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Dover Athletic manager Andy Hessenthaler can't wait to take on 'the biggest club in the National League' as Whites visit Notts County this weekend

06:00, 16 January 2020

Dover Athletic boss Andy Hessenthaler can’t wait to take on ‘the biggest club in the National League’ on Saturday.

Hessenthaler’s side visit Notts County where they will aim to boost their play-off chances against the fifth-placed Magpies.

Andy Hessenthaler is looking forward to taking his Dover side to face Notts County this Saturday. Picture: Andy Jones
Andy Hessenthaler is looking forward to taking his Dover side to face Notts County this Saturday. Picture: Andy Jones

Whites, five points off the top seven, drew 2-2 with County in October at Crabble.

Hessenthaler said: “They are a big club, a massive club.

“They are the biggest club in this league, I believe, at this present time.

“It’s going to be a real battle. They have a good manager in Neal Ardley.

“I know him well from when I was managing at Gillingham, so it will be a good test.”

Striker Inih Effiong gets a shot away during Dover's 1-1 draw against Hartlepool on Saturday. Picture: Alan Langley
Striker Inih Effiong gets a shot away during Dover's 1-1 draw against Hartlepool on Saturday. Picture: Alan Langley

Dover are 13th but have games in hand on most sides, having drawn 1-1 at home to Hartlepool last time out.

Hessenthaler said: “We have lost one in five, with two wins, two draws and a loss.

“That’s not terrible but I want us to win our home games, and I think we should be.”

After their trip to Notts County, Dover will end their January schedule with matches against Aldershot and Halifax.

“We still have two games in hand on teams like Hartlepool, and one game in hand on some other teams,” said Hessenthaler, who remains on the hunt for a striker.

“We are five points off the play-offs.

"Would I have taken that at this stage in the season? Maybe, but on reflection with our home form, we should be doing better.”

Substitute Nassim L’Ghoul grabbed a late equaliser as Dover drew 1-1 against Hartlepool last weekend after Whites skipper Kevin Lokko had headed into his own net in the first period.

Hessenthaler said: “Playing Hartlepool was a massive challenge for us.

"But listen, we are just frustrated with our home form. Our away form is the best in the league.

“But (with) our home form, we keep causing ourselves problems and, when we have to chase games, we find it difficult to break teams down.

“In the second half, as much as we dominated, I think their keeper (Mitch Beeney) only had one save to make before picking the ball out of the net.

“We have to do better, and our quality has to be better.”

Dover’s home match against Barrow – which had initially been scheduled for February 8 – has been re-arranged due to the Bluebirds’ involvement in the FA Trophy and will now be played on February 4.

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