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Confident Dover planning an upset

DOVER Athletic go into Saturday's FA Trophy third round tie at Conference high-flyers Barnet quietly confident that they can cause an upset.

Whites' unbeaten nine-match run has seen them rise to fifth place in the Dr Martens League Premier Division and manager Richard Langley feels that the pressure will be on the Hertfordshire side

He said: "It gives us a nice break from the league and it is a great time for us to play them.

"The pressure will be on them as they are the Conference outfit and will be expected to roll us over, but we have nothing to fear.

"Barnet will certainly have had us watched recently and I think they will be a little bit worried because of the run we are on.

"We are a dangerous side for them to play."

Barnet are enjoying a fine season in the Conference under the stewardship of former Portsmouth and West Ham midfielder Martin Allen.

They are lying in fourth place, comfortably in a play-off spot, and have a number of experienced ex-league players in their squad.

They include former QPR defender Danny Maddix and the leading goalscorer in non-league football this season, Guilano Grazioli, who took his tally to 21 with the first goal in last Saturday's 2-1 win at Halifax.

"Grazioli is a natural finisher who only needs a half chance to score," was the assessment of Dover sweeper Tony Browne.

"However, we have match-winners as well, and the way we are defending at present makes us a strong outfit and they will know they have been in a game.

"We had a good record against Conference sides last season and all the players are confident that we can continue that."

One factor that may make the game interesting will be the mammoth slope on the Underhill pitch.

It can work both for and against as keeper Paul Hyde explained: "The pitch is excellent there but the slope can make it a really interesting affair, and with the fans close to the pitch as well it has the making of a real cup tie."

Hyde, who possesses a Trophy winners' medal from his days with Wycombe, is also confident that the Whites can cause an upset.

"They are a big, physical side who will be up for a challenge because that is what Martin Allen installs in his players," he said.

"But if we are resourceful and resilient, as we have been of late, then we do not have a great deal to fear."

The rearrangement of Tuesday night's Kent Senior Cup tie with Gravesend, which Dover won 3-0, has freed up midfielder Lee Spiller to play at Barnet after completing his suspension, while 18-goal Craig Wilkins is expected to be fit to return after he missed the Worcester and Gravesend clashes with a back problem.

But, with Danny Chapman still suspended, Langley will have one selection headache.

He must decide whether to retain fit-again Nicky Humphrey or change formation to a flat back four, a tactic that worked well on Whites' recent trips to Dorchester and Weston-super-Mare.

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