you look at the seven games that we’ve now run, five of them have been away from home so it might be better the way its looking if we were on the road as at the moment we’re tremendous away from home.

“Whatever happens, our aim was to get into the top five this year and it looks like we’ve done that. And lets face it I know better than anyone what can happen in play-off’s – hopefully we can go all the way and hopefully get promotion in front of our own fans at Crabble but what will be will be!”

Two of Dover’s nearest rivals – Chelmsford City and Braintree Town – drew with each other on Easter Monday allowing Hessenthaler’s side to open a points gap on City, a point that wasn’t lost on the Dover boss.

He said: “Of course we’d love to finish second and with Chelmsford dropping points today that means that they’re going to have to win their game in hand now to go above us.”

Paying tribute to his Easter Monday match winner Nicky Southall (who scored the only goal in Dover’s 1-0 win at park View Road against Welling United – a result that effectively ends the Wings own play-off dreams), Hessenthaler said, “He’s been first class all season and I don’t think he’s missed a game in the league and him at his age of 38 is fantastic – he loves the game and it shows.

“His experience in games like Monday’s helps no end, but as soon as the ball went out to him today we thought we’d have a chance of scoring. It was a good strike and a bit special.”

Ten years after winning a Wembley play-off final for Gillingham against Wigan, Hessenthaler conceded that “wouldn’t it be a great way to finish the season and take the club back to where they belong – in the Conference National. That’s what we set out to do when I came to the club and we could do it in three years which would be absolutely incredible.

“But we’ve got to get past the side at the bottom of the league, the league Champions (Newport County) and potential play-off opponents before we get to the post season, so fingers crossed that we can make it eight wins on the trot on Saturday against Weymouth at Crabble.”

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

Dover Athletic v Weymouth

Blue Square South

Saturday 10th April 2010

Kick Off 3:00pm

At Crabble, Lewisham Road, River, Dover, Kent CT17 0JB