More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Boss Andy Hessenthaler has some tough calls to make ahead of Dover’s match this weekend.
Whites began a run of four successive National League South home fixtures on Saturday with a 3-1 win over Braintree.
They earned the victory, extending their unbeaten run to three matches, without suspended midfielder Jordan Higgs while player-assistant manager Mitch Brundle (knee) and striker Reece Grant (hamstring) were sidelined.
Higgs, who has played in defence as well as midfield this season, is available on Saturday when Dover host Slough while Grant could be fit to return.
But defender Will Moses did well alongside experienced duo Jake Goodman and Tyrone Sterling in the heart of defence against Braintree while 19-year-old midfielder Luke Baptiste did his chances of earning a starting berth no harm, netting off the bench against Braintree.
“Young Will Moses has given us a little bit of a headache. He started off a bit nervously but he did well,” said Hessenthaler, who had to bring full-back Myles Judd off at half-time as he suffered with dizziness.
“He grew into the game. Higgsy, who has been one of our better players, will be back and it gives me a bit of a headache this week about changing the team and what we’re going to do.
“But we’ll train this week and go from there.”
Goodman put in a brave defensive display against Braintree as well. The defender was back from a broken nose but did have his fingers strapped up on his right hand.
Hessenthaler - himself a tough midfielder during his playing days - had little sympathy for him, though.
He said: “I had a bit of a go at him early on because there were a couple of times he didn’t head it and I thought ‘Is he worried about his nose?’
“For me, he has to break it again - that’s what the game is about! I have been brought up through the Tony Pulis era so you have got to go out there and fight for everything, and you’ve got to be heading the ball.
“That’s probably the only blemish on Saturday, conceding a sloppy goal. But I’m not going to be too critical of the boys.”
With seven points from their last three games, Dover are 15th, just four points outside the play-offs.
But Hessenthaler said: “I never get too down with the criticism and I never get too high when it’s going well. Why would you?
“We have just got to keep sticking together, keep working as hard as we have been as a team of late, and you can see what we can do.”
Slough head to Kent 10th in the table, having lost 2-0 at home to Hemel last weekend.
“We have watched them. They are a good footballing side to be fair,” Hessenthaler said.
“It’ll be another tough game, every game is a tough game.
“The win at Weymouth was a really big game for us. We have picked up seven from a possible nine now but it’ll be another tough one this weekend.”
Two matches in four days, against Farnborough and Concord, complete Dover’s run of matches at Crabble.
Hessenthaler said: “We can get a bit of momentum. It’s a real opportunity for us.”
The Slough game this weekend replaces Dover’s scheduled trip to Oxford City, who are in FA Cup action.
That game is now on November 15, with Whites travelling to Chatham in the Kent Senior Cup on November 22.
Dover's Academy progressed into the First Round of the FA Youth Cup on Tuesday as they beat Walton & Hersham under-18s 6-2.
