The Whites capped a fine season on Saturday with a final three points to break the 70-point barrier and clinch a place in the top 3. But this was anything but an uneventful final day encounter with six yellow cards shown and three players sent-off.

On the back of an 11-game unbeaten run and boosted by the unveiling of a new sponsorship deal for next season, the Whites started brightly with Tommy Tyne's effort forcing a corner in the first minute.

There was just time for Mark Patterson to become the first player in the book before Athletic took a deserved lead. The understanding that has developed between this set of players over the last 10 months was evident as the industrious Spiller won possession in the final third and Tyne's flick helped the ball onto Day who struck the ball firmly underneath the goalkeeper to open the scoring with his tenth goal of the season.

After the dominance of the opening 20 minutes the Whites went off the boil for the remainder of the first half and allowed the visitors to play some football. Worcester looked a much better team going forward than they did when they were on the back foot and they were on level terms after 22 minutes when Carl Healey's effort looped over Paul Hyde, denying the Whites keeper a fifth consecutive cleansheet.

Mark Patterson had to be replaced 12 minutes before the interval. Nicky Dent came on in his place.

Dover stepped up a gear after the break and came close early on but the usually reliable Day missed an open goal from 12 yards, dragging the ball wide with his right foot when perhaps he should have hit it with his left.

One of the side issues to be decided today was who would finish the season as Athletic's top scorer. Tommy Tyne was in pole position at the start of the day with 11 goals, one ahead of Dent, Carruthers and now Day. When Matt Carruthers came on for Darren Davies with half an hour to go all four contenders were on the pitch and all of them gave it their best shot to clinch the accolade.

With 18 minutes to go Day again put Dover in front but all the credit must go to Tyne for carving out the opportunity for Day to slide home from six yards. Tyne ran into the area and despite having a legitimate claim for a penalty as the defender tried to relieve him of his shirt, he stayed on his feet and squared the ball to the grateful Day who got in ahead of the last defender to make it 2-1.

With 11 minutes remaining this otherwise even tempered match boiled over. Worcester's number 6 was a bit too aggressive in his jostling with Dover's Danny Chapman, grabbing the ex-Welling player around the neck. Chapman retaliated, other players got involved and the officials had a messy situation to sort out. When the dust settled Chapman was shown a red card for his shove, which floored the Worcester player. The number 6 escaped without a booking but Worcester's right back was dismissed for reasons which were not clear. Dover captain Andy Arnott's furious protests earned him a booking and Worcester's captain was also shown a yellow.

Two minutes later and Dover had a man advantage when Worcester were reduced to nine men, their skipper shown a second yellow card for an elbow on Spiller.

The Whites have not scored more than two goals in a home game all season but Day came agonisingly close, with the last kick of the match, to becoming the first Dover player to score a competetive hat-trick this millennium. But the man who is almost certain to be named player of the year at the end of season presentation will have to settle for sharing the leading scorer award with Tommy Tyne. Dent's clever step-over cleared the way for Day's venomous drive, but as he turned away, arm aloft in celebration, the ball rebounded off the underside of the bar and spun out. There were claims from some supporters that the ball had crossed the line but no complaints from the players.

Congratulations to Clive Walker and his team for a remarkable performance this season. After the on-the-pitch disaster of last year and the off-the-pitch worries of the last 18 months, just to still have a team is an achievement, but to be challenging at the top of the league is a tremendous achievement.

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