IN FRONT of an expected season’s best crowd on Boxing Day, Dover Athletic will be looking to continue their climb up the table against Eastbourne (3pm).

The gate should comfortably exceed the 1,002 who turned up against Crawley in August. And with six straight wins behind them, three in the league, Richard Langley’s men have every reason to be confident.

Saturday’s 1-0 win at Weston-super-Mare saw Whites record their second away victory in succession and a recent change to a more defensive formation has clearly worked. Moreover, they have conceded just one goal in six games.

A delighted Langley said: “We are in a good position and still in three cup competitions. By the time we play Worcester (January 3) I want us to be in the top six or seven. The division is starting to open up.”

Borough’s main threat is likey to come from one-time Dover striker Scott Ramsay who has scored 15 goals this season.

The comebacks of Nicky Humphreys and Dave Wietecha were slowed on Saturday when Whites’ reserves’ clash with Dartford was called off owing to a waterlogged pitch.

Langley may nevertheless include Humphreys in the squad for Boxing Day. Simon Glover is still sidelined with a broken wrist.

* Whites face more Conference opposition next month after the Kent Senior Cup quarter-final draw handed them a trip to Gravesend & Northfleet.

A date for the game has yet to be arranged but it must be played by the end of January.