Match Preview - Eastleigh v Dover

Eastleigh v Dover Athletic
Monday 21st February 2011 - 7:45pm kick off

Match preview by Kieran James


The Spitfires will try to bounce back from their recent 0-2 defeat against first-placed Braintree in the Blue Square Bet South; when they play Dover Athletic home at the Silverlake Stadium on Monday night.

The game is re-scheduled from 18/12/10 where the game got called off due to a frozen pitch. Dave Malone put on the fans forum the day before: "After a pitch inspection this afternoon, the game against Dover Athletic has been postponed. Several parts of the pitch are already frozen, and with sub zero temperatures forecast a sensible early decision has been made. This will avoid any unnecessary travel and/ or risk of injury to both players and supporters."

Lets hope the game will go ahead this time around as Dover Athletic fans have travelled to two away games in a row having been let down by the bad weather prior to this match.

Dover have lost their last three league games but sit in eighth place, six points behind sixth placed Eastleigh with 41 points.

Out of the last 20 games, Eastleigh have failed to score only once and that was against the league leaders Braintree Town on Saturday, however Dover have failed to score three times out of their last 20 games played at the Crabble Athletic Ground.

The last time the sides met it finished 0-1 to the Spitfires with a Jamie Slabber wonder goal.

Dover Athletic will be without striker Ben Hunt who has scored six goals in 23 appearances as the former Bristol Rovers striker has been loaned to Lewes until the end of April.

Dover have the Blue Square South leading goalscorer in there ranks, Adam Birchall, who was The Whites FA Cup hero this season. Birchall has scored an impressive 23 goals in the league but The Spitfires' defence kept the striker quiet in September.

Eastleigh have had good memories against Dover as in the 2008/2009 season, Eastleigh got into the first round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history having beat Dover Athletic away 3-5.

Eastleigh will try to get back into the play-off zone on Monday having not been beaten at night this season in the league and with Havant and Waterlooville vs Hampton and Richmond, the only other fixture on the night, Eastleigh could be two points clear again in the Blue Square Bet South play-off zone.

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