Past Seasons: 1998-1999: Review
(Section navigation at the bottom of the page)
The money gained from the F.A Trophy run of the previous season allowed manager Bill Williams to strengthen his side as they looked to push on up the non-league ladder towards the ultimate aim of achieving a place in the Football League. The biggest signing made in preparation for the new campaign was striker Joff Vansittart, who had left Sutton United after scoring 37 goals for the Isthmian league side.
With striker Ricky Reina returning to the club after a season with Football League outfit Brentford, Dover looked set to have an attack capable of matching most in the Conference. Defender Lee Shearer, a pivotal part of Athletic's Trophy success when on loan from Leyton Orient, had also signed, while John Budden, Scott Daniels, Jake Leberl and Stuart Munday made up the rest of the defence.
Dover began the season at home to recently relegated Football League side Doncaster Rovers and though most people at the club would have no doubt been very happy with the 1-0 victory over the then crisis club, the match was marred when hooligans from Doncaster, no way connected with the club other than travelling to cause trouble raided the pitch following Dover being awarded a late penalty. Once play was resumed John Budden's kick was saved, but Scott Daniels' first half header had already completed the victory.
The win over Doncaster was followed by a 2-1 win at Woking, and wins soon after against Farnborough and Hednesford respectively meant Dover were in good shape early on. Yet a sudden slump saw confidence fall within the club and the only win they got between the Hednesford game and late November was a 3-2 F.A Cup replay victory against Gravesend and Northfleet.
With Dover bowing out of the F.A Cup the following round against Basingstoke Town, they once again failed to make the 1st round, and club morale hit another low. But following a 4-1 F.A Trophy win over Conference and Kent rivals Welling United, and the signings of former Dover youngster Matt Carruthers and Welling Mark Hynes in exchange for Darren Adams, luck turned back in Athletic's favour.
Their first Conference win in over 3 months came in mid-December at home to Southport, and though they would regret throwing a 3-0 lead away against Doncaster to end up losing 5-4, Christmas saw some good results. A Boxing Day win over Welling was followed 2 days later by a 5-1 thrashing of Kingstonian, with Carruthers scoring a hat-trick.
Though soon after this they did hit something of a sticky patch, including a 3-2 Trophy exit at the hands of Stevenage Borough, a run straight after the defeat fired Dover temporarily into the top 3 of the division. Matt Carruthers hit form, and inspired the team to wins over Hereford, Hayes, Leek, Kettering, Farnborough and Morecambe in a 6-match period that also included a creditable, if a little disappointing 0-0 home draw with Hednesford Town.
In a season where Dover went from high to low with one swift change of form, Dover's return to low status coincided with Carruthers' going on trial to Mansfield Town shortly after the Hednesford game. With the exception of the 4-0 win at Morecambe, Athletic didn't win again till Carruthers returned and scored the winner in a 3-2 victory over Woking.
Yet and with 5 games after that, Dover only tasted victory once more, that being in the penultimate game of the season where Mark Hynes' 2nd half goal secured a 1-0 win at Forest Green Rovers. That was in the final week of the campaign, and Athletic signed-off 3 days later with a 1-1 draw at home to strugglers Telford United.
While it hadn't been a particularly successful season, it had been far from a terrible one. Bill Williams' side had progressed in the table from the previous campaign, if only by 2 places. But now was the time to make the leap forward towards the top end of the Conference. 1999-2000 would see even further progression...
|
