Kentish Football 
We have to do the business at home, says Dover boss Martin Hayes
Thursday 27th January 2011
DOVER ATHLETIC boss Martin Hayes says his side’s home form must improve if they are to claim one of the top five places in Blue Square Bet South at the end of the season, writes Stephen McCartney.
The Crabble club have slipped down to eighth place in the table with 38 points at the halfway stage - ten points behind leaders Braintree Town, although Hayes highlighted the fact that only four points separate second placed Chelmsford City to his club.
Dover came away from crisis-club Welling United with a 1-0 win last Saturday, courtesy of Donovan Simmonds’ goal in the final twelve minutes, making up from a disappointing 4-1 away defeat to Farnborough seven days earlier.
“After being extremely disappointed the week before against Farnborough, it was nice to go to Welling and put in a real solid performance and even nicer to come away with all three points,” said Hayes.
Hayes paid tribute to Welling player-manager Jamie Day, who has done an extremely excellent job in strangled circumstances at Park View Road.
He said: “He’s kept the same team together from the start of the season. It’s a good side with some good players there. Welling were equally as good from the first time we played them. All the games we’ve played this year, they’ve probably been one of the toughest games we’ve had, the both times we’ve played against them.”
Reflecting on the clean sheet, Hayes said: “It’s a bonus. I find it hard to work out why we’ve conceded so many goals because we haven’t played that badly, apart from Farnborough, when we were really off it.
“We know we’re going to create and score but we need to maybe (improve) concentration levels, because we do get lots of play.
“The pleasing thing on Saturday was it all came together. We had to defend and they asked us a lot of questions second half and put a lot of pressure on us but Ross (Flitney) didn’t have to make a lot of saves so I’m pleased to see things are falling into place down at that end (of the pitch) and it will give us the platform to kick on.”
It’s crunch-time at Crabble on Saturday, as Kent rivals Ebbsfleet United come to town.
The Fleet sit one place above Dover in seventh place in the table, whilst Dover have only one three league games at home and having won eight league games on their travels, getting it right in front of the Crabble faithful is what Hayes is looking to achieve.
“Totally different to Welling, they’re a bigger, stronger side, more direct,” Hayes said of Liam Daish’s side.
“They’ve been going well since we beat them at the beginning of the season. They’re up there, they’ve got the resources and they’ve got the set-up there.
“It will be a much together, stronger, probably more physical game. We have to get the ball down and play and hurt them with a bit of passing and a bit of pace.
“We really need to start taking advantage of our home advantage and start winning the games at home and not being so reliant on our away form so it will be a tough game.”
When asked why his side perform better on their travels and not on home soil, Hayes replied, “Do you know what? As hard as I’ve tried, I can’t! Some of the sides come to us with a game plan, maybe raise their game against Dover because it’s a nice ground, a big crowd, obviously they want to prove a point there against (FA Cup) giant-killers.
“There could be three or four reasons why we struggle at home and not away. Sides come here and are happy with a point and it’s really up to us and if we do concede sides shut up shop and make it very difficult. I can’t say why we’re so good away and really been off it (at home).
“It’s down to the players, they have to raise their game at home so I’m really hoping for the run-in we can get that in order and cash in. We’ve got some big games at home but we’ve got a lot of the lesser sides coming and we really need to punish them.”
Hayes will then prepare his side for another Kent derby next Tuesday, away to Bromley, a side that are presently sitting in third place in the table and enjoying their best season ever at this level.
“Bromley are another side we have to try to overtake if we’re going to cement our place and get in the top five,” said Hayes.
“We had a flat draw with them over Christmas so we need to go there and push again and it would be great if we can come away with four points over the two games that would be good, six would be marvellous.
“We’re playing all the top sides at the moment so while we’re picking up points it’s keeping us there and hopefully we can cash in when we play the lesser sides.”
The Dover boss hasn’t given up on overtaking Braintree Town to claim the title.
“I wouldn’t say Braintree are home and dry,” he said. “I think any of those seven (Chelmsford, Bromley, Farnborough, Welling, Eastleigh, Ebbsfleet and ourselves) are capable of catching Braintree.
“Braintree have obviously had a great start, their at the halfway stage and they’re sitting nicely but I think the seven below them are quite capable of beating them. Chelmsford have to play them and we’ve got to play them in a couple of weeks time, which will be a big match.
“I’m not looking at the three or four places, I think there’s five places to go there. Any five of the top eight can finish anywhere. I think it’s game on and it’s who does the business between now and the end of the season really.”
Elliott Charles (hamstring) and Sam Cutler (knee ligaments) have both been ruled out for the two Kent derbies.
Visit Dover Athletic’s website: www.doverathletic.com
Dover Athletic v Ebbsfleet United
Blue Square Bet South
Saturday 29th January 2011
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Crabble, Lewisham Road, River, Dover, Kent CT17 0JB
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