We want to achieve what we missed out on last year - promotion, says Dover boss Martin Hayes

DOVER ATHLETIC boss Martin Hayes says he is in a position to win the Blue Square Bet South title at the end of the season, writes Stephen McCartney.


Goals from Benik Afobe, the talented Henri Lansbury and Luke Freeman gave Premier League giants Arsenal a 3-0 win at Crabble last night – in front of 2,529 fans.

Dover Athletic complete their pre-season campaign with a trip to Hayes’ home-town club, Billericay Town, on Saturday.

Hayes expects the Ryman Premier League side to give his team a rigorous work-out before the Kent club’s Blue Square Bet South opener the following weekend.

“I always want us to have a harder game as possible before you kick-off the season and you try to pick a strong Ryman Premier side as you can to give us a tough match” explained Hayes.

“You want it to be like a league match.  They always try to compete as much as they can and they will bring players in as they want to do well in the Ryman Premier, so it will be a reasonable crowd and a good atmosphere.

“I’m hoping they will cause us some problems before we line-up against Dorchester so I’m expecting a tough, competitive match.  We’d rather have a tough one before we go into the start of the campaign.”

Dover Athletic kick-off their Blue Square Bet South campaign with a visit from Dorchester Town on 13 August.

And with the calibre of summer signings arriving at Crabble, Hayes has one of the best squad of players the club has had for many a year.

Hayes said: “We took six lads’ now from the Conference, which is nice to get those lads’ as they bring with them some experience and we have some leaders in the changing room.  Getting Steve Watt to commit himself on Saturday is good news.  They’ve all settled in well, they’re all focused and ambitious, which is nice.

“With the players we’ve got, I would expect us to sustain a challenge at the top of the league.  You still expect the Woking’s, the Chelmsford’s and I think Sutton will be a strong package – and the boys down the road at Dartford will fancy their chances this year so I expect us to be competing with those sides.”

Hayes added: “We want to achieve this year what we missed out on last year, which was promotion.”

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

Billericay Town  v  Dover Athletic
Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday 6^th August 2011
Kick Off 3:00pm
At New Lodge, Blunts Wall Road, Billericay, Kent CM12 9SA