[NoSkillz]

Sat. September 14, 2024

Barclays Premier League
Dover (2-0-1, 6 points, 6th) vs. Derby (0-0-3, 0 points, 19th)
Crabble Athletic Ground, Dover, UK

Betting Odds: Dover: 4-7 (Favourites) Draw: 5-2 Derby: 4-1
Past Meetings: 10W 0D 2L

Derby spent four straight years in the top flight between 2019 and 2022 but finished 18th in 2022/23 and got sent down to the Championship. It was a quick turnaround, as Derby went out and won the league in their first year back and gained immediate promotion back into the Premier League this year. They added nine players during the transfer period, with the largest signing being 24 year old fullback Douglas Rodriquez in a £2.4 million deal with Hercules. The Guatemala born Rodriguez hasn’t suited up for the senior team as he attempts to settle into the squad. Stuart Cousins was another nice bargain addition by Derby, coming over for £1.9 million from Chelsea. Cousins is an English U21 prospect and looks to have loads of potential on the left wing. Derby’s leading scorer last year was Joao Henriques Almeida with 28. Another guy to watch will be fellow striker Hallam Hope.

We have a number of tired players after the long international break, with many of our top players taking part in two games this past week for their countries. With Derby being recently promoted and us having a mid-week Champions League group stage match coming up, I’ll be rotating the squad today. Perhaps a dangerous decision but I’m sure we won’t put up another dud against a newly promoted club. Not even dressing today are Paul Moses, Neil Cairney, Rayane Hamon or captain Salim Loucif. Getting his first ever start up front is Manuel Lugo, who has been very sharp in recent reserves games. Chiquinho will line up alongside the young Mexican and wear the captain’s armband for the first time for our club. Mads Pedersen, Emmerson Harvey and Benedikt Raab will start in the midfield along with Gianluca Bolis. On defence, we line up with Renato Gaucho and Claudio Contreras, regular starters but coming in to join them are backups Mohamed Lamine Yilmaz and Rafinha. Back to a control mentality at home.

Dover: 4-4-2 Control
GK - I. Wilke
D - Renato Gaucho, M. Yilmaz, C. Contreras, Rafinha
M - M. Pedersen, E. Harvey, B. Raab, G. Bolis
S - M. Lugo, Chiquinho
Bench - Emerson, S. Nasri, A. Rocca, Jose, L. Kunchev, A. Bamba, A. Broomes

Derby are in a flat 4-4-2 with Almeida and Hope up front. Cousins is playing left midfield and former Dover keeper Fraser Forster is in goal. My assistant tells me the team looks overconfident and cocky, especially newcomers Raab and Lugo. For goodness sakes…lets put together a better game for our home supporters today and lets keep the ball a little bit today!

2’ - We have a corner and it’s Benedikt Raab crossing to the middle and there is Mads Pedersen heading it past Forster and IN! Pedersen’s first goal in a Dover uniform and we strike right away! DOVER GOAL 1-0

5’ - Now it’s Derby with a corner and Emmerson Harvey misses a chance to clear, as Hallam Hope takes advantage and heads it past Wilke and in. Ugh. DERBY GOAL 1-1

17’ - Derby with a goal kick and Forster’s boot is headed back up field by Renato Gaucho. A Derby defender is in position but whiffs on the header and Chiquinho runs onto the ball. He’s in on goal and makes no mistake, putting his fourth of the year past Forster and we have the lead once again. DOVER GOAL 2-1

HALFTIME - Possession is dead even but we outshoot Derby 11-3 (3-2 on target). We’ve had numerous chances in close but have missed the net a couple of times and also hit a goal post. I encourage the team and pull aside a nervous Manuel Lugo to say there is no pressure on him today while also telling Harvey (5.5 at half time due to the Derby goal being blamed on him) that I have faith in his ability. Lets score a couple more goals, boys!

50’ - Chiquinho carries the ball into the area and is tackled by a Derby defender and does his patented flop. I’m expecting a yellow card for Chiquinho but the ref allows play to continue without incident. The ball was sent to the right flank and Rafinha gets there and immediately crosses to the far post and there is MADS PEDERSEN, heading his second goal of the game past Forster! DOVER GOAL 3-1

63’ - Mohamed Lamine Yilmaz got banged up pretty good so I take him out and bring in Saber Nasri.

66’ - We have possession inside their territory and Chiquinho works a lovely give-and-go with Harvey. Chiquinho takes the return feed, works himself into a better shooting angle and easily deposits the ball past Forster and IN. A brace for Chiquinho and we lead comfortably! DOVER GOAL 4-1

79’ - We have a throw in deep down the left side and Pedersen throws it to Manuel Lugo. He sends a pass into the middle of the area to Raab and he lofts a left footed shot that is PERFECTLY placed into the right corner of the net past a sprawling Forster! That’s Raab’s first goal in a Dover uniform as well and this is now a laugher! DOVER GOAL 5-1

81’ - On a perfectly innocent looking play, Derby’s Almeida casually strolls past midfield and sends a SCREAMER from over 30 yards that curls violently into the right side of the net past a stunned Wilke. What a SHOT! DERBY GOAL 5-2

82’ - I make a change, giving young fullback Emerson his senior debut, as he replaces Rafinha.

Decent.

Dover 5 - 2 Derby
Goals - Mads Pedersen 2 (9.2), Chiquinho 2 (8.8), Benedikt Raab (8.9)
Assists - Rafinha (7.6), Renato Gaucho (8.2), Benedikt Raab, Emmerson Harvey (7.6), Manuel Lugo (7.8)
Man of the Match - Mads Pedersen
Other Dover Notables - Claudio Contreras (7.0), Mohamed Lamine Yilmaz (7.0)
Attendance - 22,587

We dominated that second half and ended up with 56% of possession and a 27-4 (8-3 on target) shot advantage. I don’t like giving up two goals at home to a team like Derby but that second goal was one hell of a shot. Great to see guys like Raab and Lugo with good games, along with fellow new addition Pedersen. Solid all around today. With a pretty easy schedule the next month, I feel that we are just about to start hitting our stride…

-- In other matches, City beat up on Everton, Arsenal knock off upstart Newcastle, Spurs beat Sheffield Wednesday, Man United storm past Blackpool and Chelsea destroy Middlesbrough 6-1. We move up into fourth spot on the table.



Dover U18 Update

-- The young lads beat up on Eastleigh 5-1 behind a hat trick from striker Neil Evans and a brace from strike partner Alberto Velazquez. Midfielder Dominic Beard notched two assists coming off the bench.



Next Up

-- Champions League group stage play begins, as we host the defending Scottish champions Hibernian.