We're working hard to improve our home form, says Dover Athletic boss Nicky Forster

DOVER ATHLETIC player-manager Nicky Forster says his players have to be ruthless in front of goal if they are to knock Tonbridge Angels out of The FA Cup on Saturday afternoon and end their current home jinx.



Tommy Warrilow brings his Tonbridge Angels side to Crabble for a mouth-watering Second Qualifying Round tie, but Forster is concerned that his side are saving all their best performances on the road and have failed to win all of their four home games.

“The FA Cup, certainly at this level, lower down the professional leagues and into the non-league’s it still holds that charm,” said Forster.

“It can throw up a possible very, very big tie and financially for the clubs it’s important for us, so we will be making this a real priority for us.”

Dover Athletic go into the Kent showdown sitting in seventh-place in the Blue Square Bet (Conference) South table, while Tonbridge Angels climbed up to sixteenth–place after winning their first league game of the season last weekend, beating Boreham Wood 4-2 at Longmead Stadium.

“I think it will be a tough game,” warned 39-year-old Forster.

“We’re playing against a team that’s in our own league so we go into it fairly level. 

“Both teams will be looking at it as a must-win game possibly to generate revenue for their respective clubs so I think both teams will be going into it positive, trying to win on the day.”

Dover Athletic reached the Third Round a couple of years’ ago when Martin Hayes’ side stunned Gillingham and Aldershot Town en-route to going out of the competition at Huddersfield Town.

“To get to the later stages and to possibly get a big tie against a big professional club, you’ve got to get through the earlier rounds and that means who’s put in front of you.

“We’ll go at it with a strong team, our strongest eleven and try to win the game.”

The Dover Athletic boss reflected on his own personal FA Cup moments.

“I’ve never really got that far,” he admitted.  “I got to the Fifth Round at Birmingham but not got beyond that.  I’ve never been hugely successful in it, but having joy not only playing against the bigger clubs, but enjoyed playing against the non-league clubs.

“I think it’s still a special tournament.  I think at times it’s devalued with the top teams playing much, much weaker sides and that’s why we’ve seen the likes of League One and Championship clubs get to the final stages of these competitions, but I still think it’s a great competition. It creates that buzz. I for one is very for it.”

During the past week Dover Athletic came away from Bath City with an impressive 2-1 win, but they were knocked out of the Kent Senior Cup Sponsored by Portablefloodlights.com by Ryman League Division One South outfit Herne Bay at Winch’s Field last night.

Forster said: “Bath, I thought was a fabulous result for us.  We were coming up against a team at the top of the league in terms of their home form so it was a very, very tough place for us to go.

“We’re very strong away from home at the moment so something had to give. I thought on the day we won 2-1. I thought we were worthy winners.

“Disappointed to go one down early in the second half, but the way we responded to come from a goal down away from home and to win 2-1 was a fantastic result.”

Dover Athletic exited the Kent Senior Cup at the first attempt after going down 2-1 after extra-time to last season’s Kent League title winners and FA Carlsberg Vase Semi-Finalists.

Forster said: “We played a strong enough team on Wednesday night against Herne Bay to win that.

“Again, we had chances but this time we didn’t take them.  We did draw level in the last few minutes to take the game in extra-time but we were undone on Wednesday by a couple of sloppy bits of defending.

“We’re learning lessons for making the odd mistake at the moment, but on the night we did enough to create chances to win both games.”

Reflecting on their league campaign to date, Forster knows his side must start making Crabble a fortress.

He said: “It’s a tale of two opposites at the moment.   Away from home we’re strong. We’re top of the league in terms of form and at home it’s the opposite so we’re working hard to improve our home form.

“I think the performances have been good at home but the results haven’t.  A little bit of composure and ruthlessness to convert our chances at home and things will turn I’m sure.

“It’s something we’ve had to look at over the last few seasons. We’ve been stronger away from home than we have at home.

“If we wasn’t creating chances I’d be worried, but we’re creating a load of chances and some stage, with the strike force we’ve got, we’ll start taking them and we’ll move up the form table at home as well.”

Meanwhile, Dover Athletic have announced the signing of midfielder Daryl McMahon from Eastleigh for an undisclosed fee. The 28-year-old has impressed against Dover for Farnborough, Boreham Wood and Eastleigh over the last three years.

Central defender, Sean Raggett, who signed a two-year contract with Dover Athletic in January 2012, has joined Herne Bay on loan and will go straight into the Simon Halsey’s squad to face Walton & Hersham at the weekend.

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

Dover Athletic  v  Tonbridge Angels
The FA Cup with Budweiser Second Qualifying Round
Saturday 22^nd September 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Crabble Athletic Ground, Lewisham Road, River, Dover, Kent CT17 0JB