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Hess aiming for century mark

Andy Hessenthaler applauds the fans after the 6-0 win over Sutton
Andy Hessenthaler applauds the fans after the 6-0 win over Sutton

The Ryman League Premier Division title may already be in the bag for Dover Athletic, but there’s no way that manager Andy Hessenthaler will allow his players to rest on their laurels in the remaining five matches of the season.

After wrapping up their second successive championship with last weekend’s 6-0 demolition of Sutton United, Whites are away to lowly Heybridge Swifts this Saturday.

The Essex club are bottom of the table, but Hessenthaler insisted: "I will be impressing on the players this week that we can’t take our foot off the gas just because we have won the title.

"It would be disrespectful to the other clubs in the league to do that, especially those who are still involved in play-off and relegation issues. Not only that, but I want us to beat the 100-point barrier this season after just missing out last year."

Whites need six more points to reach three figures and, assuming they beat Heybridge on Saturday, it would be appropriate if they reached the 100-point mark in their next game, against Boreham Wood at Crabble on April 11, as directly after the final whistle they will be presented with the Ryman League championship trophy.

Looking back on his eventful first two years in charge at Crabble, the former Gillingham player-manager said: "We felt we had a strong enough squad to win the Ryman South last season, but to come up to the Ryman Premier this season and win that as well with five matches still to go has surpassed all my expectations.

"And we have done it by leading from the front all season, which is never easy for the players, both physically and mentally, because every team you play wants to knock you off your perch.

"The players have been tremendous with the way they have coped with that situation and we haven’t had a single ‘blip’ in form all season. Whenever we have drawn or lost a game, we have bounced back straight away, and we are now 19 games unbeaten which says it all."

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