Our bouncebackability is a sign of our unity and belief, says Dover Athletic boss Nicky Forster

DOVER ATHLETIC boss Nicky Forster says his side are fit and raring to go for the business end to the season.


They have lost two of their last fifteen league and cup games and sit in sixth-place in the Blue Square Bet (Conference) South league table, with 52 points, just six points behind Chelmsford City, although the Kent club do have one game in hand on the Essex outfit.

“As much as I like to set goals for batches of games, as we get into the business stage of the season it really is a case of taking each game as it comes,” Forster wrote in his weekly blog, which is published on www.doverathletic.com.

“Looking at our league there are arguably only five or six teams who really have nothing to play for in terms of pushing towards the top or pulling away from the bottom.

“As the weeks and games are chalked off more and more teams stagnate in mid-table with little to play for.  Until this happens nearly all are fighting for one cause or another which creates a no easy game scenario.

“This was clearly the case with Tuesday night’s draw at Hampton & Richmond, where we were caught out by a poor start conceding two goals within the first 27 minutes.  We went into the break 2-1 down after a goal from (Ian) Simpemba, which turned out to be vital as it gave us less of a mountain to climb and an impetus to push on in the second half.

“As the second half progressed we became more and more in the ascendency and I was confident that the pressure would finally tell, if a little too late to get a winner.

“One aspect of the team that has pleased me of late is the ability we have shown to come back from a goal down and either draw or win games.  This bouncebackability, to coin a phrase, is a good sign of unity and belief.

“Much of this credit has to go to sports scientist Niall Clarke, who has improved us enormously during his time here.  Testimony to this is that I can’t remember a game where we did not finish the game the stronger of the two teams and to the amount of goals we have scored inside the last fifteen minutes of games.”

Quotes courtesy of www.doverathletic.com  

Eastleigh  v  Dover Athletic
Blue Square Bet South
Saturday 17^th March 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Ten Acres, Stoneham Lane, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO50 9HT