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Dover Athletic boss Mitch Brundle says he’ll make changes for National League South derby at Dartford as they play for second time in three days

05:00, 28 August 2023

updated: 09:20, 28 August 2023

Changes to Dover’s starting line-up will be made as they play for the second time in 48 hours, boss Mitch Brundle has revealed.

Whites will aim to bounce back today (kick-off 3pm) from Saturday’s 2-0 home loss to early leaders Worthing when they visit Dartford.

Dover manager Mitch Brundle will make changes for today’s derby trip to Dartford
Dover manager Mitch Brundle will make changes for today’s derby trip to Dartford

Dover are 19th in National League South in the early stages of the campaign - one point and four places behind Alan Dowson’s Darts, who have signed French defender Moussa Diarra on loan from Barnet until January.

Brundle said: “I know they’re a very big team.

“I think the average height in their team is 6ft 2in. They’ve signed Moussa Diarra, I do know that because I look at the stuff going on in the league. They’ve got firepower in Lewis Manor up top with Harvey Bradbury.

“They’re a big team - there’s no denying it. He [manager Alan Dowson] has had a certain way of playing, which has been successful. No one can knock it.

“It’s been very successful over his career. I’ll watch their game [Saturday’s 1-0 victory at Aveley] back and the game before that because they’d gone four games without a win. Probably now, they’ll be a little bit calmer because they’ve won that first game.

Report: Dover 0-2 Worthing

“That still keeps me awake at night”

“But hopefully, we can turn up on the day after a quick turnaround. They’ll have to be lots of changes.

“To ask a part-time football team to do two games in three days is borderline ridiculous - but that’s how the season works. You have got to then trust in your squad, which I will do.

“It’ll give them a chance to prove to me why they should still be here because, obviously, they weren’t in the XI on Saturday. If not, we’ll be looking to replace them.”

Dover debutant Dontai Stewart came through the full game against Worthing. He had come into the team to replace fellow frontman Nick Dembele, who wasn’t involved in their squad.

When asked if Dembele had missed out with a knock, 28-year-old Brundle replied: “No.

“It was just my thought process in terms of how we press from the front. He’s an athletic and powerful boy but, when you play against teams like that, sometimes, you can get a little bit lost.

“I thought some of them did. It’s about using your brain, not necessarily your athleticism.

“My thought process was he [Stewart] would hold the ball a bit more than Dembele would because Dembele is more of a powerful runner.”

Another striker in Brundle’s ranks is 20-year-old George Nikaj, who has missed their last two matches with a knee injury.

But Dover’s manager said: “He’s back. He has trained.

“Saturday was too early to bring him into the squad but, on Monday, we might. It’s a bruising on the bone, we’ve had the scan results back.

“Obviously, since the Tonbridge game, he’d missed every session until Thursday’s session. To bring someone back in like that, all you’re doing is putting pressure on the player.

“Also, the crowd wouldn’t see the best of him. We need players at their best - otherwise they cannot play in my team.”

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