We just have to try and win games as we've got no control over leaders Welling, says Chris Kinnear

DOVER ATHLETIC boss Chris Kinnear says his side must keep on winning games and hope that leaders Welling United slip up.



Third-placed Dover Athletic are now fourteen points behind the Wings, with two games in hand over their Kent rivals.  Dover Athletic have collected 60 points from their 33 games in Blue Square Bet (Conference) South.

Welling United’s game away to basement side Truro City was one of a couple of games that took place in the division yesterday, and goals from Theo Fairweather-Johnson and a brace from Ross Lafayette sealed a 3-0 victory in Cornwall.

Dover Athletic’s trip to Staines Town yesterday was postponed due to an unplayable pitch at Wheatsheaf Park and Kinnear put his nine-match unbeaten squad through their paces in training.

”Well you just get on with it,” said Kinnear.  “Fortunately we could train yesterday, so we did some training, sharpened the lads up and allowed one or two to deal with their injuries.

”It’s one of those things. You don’t moan about it, you just get on with it.”

Kinnear, whose son Chris plays for Kent League side Corinthian, has yet suffered a defeat since his return to the club from Margate and he is pleased with the way things are going.

He said: “Everyone’s been welcoming. It seems like most people, nearly all of them were pleased that I came back. It’s just been a great start, so we’re really happy.

”When I first went there (my first spell in charge) it was struggling a little bit and we built the club really. The ground’s the way it is now because the chairman’s been able to push on, but we got the club into the Conference and now it’s a proper club for whoever goes in there now. It’s very professional now where as before the club was learning how to compete at that level.

”It’s all about the supporters’ getting behind you and it’s still about players’ trying to win games.  I don’t find it that much different (to my first spell in charge). It’s ok when you’re winning I suppose, but we’re happy with it.”

Back to today, Kinnear added: “It couldn’t be much better really could it? There’s some good players there without a doubt. We’ve been able to take over a decent squad and we haven’t changed it much.

”We’ve given them a bit of direction and organised how we wanted it. I’m sure Nicky (Forster) who was there before had his ideas but we’ve not really talked about what’s happened before. We’re talking about what we want.”

Dover Athletic return to action on Tuesday night when AFC Hornchurch visit Crabble.

The Essex side lie in the bottom five with 38 points from 34 points – four points clear the relegation zone - and have struggled to adapt to life back in Conference South after clinching promotion from the Ryman Premier League alongside Billericay Town.

Kinnear expects a tough game against a side fighting to maintain their status.

He said: “They’ve picked up a few decent results haven’t they?  They went to Chelmsford the other day and won 4-1.  They got promoted last year and last year they looked a really good side and they’ve still got some very good players there.

”It won’t be easy. They’ve got a lot of pride down there. The club want to progress so all they will do is work hard and try and get the ball in our box and get us and hopefully we can get the ball going the other way.”

Dover Athletic then welcome eleventh-placed Sutton United to Crabble on Easter Saturday, before travelling to fourth-placed Chelmsford on Easter Monday.  Both games kicking off at 3:00pm.
 
”Again that’s what football is, isn’t it?  You know you have to do that over the Easter period.  Hopefully we can get through the game on Saturday against Sutton and then it’s about recovery and being ready for the game on Monday.
”There’s no easy games. The lads’ are ambitious. They want to get themselves up there as high as possible so it won’t be for the want of trying.  They’ll be giving it the best they can.”

Jamie Day’s Welling United are favourites to go on to clinch promotion at the end of the season, thus ensuring Dover Athletic must settle for a play-off spot, being seven points clear of fifth-placed Weston-super-Mare.

”Well to be fair, they’re a long way away from people aren’t they, but stranger things have happened,” said Kinnear.

”As I’ve said before, we’re not worried where they are.  We have to worry about ourselves.  It was a game they possibly should have won anyway down at Truro, but they’ve got some hard games coming up.

”Yes, they’re getting away.  Again, we can’t worry about them. We’ve got no control over what they do at all. We just have control over us and we just have to try and win games.”

With transfer deadline day fast approaching at the end of the month, Kinnear says:
”I’m happy with what we’ve got. We’ve got Sam Long registered now. He’s at Cray Wanderers, which we were always going to do. He’ll be playing for Cray. We’ve just signed him for a re-assurance because he’s played for me at Margate and done really well. He’s a lad with a lot of talent.

”Something might come up between now and Thursday. I am happy with what we’ve got. We’ve got a half decent squad.”

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

Dover Athletic  v  AFC Hornchurch
Blue Square Bet South
Tuesday 26^th March 2013
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Crabble Athletic Ground, Lewisham Road, River, Dover, Kent CT17 0JB