TWO crucial games in four days against prime promotion rivals will go a long way towards settling Dover Athletic’s fate.

Whites face Cambridge City at the Hoverspeed Stadium on Saturday before a tough Tuesday evening journey to Hednesford.

A 0-0 draw away to Chippenham at the weekend left Whites in 13th place in the Dr Martens Premier Division, just the right side of the chasm between promotion to the new Conference 2 (South) and the depths of what will be effectively a revamped Eastern Division.

Richard Langley’s underachieving side are likely to need at least four wins from eight games or be forced through the trauma of play-offs. Draws in the last two games have stopped the rot, but it is make or break time and Dover need to start winning again or effectively be relegated for the second time in three seasons.

Whites are slowly returning to full strength and Langley will have Danny Chapman available again after completing his suspension, but Andy Arnott misses both the Cambridge and Hednesford games.

The main worry concerns the goalkeeping position. Paul Hyde was ironically substituted by Dave Wietecha at Chippenham with an injury and Wietecha has long-standing knee problems.

The two seem to be taking turns to stand in for each other and Langley will be hoping at least one of them is fit for these vital games.