Whites hit by back to back defeats.

The Bank Holiday weekend ended with the Whites facing back to back defeats, and it was a familiar foe that led to our downfall.

The first instalment of this double header saw league leaders Worthing head to town, a team that played some liquid football the last time the two sides met at Crabble in January. With only eight minutes on the clock, Nicky Wheeler thumped in a rasping drive from outside the penalty area to give the visitors the lead. Terrell had no chance as the ball clipped the underside of the crossbar and bounced in. Worthing had plenty of possesion but failed to capitalise anymore in the opening 45 minutes as both teams lacked any real cutting edge.

With just six minutes played after the restart, Sutherland raced through 1 on 1 with the goalkeeper and chipped over him, only for the ball to drop agonisingly the wrong side of the post. It was a real chance and really should have brought the teams level. Moments later and a low cross flashed across goal by Oyenuga was begging to be put away, but there was no one in a white shirt to capitalise.

Mitch Brundle’s team poured forward but couldn’t quite find the breakthrough with Worthing’s backline holding firm. With just eight minutes remaining, substitute Meekuns cut in from the right hand side and slid the ball home to ensure the Rebels left with a 2-0 win.

We set traps and they played into them but that was a hell of a strike. We cant keep a team out for more than ten minutes at the start of a game. I’m disappointed – Mitch Brundle

Dover Athletic: Terrell, Charles-Cook, McLean, Naylor, Olarewaju, Dunne, Young, Oyenuga, Allen, Sutherland, Stewart

Subs: Ojemen, Anifowose, Bello, Hatcher, Baptiste

Worthing: Rees, Colbran, Racine, Rye, Vincent, Felix, Wheeler, Aguiar, Odei, Luer, Fish

Subs: Wills, Klass, Chadwick, Luque, Meekuns

And so onto Bank Holiday Monday and another Kent derby. With there being two games in 48 hours the Gaffer decided to use his squad and bring in some fresh legs. It’s always a conundrum when you switch your side because if you lose you think you should have stayed with the same lads but hindsight is a wonderful thing in football. In came Ojemen and Sesay for their first minutes of the campaign, while Nikaj, Baptiste and Anifowose were all recalled.

Dartford kept their same eleven from the Saturday’s win over Avely as Alan Dowson looked to grab another three points at Princes Park. It was an unusual start to the game with both sides looking a little leggy but that soon changed when George Nikaj cut in from the right and sent his left footed curler inches over the bar. Moments later and the home side had taken the lead. A corner swung in from the right was swept home by James Golding with the Whites failing to clear after a neat save by Terrell.

Immediately after the restart, Billy Terrell was again called into action, this time spreading himself to block a shot when Dartford were 2 v 1 in our penalty area. Players began to tire in the second half and again Dover were undone at a corner when a free header from Lewis Manor flew into the back of the net. Defending set pieces is becoming a real Achilles heel for the Whites in this campaign and it looked to become an even worse day at the office when Olarewaju was adjudged to have handled in the penalty area. Coulson aimed for the top right hand corner but blazes over the crossbar.

You have be forgiven to think that miss would spark a last 15 minute flurry from the visitors but it wasn’t to be a shot from Sutherland was parried away to safety by Beeney in the Darts goal. In fact, the only bit of fight the Whites showed was when a tackle by Allen sparked a melee on the pitch with a few players from both sides getting involved.

Two defeats on the spin will put an end to August’s fixtures in what was a tricky start on paper. The league will start to open up now as we head into the autumn period and there will be a lot more highs and lows to follow.

The performance out there today wasn’t one from my team. I wont accept a bad performance. – Mitch Brundle

Dover Athletic: Terrell, Ojemen, Sesay, Naylor, Olarewaju, Oyenuga, Dunne, Anifowose, Baptiste, Nikaj, Stewart

Subs: Sutherland, Wilkinson, Hatcher, Dembele, Allen

Dartford: Beeney, Goulding, Altintop, Block, Miller-Rodney, Rooney, Coulson, Wynter, Bradbury, Nembhard, Manor

Subs: Statham, Box, Wray, Diarra, Allen

Whites hit back to earn a point.

As the mid day sun beat down on the Megger Community Stadium, Braintree Town headed to Crabble for another piece of Vanarama National South action. It was a glorious afternoon on the Kent coast with the Whites looking to bounce back from defeat last time out. Mitch Brundle switched from a back four to a three as the Gaffer looked to get back to winning ways. But it was the visitors who started the brighter of the two teams.

In the first minute the post saved Dover when it looked like the Iron were about to open their account on the day. They didn’t have to wait long before netting the opener. With just four minutes on the clock, captain Clements swept home a corner to give the visitors the lead. Set pieces are becoming a real Achilles heel of late and again we were punished and chasing the game early on.

Dover looked to get back into the match and grew with each passing attack until the referee pointed to the spot in the 26th minute after Luke Baptiste had adjudged to have been brought down. Skipper James Dunne took the responsibility and coolly sent Jack Sims the wrong way to level the scores at 1-1. With the home side now on the ascendancy, it looked like the Whites would score just minutes later when Nick Dembele swivelled and shot, with his effort sliding agonisingly the wrong side of the post.

The second half began and the Whites looked like they meant business with Charlie Naylor stepping out from defence, through the midfield before unleashing a fizzing shot that flashed just wide. Henry Young also troubled Sims with a dipping volley from just outside the box as the home side pushed hard for their second goal but it was the visitors who nearly snatched it with 15 minutes to go when Billy Terrell pulled off a wonderful save to deny the Iron all three points. It was another top performance from the on loan stopper who seems to grow in confidence with each game.

Eventually both teams had to settle for a point each but it was another step in the right direction for this new look Dover team. ‘It’s another point. You have to work hard for each point in this league. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb after the start but I will take a look at that. Overall I am pleased but we lacked that little something in the final third. We now look forward to next Saturday,’ said Brundle after the game.

Dover Athletic: Terrell, Oyenuga, Naylor, Charles-Cook, Olarewaju, McLean, Dunne, Young, Baptiste, Sutherland, Dembele

Subs: Wilkinson, Anifowose, Olu, Bello, Hatcher

Braintree Town: Sims, Dawudo, Stevenson, Grimwood, Clements, Beadle, Davies, Quantrell, Davies, Lambe, Blackwell

Subs: Tomkins, Blunkell, Nwachuku, Payne

Attendance: 610