TALKING POINTS

Dom Roman – @DomRoman

Dom discusses the key points

PEAKING AT THE RIGHT TIME

This season has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride at time, with handsome victories mixed in with grim defeats, and plenty of questions about whether Paul Wotton is the right man to get the job done. Well, nobody is asking that question at the moment, and considering the importance of the fixture, Saturday’s win at Hornchurch was our most impressive result of the season so far, and one that finally took us to the top of the NLS summit. Team spirit and resilience has been lacking at the times during 2025-26, but this squad now look happier than at any time since last season and that harmony has seen us fight back in a number of recent games. The players are fighting together to achieve their goal and like last year the league is very much up for grabs. That takes us onto a trip to Dover AFC.

KEEPING INTENSITY

The Saturday/Tuesday double headers are always testing, and can be tiring, especially when the second fixture is away from home. But when the team is on a run of good form, you want to play as much as possible and the Gulls should feel confident heading into this one. The second half of the Hornchurch game is the blueprint for all future away fixtures, and a repeat of that quality would see us through to 3 points. What Paul Wotton will want to avoid is conceding the first goal again, one bad habit that United have struggled to shift this season.

YOUNGY IS HUNGRY FOR MORE

Not so long ago Jordan Young’s levels slipped, and that was understandable considering how much he had put into United’s season. Perhaps other teams had found him out and we had leaned too much on the left footed diamond? Well after the silly Maidstone red card, Jordan is back with a bang and his magical 2nd goal on Saturday was easily one of the moments of the season so far. As I’ve said before, it’s vital that Youngy varies his game, and then strikes when the time is right, and that winning goal was absolutely perfect in every respect! A class player who should be playing higher up the pyramid, he’ll be desperate to take United with him.

SUNDIRE GETS STUCK IN

During his time off with injury I’ve wondered what difference Munashe Sundire could make in away games, and on Saturday he was on fine form, with our very own Chris Wade raving about his impact in midfield. Nash gives us something different. An emotional and aggressive character who is busy on and off the ball, the sort of player who energizes others and gets the crowds going. He may be demoted to the bench for Dover away after his efforts against Hornchurch, but let’s hope he can stay fit and play a big part in the rest of our season.

THE OPPOSITION

Jake Leberl’s Dover Athletic side started the season well after being promoted, and currently sit in 15th place with 37 points from 29 games. They have been inconsistent of late, but did beat 6th placed Hemel Hempstead away on Saturday, so that’s a definite warning signal for the Gulls (if they should need it!). The late winner in that game was scored by a certain Ryan Hanson, a player who struggled badly at Plainmoor in whatever position he was played in! Avoiding early jitters would be nice, United have sparkle and momentum, let’s hope they can do the business!