1 week Ago By [email protected] (Thomas Reeves)
Luke Baptiste has one more target he wants to hit after reaching the 20-goal mark for Dover this season - to earn promotion. The forward reached the milestone for the Isthmian Premier play-off occupants as they beat Hendon 4-2 last weekend. “That’s every forward's target, just to hit 20,” said Baptiste.
“Anything else is a bonus. “But hopefully, I can get a few more.” Asked if he had any further goals in mind, with three more league matches to play this term, plus the potential for two play-off games, Baptiste replied: “Just one big one - to go up, however we do that.
" Baptiste found the net once in either half against Hendon, with Athletic having gone into a second-minute lead in bizarre fashion through an away own goal and Baptiste converting a 15th-minute set-piece, before Baptiste turned provider for midfielder Ryan Hanson for the fourth. He reflected: “It was a weird game. Report: Dover 4-2 Hendon Whites player makes team-of-the-week Lessons to learn despite Whites’ win “The first goal, I’ve never seen a goal like that before! “Even the second one, we got lucky and, basically, got a 2-0 head start before we let it slip and we conceded again from a corner, which isn’t good.
At half-time, the gaffer (Jake Leberl) went a bit mental. “But I feel like, in the second half, we showed how good we are.” On his own performance, he added: “I was pleased.
“I was unlucky I didn’t get the hat-trick - but I’ll save that for another day!” It was midfielder Alfie Matthews who claimed the assists for both of Baptiste’s goals as he was ruled to have nodded home the 23-year-old’s free-kick and completed a fine team move after the interval. “To be fair, Alfie has got a lot of my assists this season,” said Baptiste. “I’m happy with that.
” He had the chance to complete his hat-trick just before the hour mark, only to, instead, cross for Hanson at the far post. “It was dragged too wide,” he explained. “To be fair, I heard Ruben Soares-Junior shout for it so I just cut it across.
“Luckily, I saw Ryan, flying across to tap it in.” There is plenty of competition for places in Whites’ ranks, especially among their forwards, with Francis Mampolo and Conrad Lucan among those regularly forced to settle for a spot on the substitutes’ bench. Baptiste said: “If you look at other people in my position, like Francis, if you see him in training, he’s an absolute joke! “He’s probably 10 times better than I am in training and rips everyone apart.
“That’s my competition, but I feel like I have kept my place, scoring my goals.” But Leberl has largely remained loyal to his free-scoring front three, which includes top scorer George Nikaj, Soares-Junior and Baptiste. “The starting XI we have, the gaffer trusts us a lot,” he noted.
“Even when we have games where we’re not at it, next game, he still tends to put us in there. “When we’re not at it in the first half, he often says ‘Listen, some of you can come off if you’re not liven-ing up!’. “It sort of gives you a kick up the backside to make sure that you go back out there and play your best.
” Baptiste has told how their excellent early-season form has given them confidence on their return to Step 3 football after a tough couple of campaigns. He said: “I have probably scored five-fold the number of goals that I have in the last few seasons so it’s nice! “It makes it more enjoyable because in the last three seasons, with how many games we have lost, that sort of says it all. Now, we’re winning, which is really nice.
“The way we started the season, especially the way Nikaj started the season, I don’t even know how many goals he got, it gave us confidence as a front three. We have got more than 60 goals between us. “If you look at it that way, we know, if we don’t concede, we’re probably going to win because we’re confident that we’re going to score in every game.
” As well as playing for Dover’s senior squad, Baptiste also now works alongside assistant and Academy boss Mike Sandmann at Faversham's Abbey School. “It’s good fun,” said the Academy product, who will turn 22 next month. “There are a few times on a Monday morning where we come in after a Saturday where, maybe, I’ve not been at my best, and Mike might say something.
“But apart from that, it’s all right.” One player who won’t be involved in Whites’ season run-in is team-mate George Wilkinson - another to come through their youth-team ranks under Sandmann - after he fractured his collarbone in this month’s 2-1 home win over Cheshunt. “It’s a shame,” said Baptiste.
“Every time he has come off the bench, he has done so well. “If you look at the other competition (in his position), people like Alfie Matthews, he has done well, as well. It makes it so tough for Mike and gaffer.
“I’m just so sad about his collarbone.” Next up for Athletic is an eagerly-awaited trip to leaders Dartford on Easter Friday. “They play at a nice ground and it’s a nice fixture for us to have across the Easter holidays,” said Baptiste.
“It’s a game that every player would want to play in, especially with them being up there and us being up there, as well.” Indeed, Baptiste had been among the goals for Dover in September’s original meeting, which ended 5-1 to the hosts at Crabble. He recalled: “That was a good day.
“After that, we had a little team night-out, as well, so, that was definitely a memorable day.”.
