Dover Athletic manager Chris Kinnear will use a ‘spying report’ from an unlikely source as he prepares for Saturday’s clash with play-off rivals Bath City at Crabble.

Kinnear revealed after Tuesday’s 2-0 Skrill South home win over Maidenhead that club chairman Jim Parmenter had given him a report on the Somerset side’s 3-1 home victory over Whitehawk last weekend.

He said: “After our game at Weston-super-Mare was called off, Jim, who had taken his wife down to Bath for the weekend, went to watch their game with Whitehawk and he produced a decent report for me.

“Because we have worked together for a long time, we probably have got a different relationship than most chairmen and managers and it was nice of him to do that.
“But if we win 4-0 on Saturday, he’ll be able to say it was all down to him!”

And Kinnear revealed that Mr Parmenter had also played a key role in Tuesday’s welcome home win, saying: “The chairman went out and bought a new blotter machine (which can quickly remove large amounts of standing water) and was out there using it on the pitch before the game.

“It was unbelievable how firm the pitch was. It was the best surface we’ve played on here for some time.”

With more rain expected this week, the machine could well come in handy again to help ensure that Saturday’s game goes ahead against a Bath side who the Whites have beaten twice this season, including a 1-0 home win in the FA Trophy in November when Nathan Elder was on target.

The striker is available again this weekend after completing a three-match ban but, with Jeff Goulding continuing to make an impact at Crabble, Elder seems likely to have to settle for a place on the substitutes’ bench.