Kentish Football 
We have to be at our very best to get a result at Dover, says Bromley coach Neil Smith
The Lillywhites – also known as The Ravens – have a proud history because they are three times winners of the old FA Amateur Cup back in 1911, 1938 and 1949.
But on Saturday Mark Goldberg’s side travel down to Dover on a six-match unbeaten run and lie in ninth-place in the Blue Square Bet (Conference) South table, with 13 points form ten games.
Dover Athletic are in sixth-place, with three more points, but an injury crisis is keeping the physio at Hayes Lane busy at tonight’s training session.
“It’s going to be a massive game, a very difficult game, obviously being away to Dover,” said Smith, 41, who played for the likes of Gillingham, Fulham and Reading.
“We’d love to have a home game but it’s not to be, so we go away from home again, after a difficult game against Sutton, for an even harder game.
“We’re on a good run of form unfortunately with players out. We’re down to the bare minimum in the squad.
“It’s going to be difficult but the boys that have come in and replaced the lads have done a really good job.
“We’ve got to ask them to be up there and above, playing a side like Dover.
Bromley resident Smith opted to keep the current injury situation at the club close to his chest, but added: “We’re in training tonight and we’ll assess it after tonight, but it’s not looking good!
“We’re bodies down, very experienced bodies, especially against a team with some of the players’ that Dover have got. It’s going to be difficult. Tonight is going to be do or die for the boys. They’ll come in and do a training session and see who we’ve got.
“We’re going in there knowing we have to be at our very best to get a result there!”
Dover Athletic have a quality squad and they were seconds away from coming away with a 1-0 win at Welling United in midweek, but Joe Healy held his nerve to convert a last-gasp penalty to give Jamie Day’s side a deserved point.
Ben May had given Dover a first half lead from the penalty spot.
When asked how Bromley can come away from Crabble with a famous win, Smith replied, “It’s going to be won – or lost – by hard graft. We’re away from home, we’re at Dover and they go and buy a player like Daryl McMahon (from Eastleigh) and they’ve got a Ben May in there. They’ve got the experience and very good players.”
Smith added: “The pressure’s on them. We’re going into a game where the pressure is all on them.
“It’s all or nothing for us in respect we go there, patched up or not and whatever team we put out we’re going to give it 110%.”
Bromley defeated Welling United, Margate and Dartford to reach the FA Cup First Round last season.
Not many people gave them a chance to knock out Dartford at Princes Park in the Fourth Qualifying Round last season.
But a win over Dover Athletic in The FA Cup will go down as one of the club’s biggest ever results.
Smith said: “We had to do it the hard way last year going away to Dartford in a similar situation but we got a result.
“We don’t fear anybody. Don’t get me wrong, but it would be lovely to go to Dover in the FA Cup with the players that are out injured, but the players that have come in and covered for them have done a fantastic job.
“We do go in there with a lot of confidence, but we know it’s going to be a tough game.
“Dover will be massive favourites but you only have to look at the team they can put out and the players they’ve got on their subs bench. Callum Willock wasn’t’ even starting (against Welling United), he was playing for Ebbsfleet last year and we’d love to have that situation.”
Bromley took 1,689 supporters to Leyton Orient in the FA Cup First Round last season, but any hopes of beating their first ever League opponents in the competition were dashed after the League One outfit comfortably won 3-0 at Brisbane Road.
Smith says the club will bring plenty of support down to Crabble on Saturday and he wants to bring another memorable day to the Hayes Lane faithful.
“I’ve spoken to a few supporters that I know and they’re all going to go down and have a good day out – that’s what the Cup games are all about,” said Smith.
“If we can bring them back to Hayes Lane, great, but if we can get a result, a win, even better.
“It’s going to be tough, but we’re looking forward to it, but we’d just love to have our main players in there as well to put it right amongst the mix.”
Smith wants to repay club owner Jerry Dolke by getting to the First Round again this year.
He said: “There’s always pressure on clubs like ourselves to get there. Any sort of money we can bring into the club to help it out is what we’re always looking for.
“On the other side of things we know how difficult it is to do it year in year out to get a result and get a League club in the First Round.
“Some of the boys have experienced it last year and they’d like to do it again for the supporters. If not for people like Jerry (Dolke) who over the last ten years’ has financially backed that club 100% over the years and we’d like to repay him if we can.”
Reflecting on their past week, Bromley have picked up 1-1 draws at home to Havant & Waterlooville – when they had defender Liam Harwood sent off early on – and they came away from Basingstoke Town with a point in midweek.
“We know these guys are committed so that’s what we have to be on Saturday,” said Smith.
“To get any result we have to be at our very, very best.
“The boys’ are buzzing. Going down to ten-men after five minutes and go 1-0 up and unfortunately probably due to energy levels giving away a goal in the last eight minutes of a game with a team that had eleven was a fantastic performance.
“And to go away to a very strong Basingstoke side and put in a performance like that is brilliant.
“The guys have done really, really well and we are confident but we know it’s going to be a very hard game at Dover.”
Meanwhile, Smith said it was “fantastic” that Frenchman Pierre Joseph-Dubois was honoured as the Blue Square Bet South player-of-the-month for September after scoring six goals in as many games for the Kent club.
Visit Bromley’s website: www.bromleyfc.net
The FA Cup with Budweiser Third Qualifying Round
Saturday 6th October 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Crabble Athletic Ground, Lewisham Road, River, Dover, Kent CT17 0JB
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd