Dover Athletic manager Mitch Brundle reacts to 0-0 National League South draw against Bath City
Published: 05:00, 05 March 2023
Updated: 11:16, 05 March 2023
Mitch Brundle concedes he was as bored as he has been since becoming Dover boss during their goalless draw at home to Bath City on Saturday.
Whites probably looked the more likely to score, but nobody could find a way through at Crabble as they extended their unbeaten National League South run to six games.
Brundle said: “I think we had the better of the chances. But it wasn’t a game for the neutral!
“I said to them [his players] at half-time that it’s the most bored I’ve been, stood on the sideline as a manager. That didn’t excite me one bit but it’s six unbeaten.
“It’s still positive, don’t get me wrong, and it shows where we have come to that we are disappointed to draw 0-0 with Bath and earn our fourth clean sheet in a row. It was just one of those days.
“I’ve just looked at the results and a lot of teams drew today. We weren’t at the races. It’s the worst we’ve performed.
“I could be critical with aspects of certain bits but the keeper has tipped one onto the bar and we’ve had chances in the first half, and [Noah] Carney should score.
“But to be fair, it didn’t look like we were ever going to score. But they didn’t look like ever scoring, either.”
But Dover, who are at home to Cheshunt on Tuesday, have now kept four straight clean sheets while putting together their unbeaten streak.
They last kept four clean sheets in a row in the 2018/19 season and have not had a run of six games without tasting defeat since an nine-match unbeaten run at the end of the same National League season.
“That’s where we’ve come [to] as a club,” noted Brundle. “That’s where we have changed now.
“I’d have snapped your hand off for that when I first got the job. But I will always try and be better and, to be fair, that’s why I’m so - I wouldn’t say disappointed - more frustrated.
“We created enough chances to score and win the game. It is what it is.
“I’ve not really got the words to try and describe how I’m feeling. I could just be critical, and I’m allowed to be, but we’d have snapped peoples’ hands off a few weeks ago to be six unbeaten and we are now.
“Four clean sheets, as well, and it’s four years since the club last did that.
“We’re going in the right direction and I think it’s a positive the fact that I can stand here as the manager and be frustrated that we haven’t won the game, and we’ve drawn against a good team.”
There was a minute’s applause before kick-off in tribute to long-serving Dover fan Bob Hill, who recently died.
“I’d just like to send my condolences to Bob Hill’s family,” said Brundle.
“It’s sad that he’s lost his life and we respected him today with a round of applause.
“As you could see, it meant a lot to a lot of people here. He’s been a fan for plenty of years.
“We just wish their whole family well and hope they’re all doing okay, and that’s from everyone - from top to bottom - at this football club.”
While Dover are 14th in the table, 21st-placed Cheshunt are inside the relegation zone on goal difference and drew 1-1 at fourth-placed Havant on Saturday.
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Thomas Reeves