Hare: We can handle expectation levels - EXCLUSIVE

Darren Hare was impressed with Chatham Town when he watched their 2-0 win over Metropolitan Police on Friday night, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Dover Athletic assistant manager watched the first half at Maidstone Road and warns that Phil Miles’ young side are more than capable of springing a surprise when the two sides meet at the Crabble Sea France Stadium tonight.

First half goals from Matt Solly and Rob Goodger ensured Chatham secured their first home league win of the season.

But following his scouting mission, Hare has plenty food for thought as he and player-manager Andy Hessenthaler plan for tonight’s Kentish derby.

“Just looking at their shape, which is quite a novel one, seeing this level of football and to be fair, they’ve been bright, their movements been good (and) their passing’s been good,” Hare said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk  during the half-time interval.

But whatever formation Chatham throw at the Whites tonight, Hare believes the hosts have enough quality in the squad to pick up another three points to extend their unbeaten league record to nine games.

“We always fancy our chances at home, whoever we’re playing against, to be honest,” said Hare.

“But having been here (at Maidstone Road) and seen Chatham, I think it’s going to be a very close affair and we really have to work hard to get three points.”

Hare is relishing working towards the ultimate aim at Dover Athletic - winning the title and promotion back into the Ryman Premier League - alongside star-manager, Andy Hessenthaler.

“We’re loving every minute of it, If I’m honest,” he said.

“I’ve been involved in youth and academy football in the last sort of ten years and there’s a different ethos in that.

“It’s about developing young players and it’s about performance rather than about the outcome, the results.

“Now we’re in this division, we’re at Dover, there’s a lot of expectation - it’s the exact opposite.

“We’re about getting results so it’s a different feeling but it’s a good feeling and it’s one both Andy and I relish.

“Obviously Andy sees himself at a higher level but to be honest with you, he loves the fans at Dover, he loves the club, and I know for a fact he’ll love to take them up to a higher level. A level that they deserve to be, for the size of club they are.”

But Dover Athletic, who can reclaim top spot if they win by three clear goals tonight, have competition for that sole automatic place.

“I think Tooting are going to be a very strong side this year, obviously Kingstonian are up there at the moment,” Hare said of the current top two.

“I’ve seen Sittingbourne this year. I think Steve Lovell has done a great job down there. I think they’re going to be a tough side.

“There are, I would say, six, eight teams and having seen Chatham, who knows, because they’re passing the ball really well, they’ve got some good individual players and very impressed with the two boys up front.

“Obviously I know (Chatham players) Tommy Binks and Darren Smith quite well anyway, so it’s not going to be an easy game for us.”

Hare explained that the management team and players’ have been fully supported by the club as they aim return to the Ryman Premier League after a three-year absence.

The Whites’ play-off hopes have been dashed by Tonbridge Angels (final) and Hastings United (semi-final) in the past two seasons - but Hare wants to avoid that lottery.

“Well, to be fair, the chairman’s been great to us,” Hare said. “He wants to get out this division obviously.

“He hasn’t put Andy under any pressure to get out this division, but I think Andy’s put that pressure on himself.

“He’s said on a number of occasions (that) he wants to get out of the division and get up into the Ryman Premier and I’ll be honest, I don’t see anything less at the end of the season.

“So we’ve been well backed, we’ve got a good group of players. Obviously injuries and suspensions permitting, we’d like to think we’ve got a squad strong enough to win the league but if we have to be in the play-offs, we have to.

“I don’t like play-off’s, Andy likes them better than me, having won one at Wembley (for Gillingham) but really and truly, we’d like to go directly up.

“But we know it’s going to be really, really hard. That’s not taking anything away from any other team in the league.

“We’ll wait and see come the end of the season, the proofs in the pudding.

“We’ve set ourselves monthly targets, at the moment, we’re on target.”

Chatham Town boss Phil Miles wants his players to stand up and be counted as they aim to become the first side to beat the Whites in the league this season.

The Medway side travel to the Sea France Crabble Stadium with two successive wins under their belts, having knocked Kingstonian out of the FA Trophy nine days ago at Maidstone Road, courtesy of a 3-1 win.

And Miles knows his players’ must perform like they did on Friday night against Metropolitan Police, if they’re to beat another Ryman One South giant.

“We know it’s going to be difficult down there,” Miles said EXCLUSIVELY to  www.kentishfootball.co.uk  after shutting out the Police.

“If we don’t put in the commitment and the hard work, which we did (against Metropolitan Police), then we’ll be in trouble, simple as that. They (my players) know that, I know that.

“We’ve got to work really hard and if we do, then you’ll never know!”

Miles knows Dover Athletic are beatable; Kent League side Hythe Town knocked them out of the FA Cup in the second qualifying round and Eastbourne Town won a Ryman League Cup tie after 120 minutes of football.

“I know they went down to Hythe and got turned over, but at Dover I think they’ll be a different proposition,” warned Miles.

“Nine hundred there on a Monday night, be a few there I’d imagine, but it’s whether our boys could handle that?

Alcohol fuelled teenagers, who didn’t pay to get in, “spurred on” Chatham on Friday night against Metropolitan Police, but Miles hopes his players won’t crack under pressure in front of a passionate filled Dover faithful.

“It was nice we had a bit of a crowd, we had a bit of an atmosphere cheering for us but obviously Dover there’s going to be 900 Dover fans screaming for them, so it’s whether our players can stand up to that.”

But Chatham also have players that can cause damage, ultimately set-piece taker, Darren Smith.

Miles said: “He’s good with a dead-ball, it does cause teams problems and all other clubs have got dead-ball takers, which cause us problems, Darren does that for us.”

Visit club websites:

www.doverathletic.com

www.dafctv.com

www.chathamtownfc.net

Dover Athletic v Chatham Town
Ryman League Division One South
Monday 15^th October 2007
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Sea France Crabble Stadium, Lewisham Road, River, Dover, Kent CT17 0JB