This Saturday sees us take on Dover Athletic in the National League looking for our first win of 2020, as the Whites visit Edgeley Park for the very first time.
Both sides go into this weekend’s game still harbouring realistic hope of finishing in the play-off places as we enter our final 14 games of the season. Despite Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Hartlepool extending our winless league run to four games, only one point separates us from Notts County in the final play-off place.
That defeat in the North-East saw us drop below Solihull Moors and Woking into 10th place in the National League, two points above Saturday’s opponents Dover, who missed the chance to go above us in the League Table on Tuesday night, going down 4-2 away at FC Halifax.
In an increasingly condensed League Table, defeat for County could see us drop as far down as 13th, with Hartlepool and Barnet also having the chance to leapfrog us – although a first home win since Boxing Day could well see us end the day back in the play-off places.
Since we last met
October’s first ever meeting between the two clubs will forever be remembered for THAT astonishing winner from Frank Mulhern, that goal from the half-way line sealing what was just our second away win of the campaign at the time.
The reaction from that defeat was positive though, as Andy Hessenthaler’s men then went on a run of three wins and two draws from their next five games, including a famous victory over League One Southend United in the FA Cup first round
In many ways though, that result against County was typical of the inconsistency of Dover’s season, with Andy Hessenthaler’s men struggling to find any kind of form at their own Crabble Stadium – winning just four home games in the League this season.
Away from home has been a different story however, with the Whites currently boasting the second-best away record in the National League, picking up 27 points on the road from just 15 games, a record bettered only by League Leaders Barrow, despite picking up just two points from their last four away games. Amongst their impressive results have been wins at 2nd place Harrogate and 3rd place Yeovil.
It is a record made all the more impressive when you consider that they have scored just 17 goals in those 15 away games, conceding 18 in the process, highlighting their ability to grind out results away from home.
County will have to be wary of Dover’s top goal scorer Inih Effiong, the Dover hitman scoring 11 goals so far this season. Seven of those goals, however, were scored before October – he is currently without a goal since scoring against Bromley on Boxing Day, but undoubtedly remains the dangerman.
Since promotion to the National League in 2014, the Whites have finished inside the top eight in four of their five seasons at this level, and will know that this game could prove crucial in their aims to get back there once again, as the play-off race continues to heat up.
Match Stats
- Despite having the second-best away record in the National League, only three sides have scored less away goals than Dover’s 17 (Sutton, Aldershot and Dagenham). They are the lowest scorers in the top 15 with just 39 goals this season.
- County are currently on a run of three home games without a win in all competitions – we haven’t gone four without a win at Edgeley Park since the end of the 15/16 season, losing to AFC Fylde and Lowestoft before drawing with Corby and Curzon Ashton.
- Saturday is likely to be Danny Lloyd’s first appearance at Edgeley Park since April 2017 v Gloucester – the winger scored five goals in his last five appearances in SK3.
