Braintree v Dover Athletic

DOVER welcome back Matt Carruthers for their trip to Braintree on Saturday as Clive Walker's team make a last ditch bid to keep their Ryman League Premier Division survival hopes alive.

Carruthers has now served his suspension after the 1-0 defeat at home to Folkestone on Easter Monday where three key players were banned, seriously weakening the side. Victor Renner and Craig Cloke will be available again after the Braintree game.

Walker has to look forward now and get his team up for the trip to fourth-placed Braintree. Whites have a difficult run in and he said: "We’ve got some hard games. A lot of the teams we’re playing are in play-off situations. We’ve just got to win our remaining matches."

Striker Craig Wilkins has come off the bench in his last two games but is still some way off match fitness. He is likely to be a substitute again at Braintree.

Young forward Michael Smissen has returned from Southern League Division 1 (East) side Chatham, but midfielder Stuart Maynard last week accepted an offer to sign for Dunstable, where he lives.

Walker unveiled new signing, former QPR, Wycombe and Oldham youth player Alistair Heselton against Folkestone, after the striker moved to Crabble from Ryman Premier rivals Northwood. Defender Nick Humphrey has also returned to Dover and went straight into the side against Folkestone.

Braintree have now gone ten league games unbeaten since a defeat at Tonbridge on New Year’s Day and a run of nine successive wins in all competitions recently came to an end. Moreover they are unbeaten at their Cressing Road home in the league since September 25.

The Iron, as they are nicknamed, are managed by the renowned George Borg, one of the biggest managerial names on the non-league circuit. Veteran non-league striker Gary Abbot now turns out for the Essex club.

Five wins from their last five games - some ask for any side - would give Dover 47 points and almost certain safety. Their fate is now partly in the hands of other teams and they might get away with 45 points, so they can afford one failure to win at most in the final run in.