One game to glory!
Dartford
Mark Molesley’s men to provide Dartford with another real test. “It will be very tough,” said King, who is back on the touchline after serving a twomatch ban.
“They play good football. They are quite a young side.
“Some of their players are on loan from Bournemouth.
“It’s going to be really tough but we will give it one last go. “If we manage to get over the line, it will have been an absolute miracle season for us.”
Former Welling manager King has drastically improved Dartford’s fortunes since taking charge in October when he was originally tasked with keeping the club up, before a tremendous run of form saw them climb into the play-off places.
He reached the final last season with Welling but lost 1-0 at Woking.
On what promotion would mean to him, King said: “It would mean everything.
“It will be my fourth (play-off) final in National South.
“Just to go one step further when we have not been expected to would be the icing on the cake, really.
“We were fourth-bottom (when King took charge), there looked like there was a chance that we would get relegated.
“I’m just taking it in my stride, really. It’s just another game. “We will have to see what has happened by three o’clock on Saturday.”
King has not been afraid to make changes to his starting line-up, despite his team’s fine form, with substitute Ky MarshBrown impressing after he came off the bench at half-time in Hampshire.
And King says he has stressed to the Darts’ players on Saturday that it’s a team game.
He said: “I said to them before the game on Saturday, just because this team is starting the game, it doesn’t mean these players will be the ones to finish the game.
“We changed the team from the team that had won 3-0 (against Slough in their play-off eliminator) and won again.
“We have the players to do that, we are not just relying on 11 players.”
It has been another busy week at Ebbsfleet United.
In the past week, Fleet have signed a further five players as they target an immediate return to the National League after being relegated when their 2019/20 campaign was brought to an early close following the coronavirus pandemic.
New Ebbsfleet manager Dennis Kutrieb returned home to capture his fifth signing of the summer, bringing in centre-back Sefa Kahraman from Kutrieb’s former club Tennis Borussia Berlin. Another defender, Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, has also joined from Eastbourne. He said: “I got the call from Steve Lovell (the club’s director of football) and it sounded perfect for me.
“I did have other options but to be honest, as soon as I got this call it was a no-brainer. “I was in other talks but as soon as I came in to Ebbsfleet and talked to everyone, I knew this was the one.”
Midfield duo Josh Payne and Adam Mekki have signed for Fleet, too, having both spent part of the 2019/20 campaign on loan with the club.
Also coming in to bolster Ebbsfleet’s midfield options is former Gillingham man Ben Chapman.
The 21-year-old was a junior at Crystal Palace and turned pro with the Gills but spent last season playing at Dulwich Hamlet in National League South.
Dover Athletic have announced ticket prices are being frozen for fans and club chairman Jim Parmenter says his team can’t afford to play without them, writes Joe Harbert.
Mr Parmenter believes the new season may have to wait until supporters are allowed back into stadiums. The government have said that may happen in October. Whites chairman Mr Parmenter said: “As for when I think the season will start, I cannot see it happening at our level until fans are allowed back into grounds – we just cannot afford to play behind closed doors.”
Fans will at least be pleased that ticket prices are frozen. Mr Parmenter said: “Everyone is doing it tough in these unprecedented times, and we recognise that many of our supporters and their families are struggling financially during the pandemic and we as a club are no different. “That said, we decided to maintain the current price structure rather than increase it, but we need the support.”