DOVER ATHLETIC’S new board received some welcome reward on Monday night for their summer months of toil.

Apart from the result, a 2-1 win over Crawley, the most pleasing aspect for chairman Mick Kemp and his fellow directors was the size of the crowd.

There were 1,038 at Crabble to witness the goals from Paul Sykes and Jamie Day which left Whites with maximum points from two games - a stark contrast to last season when they lost their first five Conference matches.

None of Saturday’s Dr Martens Premier Division fixtures attracted a four-figure crowd, and a delighted Kemp said: “We had been hoping around 800 on Monday, and to get over a 1,000 for a midweek game was brilliant.

“Monday night was about as good as its gets. The crowd were excellent. They really got behind the team. I think they responded to the spirit that the team showed."

Manager Clive Walker says that Sykes is unlikely to be fit for either Saturday’s home game with Weymouth or the Bank Holiday visit to Folkestone Invicta, both of which have 3pm kick offs.