It was a wonderful end of season for Dover Athletic keeper and skipper Mitch Walker and he looks back on a successful year with the Kent club.

Not only did the Whites stopper keep a clean sheet in the Play Off Final win at Dartford, it also meant that appearance number three hundred for the Club was marked by a trophy and promotion to end a miserable couple of years for the men from Crabble. 

KSN caught up with Walker after the Princes Park Final and he admitted, “It’s been a very long season as they always are. From a personal point of view, I have had an injury and missed a big chunk of it and the two keepers who came in – Jordan Gilmore and Claudio Boakye-Sarfo – and had games while I was out and were fantastic and been a big part of us being here today.”

“But I managed to get myself back just before the last League game – the crunch game at Chichester to decide if we got to the Play Offs and it’s been a great way to end the season – three tough away games, three great wins and a promotion!” 

“I have been in football a very long time and games are won on moments – you do get an inkling sometimes and I have to be honest that as soon as we won at Chichester, I knew that we were favourites.”

“Maybe everyone else thought we were the underdogs as to where we finished but I had an inkling and a strong belief about these boys that we were going to do it.” 
 
 “At the end of the day, whether you’re playing at home or away, the three points are important and if you can find that nice balance that we seem to have done over the course of a season to get ourselves into the Play Offs, that is the most important thing.” 

Looking at the game itself, which Dover won 2-0 courtesy of Rueben Soares’ penalty and Alfie Matthews’ header, Walker said, “We wanted to control the game, and I felt that, looking back on it, we did!”

“We’ve come away to Princes Park with four fifths of the crowd “hating” you and don’t want you to win. We had to rise to the occasion and manage the game, and I thought the boys did that so well on the day.” 

“We have played three Cup Finals in nine days away from home – and won all three – takes some doing at any level!”

“I think it’s been our game management that had come massively into play especially going away from home where there is extra pressure on you, but the boys have been absolutely fantastic, and this is a wonderful day for the Club!” 

Reflecting on the achievement, Walker said, “I have spent some time away from the Club and it really has been great to see how this year has gone compared to the last couple of seasons when everything has been down and miserable – relegations after relegations after fighting relegation… it really is just what the Club deserved and everybody involved.”

“Jake and Mike (LeBerl and Sandmann, the Dover boss and his No 2) must take so much credit for this as does the Chairman and the boy’s collective effort that have ultimately got us over the line.” 

“I am going to take a couple of weeks out with the family at home, and then the talks will happen during the summer – it’s a special Club and I have absolutely loved my time here, I have loved this season and it will be one of my favourite seasons when I look back on my career – so I guess we’ll go from there!” 

Picture supplied by Dover Athletic.