2014–15 Dover Athletic F.C. season

The 2014–15 season was the thirty-second season of competitive association football played by Dover Athletic Football Club, a professional football club based in the town of Dover, Kent, England. Their promotion via the Conference South play-offs in 2013–14 meant they played in Conference Premier, after twelve years away from the division. The season ran from 1 July 2014 to 25 April 2015.

Chris Kinnear made five signings in his second summer transfer window as Dover manager. After a poor start to the season Dover made a late surge for a play-off place but failed to reach one as they finished in eighth position in the twenty-four-team 2014–15 Conference Premier. Dover were eliminated from the 2014–15 FA Cup in the third round by Crystal Palace, and from the 2014–15 FA Trophy in the fourth round by Bath City. Dover also took part in the 2014–15 Kent Senior Cup and were knocked out in the second round by Folkestone Invicta.

Thirty-one players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were fourteen different goalscorers. Defender Richard Orlu missed only three of the fifty-nine competitive matches played over the season. Stefan Payne finished as leading scorer with twenty goals, of which fifteen came in league competition, two came in the FA Trophy, two came in the Kent Senior Cup and one came in the FA Cup. At the end of season awards Tyrone Sterling won the Supporters Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year.

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Background and pre-season

The 2013–14 season was Chris Kinnear's first full season as Dover Athletic manager, having taken over the role in January 2013. Dover finished the season in the fifth and final Conference South play-off place. Dover beat Sutton United Town 4–1 on aggregate in the play-off semi-final. Ebbsfleet United were then beaten 1–0 in the 2014 Conference South play-off Final at Stonebridge Road, which meant the club was promoted into the Conference Premier, returning to the non-League top flight after an twelve-year absence.

Released following the end of the season were Moses Ademola, Terrell Forbes, Elliott Charles, Ashley Carew and James Rogers. Michael Bakare, Michael Kamara and Sam Long also left the club after departing for Tonbridge Angels, Dulwich Hamlet and Bromley respectively.

New additions in defence ahead of the season's start included goalkeeper Andy Rafferty from Hartlepool United and defenders Matt Lock from Chelmsford City and Sean Francis from Bishop's Stortford. Midfielder Christian Nanetti signed from Havant & Waterlooville and forward Stefan Payne signed from Hornchurch.

In the pre-season campaign Dover participated in ten matches. This comprised four home games, against Margate, Faversham Town, Colchester United and Gillingham, and six away games at Canvey Island, Tonbridge Angels, Erith & Belvedere, Sevenoaks Town, Kingstonian and Chatham Town. The match against Erith & Belvedere was abandoned after 80 minutes, with Dover winning 2–0, due to a serious injury to club trialist Tambeson Eyong. The club completed the pre-season unbeaten, winning eight of the completed fixtures and drawing the other.

Conference Premier match details

Date

Opponents

Venue

Result

Score

Scorers

Canvey Island

A

W

4–1

Payne 1' pen., Sands 29' o.g., Bellamy (2) 60', 85'

Tonbridge Angels

A

W

2–0

Elder 61', Reid 89' pen.

Erith & Belvedere

A

2–0

Deverdics 13', Goulding 41'

Margate

H

W

1–0

Reid 81'

Faversham Town

H

W

4–0

Reid (2), Sterling, Nanetti

Sevenoaks Town

A

W

2–0

Goulding 45', Appiah 81'

Colchester United

H

D

2–2

Stone 5', Elder 78'

Gillingham

H

W

1–0

Raggett 64'

Kingstonian

A

W

2–0

Modeste (2) 21', 29'

Chatham Town

A

W

1–0

Summary and aftermath

Final Conference Premier table (part)

Team

6

46

21

15

10

60

46

+14

78

7

46

21

13

12

77

52

+25

76

8

46

19

11

16

69

58

+11

68

9

46

17

15

14

60

54

+6

66

10

46

17

15

14

66

62

+4

78

Dover mostly occupied the bottom half of the table before the turn of the year, and dropped as low as twenty-third in September 2014. On the final day a 0–0 draw with Forest Green Rovers gave Dover an eighth-place finish, three places outside the play-off places which Dover made a late surge for. Richard Orlu made the highest number of appearances over the season, appearing in fifty-six of Dover's fifty-nine matches. Stefan Payne was Dover's top scorer in the league and in all competitions, with fifteen league goals and twenty in total. Two other players, Nicky Deverdics and Tom Murphy, reached double figures.

