DOVER will be battling not only Basingstoke Town but the weight of history when their FA Cup campaign gets under way at Crabble on Saturday.

Relegation from the Conference means Whites enter this season's competiton at the second qualifying round stage, two rounds earlier than last year.

The boost from morale that would result from overcoming their hoodoo of never reaching the first round proper of the competitition would be matched by the boost to their finances of success in this season's competion.

Dover's assistant manager Paul Hyde feels Whites can exact revenge for their 1998 fourth qualifying round defeat by Basingstoke. He said: "If we perform like we did against Crawley, we should go through. If we play like we did against Weymouth and Stafford and Grantham, when three or four players were off the boil, we're in trouble."

A number of injury worries are hanging over the squad. Andy Arnott and Danny Chapman both picked up muscle strains at Grantham and face a fitness battle while striker Tommy Tyne is still recovering from his ankle injury and is unlikely to play.

Midfielder Jamie Day could make a comeback after several weeks on the sidelines.

Should Saturday's game end in a draw, the replay will be at Basingstoke next Tuesday.