Hessenthaler warns star names that they must perform

DOVER ATHLETIC begin their Blue Square South challenge at Maidenhead United on Saturday with up to four defenders out of action, writes Stephen McCartney.

Boss Andy Hessenthaler, who has guided the club to back-to-back titles, takes his side to York Road without Olly Schulz (three-match suspension), Matt Fish (shoulder), Craig Cloke (cruciate) and summer signing from AFC Wimbledon, Jake Leberl faces a fitness test at training tonight to see if he’s recovered from a troublesome calf strain.

"We’ve got a few problems in defensive areas," revealed Hessenthaler, when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk,  prior to tonight’s last training session ahead of the big kick-off.

"Jake Leberl will have a fitness test on a calf problem, Olly Schulz is suspended for the first three games; Matt Fish has had an operation on his shoulder, which has now been diagnosed that he’s basically had his ligaments tightened in his shoulder to stop it coming out of place, so he will probably be a month and a half to two months before he comes back. Craig Cloke is a bit longer, probably before Christmas.

"We’ve got a few niggles, but we’ve got to cope with that. Once those players come back and we get everybody together, we’ll have a really strong squad."

But if the returning Leberl fails his fitness test, Hessenthaler will have no hesitation to draft in the versatile John Keister, 38, at the heart of defence to face the Magpies.

He said: "If Jake is not going to be fit then we might have to drop John back at centre half, which he’s more than capable of playing.

"He’s not the biggest but he’s got a very good leap on him. He can win headers, he reads the game very well. We wouldn’t be phased by playing John there with his experience.

"I think we’ll cope with it simply, you’ve got to cope with it, but other than that, everyone else will be fired up.

"There will be disappointments because you can only pick 11 players, but we’ll pick the 11 that we believe are going to get the result."

But after playing nine pre-season games (winning four and losing the others), Hessenthaler cannot wait for competitive football.

"I think you get to a stage where you can’t wait for the season to start," he said. "Friendlies are ok, you use them for your fitness levels and bringing new players into the club and get them used to the way we do things.

"I think the players, and the fans, are looking now for the real competitive stuff - we’re looking forward to 3 o’clock on Saturday."

"We’ve had our homework done and we’ve watched Maidenhead last week. They’re a good side and had a good season last year. They were in the top half and pushing at one stage.

"It’s not going to be easy, it’s going to be a tough opening game for us, away from home. We’ve got to make sure that we go there and be very hard to play against and if we do that then I believe we can get off to a good start.

"I’d be honest, I’d take a point now really, first game of the season, away from home, go away from home, be dogged, be strong and make sure that we come away with something out of the game."

Hessenthaler is willing to adapt to the rigours of Blue Square South football.

He said: "I think we might have to (adapt) at some games and we might certainly have to think about being a little bit more solid because we are quite caviller at home. We do take risks because we’ve got good footballers in the team and when we’re at home (we’re) on a big pitch.

"But away from home, sometimes you just have to be a little bit more dogged, solid all over the pitch, and it’s horses for courses sometimes.

"I think that’s what we’ve done well over the two years. We’ve changed our shape because of the way our opposition plays and we’ve showed them that respect and we’d changed accordingly.

"We have had them watched, we may tinker with our shape on Saturday, which we believe will get us the result."

Having steamrolled his way out of the Ryman League with two glorious campaigns, Hessenthaler believes the Blue Square South will pose him different challenges.

"I just think it’s another real challenge for us," he said. "We’ve had two challenges, we’ve come through it and we’ve got promoted.

"This is another big step, the level of football is a lot better, not being disrespectful to the Ryman League’s, but Conference football is better.

"We’ll be coming up against teams with players in their side who are similar to ours and a lot of them have played League football, so it’s just a challenge really to see where we’re at.

"I’ll know after ten games whether we’re going to be good enough and if we’re not good enough after ten games, can we make ourselves good enough? That’s what we’ve got to be thinking about. Can we make ourselves good enough to be challenging again?"

Hessenthaler added: "It’s not going to be easy. Everyone expects us to do it (win promotion) again. They have to be realistic, it’s not going to be easy, we know that.

"We have put as much pressure on ourselves, Darren (Hare) and myself as anybody, because we want to succeed.

"We have built a squad now that will challenge and we also need that little bit of luck along the way, so hopefully it will be our year again and we can keep this momentum going."

And when asked which of his star names will shine in their new division, the Kent football legend replied, "I don’t really like to single out any of my players, I expect all my players to be star performers week in week out.

"They know they can’t put their foot off the gas because whoever starts there’s a player breathing down their neck who is as good as them.

"I think that’s healthy and good for us as there’s good competition for places.

"I want to talk about us as a team, they have to perform week in week - I expect them to perform."

Visit Dover Athletic’s website: www.doverathletic.com

Mike Green will be covering this game for www.kentishfootball.co.uk (as well as BBC Radio Kent) and match report and reaction shall follow on this website on Sunday.

Maidenhead United v Dover Athletic
Blue Square South
Saturday 8 August 2009
Kick Off 3:00pm
At York Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 1SF