After the season ended Barry Cogan, Nathan Elder, Connor Essam, Sean Francis, Yado Mambo, Adam Mekki, Jake Reid and Craig Stone left Dover to sign for Dartford, Tonbridge Angels, Leyton Orient, Bromley, Hayes & Yeading United, Tranmere Rovers, Maidenhead United and Eastbourne Borough respectively. Dover's summer signings included defenders Jaydon Gibbs from Aldershot Town, Jaydon Gibbs from Aldershot Town, Jamie Grimes from Kidderminster Harriers, Sam Magri loaned from Queens Park Rangers and Matt Young from Sheffield Wednesday, midfielder Naby Diallo from Bath City and strikers Ricky Miller from Luton Town and Duane Ofori-Acheampong from Torquay United.

Results

League positions are sourced by Statto, while the remaining information is referenced individually. Dover's score is listed first in the score columns.

League

Conference Premier match details

Date

Position

Opponents

Venue

Result

Score

Scorers

17th

Halifax Town

H

L

0–1

22nd

Braintree Town

A

L

0–3

21st

Grimsby Town

A

D

1–1

Lock 86'

16th

Eastleigh

H

W

2–1

Payne 43', Elder 78'

18th

Woking

A

L

1–6

Payne 30'

20th

Kidderminster Harriers

H

L

0–1

16th

Telford United

A

W

4–1

Bonner 38', Reid (2) 76', 90+3', Miller 87'

18th

Barnet

H

L

0–3

19th

Macclesfield Town

H

L

0–1

22nd

Dartford

A

L

1–2

Miller 8'

23rd

Torquay United

A

L

0–2

19th

Alfreton Town

H

W

1–0

Miller 38'

19th

Aldershot Town

H

W

3–0

Sterling 22', Nanetti 54', Miller 69'

19th

Bristol Rovers

A

D

1–1

Murphy 90'

20th

Nuneaton Town

A

L

2–3

Miller 37', Payne 51'

18th

Chester

H

W

2–0

Heneghan 47' o.g., Essam 64'

20th

Macclesfield Town

A

L

0–1

19th

Southport

A

D

2–2

Payne 1', Francis 70'

17th

Braintree Town

H

W

1–0

Deverdics 45+3'

17th

Alfreton Town

A

W

3–2

Deverdics (2) 53', 65, Payne 73'

17th

Forest Green Rovers

H

D

0–0

15th

Nuneaton Town

H

W

5–0

Murphy 21', Essam 24', Deverdics 32', Payne (2) 59', 82'

13th

Gateshead

A

W

2–1

Payne 21', Francis 43'

14th

Torquay United

H

D

2–2

Essam 75', Sterling 90+3'

14th

Altrincham

A

D

2–2

Densmore 50' o.g., Payne 79'

13th

Welling United

H

W

4–0

Payne 20', Murphy (2) 37', 47', Poole 90+4' pen.

13th

Barnet

A

D

2–2

Murphy 8', Payne 18'

12th

Welling United

A

W

2–0

Raggett 63', Cogan 78'

12th

Dartford

H

W

6–1

Deverdics 5', Orlu 45+2', Murphy (2) 53', 79', Bellamy 55', Cogan 77' pen.

