Website Man-Of-The-Match Steve Brown.

Dover suffered a fourth consecutive Conference defeat and a seventh consecutive game without winning as they went down 2-1 against Leigh at Crabble to leave them just eight points clear of the relegation zone.

The much publicised return of Dave Clarke did not materialise as the player made it to the ground but was excluded from the squad. With Neil Le Bihan still injured and Jimmy Strouts suspended, Jake Leberl moved into midfield with Simon Beard returning to the side in central defence as Dover again opted for a 4-4-2 formation.

The Whites started brightly and for the first fifteen minutes of the game there was only one team looking likely to score. It was during this early period that Dover took the lead. Leigh conceded a foul on the left and from Steve Norman's free-kick Lee Shearer produced a looping header that was tipped over by the visiting goalkeeper. Matt Carruthers took the resulting corner and when the ball was cleared back in his direction he delivered the cross that Simon Beard headed into the top corner to give the Whites a 1-0 advantage.

Athletic's lead lasted only five minutes before Dave Ridings eventually converted a goalmouth scramble after Hyde had twice blocked close range efforts.

Dover's fragile confidence was rocked by the equaliser and for the rest of the match they failed to live up to the promise of the opening period. McRobert and Brown were Dover's two most dangerous players going forward but apart from a mazey run from the former in which he beat three players before taking a tumble in the area, the Whites created little in the way of additional chances.

Matt Carruthers, who left the field on a stretcher.

Joff Vansittart was withdrawn at half-time to be replaced by Danny Hockton.

Athletic had a brief resurgence as the second half progressed. Brown and Hockton both fired wide from good positions and Danny Chapman also registered a close strike.

However, Leigh weathered the storm and snatched their fourth consecutive win with a goal from Steve Jones on 72 minutes. Former Altrincham midfielder Ged Kielty played Jones through and he drew Hyde off his line before finishing neatly from a tight angle.

A clash of heads fifteen minutes from time ended Matt Carruthers' involvement in the game. He collided with a Leigh defender as he attacked an aerial ball in the visitors' area and came of worse. Carruthers was clearly concussed and had blood pouring from a nasty wound on forehead as he was carried off the pitch on a stretcher. He was replaced by centre-back Colin Pluck as Dover chose to reshuffle by moving McRobert onto the right rather than bring on Tony Browne as a driect replacement.

Dover's fate was not much better than that of their winger as they failed to pull themselves back into the match and again were left with nothing.

This performance was an improvement on Dover's last home game, a dismal 3-1 reversal against Telford, but the lack of confidence that comes from two months without a victory was evident as the Whites dropped points in a game they would certainly have won had they come into it on a decent run of form. The gap between Athletic and the bottom three is becoming increasingly narrow. Dover require at least 10 points from as many games to guarantee their safety.

Substitute Colin Pluck.