Football Season Guide

Dover enjoyed an absolutely brilliant last season in which they defied the expectations of a relegation struggle and actually contested for a play-off spot all the way to the end, even if they were newcomers. Chris Kinnear displayed his nous and ability to extract the maximum of some rather average players by securing some excellent results on consistent basis from the Kent side. They were hard to play against, with an unorthodox three-man defence, while the work ethic of the entire side was impressive. Their home record was especially eye-catching while the front pair of Tom Murphy and Stefan Payne proved a pleasant surprise as well. Now the manager will have to be wary of the second-season syndrome that becomes all too common for sides who overachieve in their first campaign after promotion. The Whites will certainly not be taken lightly by the opposition in the coming season and it is up to the manager to keep improving and making the team hard to play. There has not been much change in the playing squad over the summer and a couple of decent players have been snapped up. Jamie Grimes is a pretty good defender for this level and should compensate for the loss of Sean Francis, who departed for Bromley. Duane-Ofori Acheampong is a raw talent but has the components to succeed at this level, even if he struggled at Torquay last year. Otherwise, Ricky Miller is back after a short but impressive loan spell early last season. He brings speed and presence in the box and should be a big assert in the upcoming campaign. Overall, Dover have a useful look about them and should be good enough to secure a place in mid-table given the stable foundations that are in place at the club.