8th

Wrexham

H

W

2–0

Murphy 12', Raggett 35'

12th

Lincoln City

A

L

0–1

13th

Halifax

A

L

2–3

Murphy 34', Holman 77'

12th

Southport

H

D

2–2

Raggett 13', Holman 73'

13th

Aldershot Town

A

L

1–3

Francis 76'

13th

Lincoln City

H

L

1–2

Modeste 7'

13th

Kidderminster Harriers

A

W

2–0

Murphy (2) 7', 79'

10th

Altrincham

H

W

2–1

Deverdics (2) 11', 85'

10th

Gateshead

H

W

1–0

Essam 54'

10th

Grimsby Town

H

L

0–1

10th

Telford United

H

W

1–0

Payne 4'

10th

Wrexham

A

D

1–1

Modeste 60'

9th

Eastleigh

A

W

1–0

Raggett 71'

9th

Woking

H

W

2–1

Payne (2) 49', 89' pen.

8th

Chester

A

L

1–3

Payne 35'

8th

Bristol Rovers

H

D

1–1

Modeste 88'

8th

Forest Green Rovers

A

D

0–0

FA Cup

FA Cup match details

Date

Round

Opponents

Venue

Result

Score

Scorers

Eastbourne Borough

A

D

0–0

replay

Eastbourne Borough

H

W

1–0

Deverdics 37'

Morecambe

H

W

1–0

Payne 45'

Cheltenham Town

A

W

1–0

Essam 83'

Crystal Palace

H

L

0–4

FA Trophy

FA Trophy match details

Date

Round

Opponents

Venue

Result

Score

Scorers

Lowestoft Town

A

W

3–1

Sterling 26', Murphy 65', Poole 90+2'

Havant & Waterlooville

A

W

1–0

Modeste 86'

Woking

A

D

3–3

Essam 35', Deverdics 49', Payne 53'

replay

Woking

H

W

1–0

Deverdics 60'

Bath City

H

D

3–3

Payne 7', Orlu 87', Reid 90+4'

replay

Bath City

A

L

1–2

Sterling 68'

Kent Senior Cup

Kent Senior Cup match details

Date

Round

Opponents

Venue

Result

Score

Scorers

Faversham Town

H

W

2–1

Payne (2) 10', 81' pen.

Folkestone Invicta

H

L

1–3

Rutherford 74'

Appearances and goals

Source:
Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute.
Players listed with no appearances have been in the matchday squad but only as unused substitutes.
Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward
Players included in matchday squads

No.

Pos.

Nat.

Name

League

FA Cup

FA Trophy

Apps

Goals

Apps

Goals

Apps

Goals

Apps

Goals

Apps

1

GK

20

0

0

0

1

2

MF

18

0

1

0

0

3

DF

14 (11)

0

0

2 (4)

4

MF

25 (2)

0

4

0

2 (1)

5

DF

26 (5)

4

0

5

6

DF

45

1

5

0

6

7

MF

15 (7)

3

0

8

MF

10 (7)

1

0

3

9

FW

7 (3)

1

0

0

0

10

FW

31 (5)

11

5

0

6

11

MF

12 (8)

2

2 (1)

0

6

12

MF

13

1

0

0

0

14

FW

15

4

1

5

15

DF

21 (1)

3

2

0

3

16

DF

42

2

4 (1)

0

6

17

MF

7

5

1

6

18

DF

0

1

0

0

18

DF

0

0

0

0

0

19

FW

2

0

20

MF

7 (12)

1

0

0

21

DF

1

0

0

0

0

21

MF

0

0

0

0

21

MF

0

0

0

0

21

MF

0

0

0

0

22

GK

1

0

0

0

0

23

DF

0

0

0

0

0

26

FW

2

0

0

0

26

DF

22

1

5

0

2

27

FW

8 (2)

5

0

0

0

28

MF

21 (2)

0

2 (1)

0

29

DF

38

|4

5

1

6

30

GK

25

0

5

0

5

31

FW

1

0

0

See also

  • List of Dover Athletic F.C. seasons